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45 YEARS AGO
Read in Drag News, April 29, 1955, “New Strip Ready For
San Fernando.” According to the story, the San Fernando (Calif.)
Development Company of Fritz Burns, Charlie Dunn, and Williams Hannon
applied to the (San Fernando) City Planning Commission for a permit
to build and operate a dragstrip. A public hearing would be conducted
May 12. The track would be 3,000-feet long and built adjacent to an
existing runway at the San Fernando Airport.
35 YEARS AGO
Read in Drag Sport Illustrated, May 1, 1965, “Ongais Sets
Official Record…Takes Carlsbad Opener.” Danny Ongais wheeled the
Broussard-Garrison-Davis/“Mangler” to the sport’s best
legit speed of 207.36-mph while winning Top Fuel at NHRA’s Division
7 Southwestern Opener in Carlsbad, California. In eliminations, Ongais
shot past Bobby Tapia, Rick Stewart, and Mike Snively before whipping
Dick Lechien and Lee Drake’s dragster in the final. There Ongais
ran the 207 in 7.55 seconds. Neither time by Ongais was backed up for
an NHRA record. The 7.55 did back up an earlier 7.59 elapsed time for
a new mark for Ongais and Tapia got credit for a new NHRA mark for speed
at 205.46 mph in the Donovan Engineering digger.
25 YEARS AGO
On April 27, 1975, Hank Johnson wheeled the Al’s Auto Supply /
Dailey & Johnson Top Fuel dragster to a 5.99 / 236.84 that covered Jeb
Allen’s quicker 5.96, 240.64 in his “Praying Mantis”
in round two of the Northwest National Open in Seattle, Washington.
This was the first generally accepted side-by-side five-second drag
race.
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An interesting push vehicle for Jeb Allen’s “Praying
Mantis.”
Photo by Tim Marshall.
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15 YEARS AGO
On April 21, 1985, Butch Leal became the first racer other than Bob
Glidden, Warren Johnson, Lee Shepherd, or Frank Iaconio to win an NHRA
Pro Stock national event since 1979. Leal’s Castrol GTX / Nationwise
Pontiac Trans Am beat Glidden’s 7-11 / Chief Auto Parts Ford Thunderbird
in the final round of the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta, Ga., 7.73
/ 179.71 to 7.80 / 167.72.
5 YEARS AGO
On May 7, 1995, Oregon’s Gary Clapshaw won his only NHRA national
event when he nailed down the Funny Car title at the NHRA Mid-South
Nationals in Memphis, Tenn. Clapshaw’s unsponsored Ford Thunderbird
logged a final effort of 5.33 / 286.89 that covered a 5.45 / 276.66
by Gary Densham’s Olds Cutlass.
15 MINUTES AGO
Six-year-old Elian Gonzalez shocked the world, not to mention a community
of Miami Cuban reactionaries, when he and his father, Juan, swam back
to Cuba. Attorney General Janet Reno commented later, “Thank god,
the little devil hauled ass. I don’t know how long it would’ve
taken the legal process to kick him loose. Now it looks like I’ll
have time to attend the IHRA / Mopar Performance Parts Canadian Nationals
at the Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada.”
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