Words by Troy Coker
Photos by Bob Coker
10/11/05

he 2005 Nostalgia Nationals held at Mid State Dragway in Havana, IL, was a gathering of all types of pre-'72 drag cars and hot rods. The event ran 3 classes of nostalgia drag racing--A/Fuel, which consisted of blown alcohol and injected nitro front-motored dragsters, altereds and a vintage Funny Car, Junior Fuel, which had front engine dragsters with injected small blocks on alcohol, and Nostalgia Combo, which ran everything from a 1953 Studebaker with a blown BBC to a '23 Ford roadster with an injected small block Ford.

Three rounds of qualifying and time trials were run on Saturday. By the day's end it was Larry Newingham of Virginia, IL, in his new bright red Competition Fabrications built FED with a blown 496 Chevy power plant sitting on the # 1 spot with a (chute out early) 4.53 @ 146 mph.

In Junior Fuel it was the defending champ Troy Wilson of Jamestown, IN, in his Bob Boulton built FED who snagged the pole position with a 4.99 ET @ 138 mph. Wilson also took home the title again this year with a win in the final over Pat Sywassink of Muscatine, IA.

The quickest run in time trials for the Nostalgia Combo class was run by Dave Waters of St. Louis, MO. in his beautiful 1941 Willy's powered by a blown 426 Hemi, Dave ran an impressive 4.93 elapsed time on the historic eighth mile. There were 5 cars remaining in the 21-car field of Nostalgia Combo when the rains came on Sunday afternoon. The purse was split between the five remaining racers. The final five consisted of Waters, Steve Shehorn of Chestnut, IL, in his '27 Ford Roadster, Larry Runnels of Mineral Point, MO. in his '67 Lincoln, Mike Lueth of Millstadt, IL, in his '64 Mercury Cyclone and Jeff Jones of Florissant, MO, in his 64 Ford Fairlane.

Dave Waters '41 Willys

The A/Fuel first round of eliminations began on Sunday morning with the sounds and smells of nostalgia drag racing just after the National Anthem. Newingham came out first with a bye run due to a now 7-car field after Bob Lair of Lake Mills, IA, in his "Wild Thing" FED couldn't make the call due to low oil pressure. The next pair pitted Brian Beaird of Canton, IL, in his 1969 Woody Gilmore injected BBC on 20% nitro front motored digger against Dave Schaffer in he and Shawn Simpson's "334" '33 Ford Coupe with a blown SBC on 30 percent nitro. Beaird's 4.92 took the win light when Schaffer almost tagged the wall at the 100ft. mark.