NHRA Publications is a relatively new deal for the Glendora, Califorinia-based sanctioning body, and this book, The History of NHRA Pro Stock, is its second published effort. If you are a fan of the gear-bangin’ doorslammers, than this book is aimed at you.
The book is a soft-cover piece and is roughly the same dimensions as a magazine. Its 86 pages are literally chocked full of great photos from the beginnings of the class in the early 1970s right up to the 2008 season. We’d say that the biggest draw to the book to the hardcore Pro Stock lover is the photography, as the text does not break much in the way of new ground, but does cover all the important facets of each generation of the class. Other than, of course, 1969 when it was run with the AHRA and not the NHRA.
The major personalities are represented with Glidden, Johnson, Lee Shepherd, and DarrellAlderman getting more than their share of mentions and ink. It is very neat to see the natural progression of these cars from their near factory roots right up to the high-tech machines of today that have completely left their factory counterparts by the wayside, apart from some cosmetic similarities.
Pro Stock has always been a class that seems to thrive on controversy. Whether it was the rumored nitrous usage by teams in the early 1990s or the off-track troubles that followed some drivers, Pro Stock has always had a soap opera element that bears itself more often than other professional classes. Some of those controversies are mentioned, but none are explored in graphic detail. With all respect to big time fans out there, hard facts have never made themselves public on many of these favorite topics, and we’re pretty sure NHRA did not want to pack the book full of hearsay. It would make a fun read, but probably give the legal department bed spins.
Good natured, enthusiastic drag racing fans will dig this book. Know everything, cynical Pro Stock experts will cry that it doesn’t have enough info and that lots of stuff was left out.
We went into the book expecting it to be more the former than the latter and we were not disappointed. This is one we’re happy to have on the shelf.
