The origins of the funny car class are widely known. Escalations among the manufacturer through the stock and then the super stock ranks caused everyone to lose their collective minds in the middle 1960s and by 1966 there were cars that had flip top bodied match racing and running around. While the name “funny car” existed before the NHRA created a class for them at the 1966 World Finals, the sanctioning body chooses ’66 (and we understand why) to mark the 50th anniversary of the awesome machines. Because of that, the entire season is going to be about celebrating funny cars and funny car heroes. The NHRA’s Louis Bloom caught up with Clare Sanders who drove a Jungle Jim owned Nova to the winner’s circle at the 1969 NHRA Winternationals.
What’s interesting is that Sanders’ win is the first ever funny car title earned at the Winters. While the class was recognized in ’66 it was not contested at every race. The entire sport was trying to come to grips with this phenomenon and it seems that the NHRA didn’t want to upset the apple cart all at once and kind of eased into things. Little did they know that the class would long reign supreme on the popularity charts with the fans. The cars had cool names, wild looking paint, and the drivers walked the line between Attila the Hun and rock stars with regard to their popularity.
Clare Sanders was there for all of it and driving from the most coveted seat in the country. He’s still in good health and spirits and it is great to see him here with Louis, especially when he tells a cool Jungle Jim story we know you’ll dig.
