It seems wild to think about the fact that back in the day nitro funny car and top fuel competitors spent a lot of time running NHRA points meets while chasing national championships. It was a large part of the points structure that you had to be successful on that level as well as on the national event level to make yourself a championship contender. It brought the biggest names in drag racing to some pretty down-home places over the years.
Before Houston Raceway Park was built the Gay family built and operated Houston International Raceway which was not too far from the Baytown track that we’ll be racing at this weekend. The place was open and operated for years before the land was sold and the new track was built (again with help from the Gay family). The starting line you are looking at here is now currently a Wal-Mart pharmacy drive-through. Seriously.
Anyway, this video rules. You will see Tom Hoover, Lee Shepard, Shirley Muldowney, and a cast of high winding stick-shift cars that have us longing for the days of the Gas classes and Modified eliminator again. This is some awesome action at a track that’s long gone but who’s legacy is going to be celebrated at the facility which replaced it this weekend.
