We have showed you video from the 1965 NHRA Winternationals before but not this one! Because it is 8mm film, there’s no sound of the roaring engines but the sights more than make up for it. From a strapping young Chris Karamesines and Don Prudhomme to a myriad of interesting dragsters like Nye Fank’s Pulsator, Tony Nancy’s streamlined machine, and others it is great. The bonus is that the video does not just concentrate on the Winternats. You will see some footage at the beginning of stockers running at a track which is unknown to us. One of them looks like a famed Z-11 Chevy!
The video work here is professional looking and while we do not know the root of these, it may have been part of a season long recap type of film or something. The footage from the Nationals is cool, especially the opening shots which are focused right on the back tire of cars like Gas Rhonda’s Mustang and the Tasca Ford car as well. They hit the slicks hard as Rhonda and Bill Lawton wind the engines and side step their respective clutch pedals.
The NHRA Winternationals have been going strong since 1961. The 2017 version will fill the Pomona area with the same rumbling bad assery that it has seen for more than 50 years of this race. We’re going to be there and you should to. Drag racing is far out!
There is a shot on the “unknown strip” further back off the startline, a sign says
Niagra.
Cool film, I love the plumes of tiresmoke all
the way down the strip…..shows the driver ain’t letting off the throttle.
The 1963 Z-11 is being run by New York racer Jerry Hotchkiss. Jerry bought this car from Malcolm Durham. It is the former Strip Blazer Z-11.