The success of the EMPI Volkswagen inspired dozens, if not hundreds of racers. Larry Eyerly, Darrell Vittone, Dave Andrews, Dennis Grove, the Schley Bros., Dave Vanderbeke, Don Ruckman, "Bear" Barrilleaux, and others enjoyed great success in the late 1960s and early- to -mid-1970s with "der German cars."

The next big wave of imports came from the Land of the Rising Sun. Japanese cars came into the picture in the late 1970s when Oregon racer Jim Mederer stunned the 1978 NHRA Winternationals Modified Eliminator field with a C/Modified Compact '73 Mazda, which ran 12.5's at over 100-mph. The car's win was especially impressive because of the sound it made. Imagine the "wrong answer" button on a game show stuck and amplified for 12 to 13 seconds. Not only did this Wankel rotary engine win races, but it pert near drowned out the competition. A loud, offensive, little brute it was.

Mederer's breakthrough opened the door for the most successful import racer of all-time, Portland, Oregon's Terry Hoard and his "Samarai Warrior" C/Modified Compact '77 Mazda.

Hoard was a killer in 1979 and 1980. He won the Modified Eliminator titles at the 1979 NHRA Springnationals, Mile-High Nationals and the Division 6 Modified season championship, then followed in 1980 with the titles at the SPORTSnationals and Fallnationals.

In all cases Hoard's and other small import cars went over well with the fans. Invariably, they got the headstart against the bigger V-8s and then suspense set in as the on-their-feet crowds watched to see if they could be tracked down.

Tragically enough for foreign car aficionados, the imports disappeared off the NHRA drag racing map at the end of the 1981 season. The only car that really stood out that year was John Johnston's C/MC Toyota, which ran further under its index than any Modified car all season. Johnston logged a 12.38 on a 13.20 index, but that was all the big ink the imports got that year.

Where did they go? Well, all of them ran in Modified and any hope of them staying disappeared when that category was erased by NHRA at the end of the 1981 season. They were too small and slow for the Competition cars and not stock enough to make Super Stock or Stock, so it was 'bye, bye, baby.'

A quick perusal of the record books showed that the only imports left in drag racing were motorcycles and they haven't done too badly. In fact, in the 15 years of NHRA Pro Stock Bike competition, every single winning rider has been aboard a Japanese bike.

Based on Compton's above remarks and the street reality of present day America, foreign engineering looks poised to go beyond Pro Stock Bike. It's not at all hard to see something on the order of national rivalry taking place if the import cars were mixed in with the current-day Super Stocks and Stocks.

Imagine a contemporary 2000 Nissan 300 GTZ with Imola alloy wheels and a boom Alpine audio system squaring off with one of the DeFrank Bros. in a Super Stock Camaro. Or how about a heads up class where the imports take on a drag strip-ready Chrysler PT Cruiser. The mind veritably boggles at the possibilties.

Whatever happens, it's a shot in the arm that drag racing can use and it is one that has an historical presidence.

IMPORT-ant STATS

• First Import-Bodied NHRA winner: Jack Horseley (Sportsman Eliminator) - 1959 NHRA Nationals (A/SP Devin w/Lincoln engine)
• First NHRA Import National Event Winner: Dennis Grove (Modified Eliminator) - 1972 Gatornationals (H/G Volkswagen) NHRA Import World Champions: Chris Lawrence (1973 Modified Eliminator champ) B/Modified Compact Volkswagen
• Jeff Leininger (1978 Modified Eliminator champ) L/Gas '68 Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia
• Winningest NHRA Import Racer: Terry Hoard (4 Modified Eliminator titles) C/Modified Compact '77 Mazda
• First Import-Motored Dragster Winner: Norwin Palmer (1980 Winston World Finals Comp winner and world champ. He repeated this feat in 1981.) D/Econo Dragster (front-engine, Nissan-motored dragster.)
• First Import-Engine Seven-Second Run: Cory McClenathan (early 1980s ran a 7.95, 162.00 in a VW-powered dragster, the first seven-second run.)

page 2 of 2

Copyright 1999-2001, Drag Racing Online and Racing Net Source