This is just simply fantastic albeit fantastic with a tinge of bittersweet sadness as many of the people featured in this video are no longer with us. For starters you are going to be watching the final rounds at the 1971 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California. The recently departed Keith Jackson was the man on the call back then and boy does he sound good. You’ll see the final round of Modified, Pro Stock, Top Fuel, and Funny Car. You’ll also see Ronnie Sox, Don Garlits, The Hawaiian, Wally Booth, and more along with usual suspects like Buster Couch.
A name that many may not be familiar with is Carroll Caudle. SPOILER ALERT: You are going to watch him win Modified eliminator in his 1955 Chevrolet. The thing you cannot see is the intake manifold. Caudle, along with guys like Ralph Ridgeway of Massachusetts was among the first to take a fuelie Corvette intake manifold, mill the top off, and install carbs on it, creating a tunnel ram. Vic Edelbrock specifically used Caudle’s design as a base for working on his company’s own version. Radical, right? Oh and as you will see the car ran like hell, to boot.
As much as people talk about Chevrolets in today’s world of NHRA drag racing, you’ll notice something about this video as well. Chryslers in every final round. It was a good weekend to be a Mopar fan, apparently!
Lastly, the most significant thing that happened at this race was the NHRA debut of Don Garlits rear engine dragster. The seminal moment of that debut comes here where Garlits makes a tire smoking single in the finals as his competition could not get the car serviced in time to compete. That car would alter the top feel landscape forever.
A great watch, especially because there will be nitro in the air at Pomona again next week!
