The U.S. Nationals contested during the 1970s were chock-full of drama and firsts, such as Don Prudhomme's emotional 1970 Top Fuel win over crashing Jim Nicoll and the following year's fabled final-round burndown between Steve Carbone and Don Garlits. Then there were the stunning back-to-back Top Fuel wins by Gary Beck in 1972 and 1973, "Marvin Who" Graham's Top Fuel win in 1974, Shirley Muldowney's first final-round appearance at the 1975 event, and Don Prudhomme's final-round loss in Funny Car in 1976, his only loss that season. No one will ever forget Tom McEwen's emotional Funny Car win at the 1978 U.S. Nationals, just a few days after his son had died of leukemia, or the 1979 Silver Anniversary event, which was filled with emotion and nostalgia.

The 1977 U.S. Nationals lived up to its continued legacy by packing action, drama, and upsets into five days of racing at the 23rd annual classic. Dennis Baca (Top Fuel), Prudhomme (Funny Car), and Don Nicholson (Pro Stock) walked away with surprising victories.

Don Prudhomme scored a then-record sixth U.S. Nationals title, breaking a two-year final-round jinx with a victory over Richard Rogers.

It's hard to believe that Prudhomme's appearance in a Funny Car winner's circle during the mid-1970s would be a surprise — especially considering that he won 13 of 16 events from 1975 to 1976 — but he had been shut out of the Indy winner's circle both years after winning back-to-back titles in 1973 and 1974.

Prudhomme's win with his Army-sponsored Plymouth Arrow was third of the season, 24th of his career, and record sixth at the Nationals. He qualified No. 1 with a 6.06 and ran 6.14, 6.10, 6.13, and a final-round 6.24 to defeat Rich Rogers in Jim Green's Bardahl-backed Green Elephant Vega. Rogers had qualified with a 6.21 and hit a best of 6.31 in eliminations but slowed to a 6.58 in the final after losing traction. Prudhomme all but sewed up his third straight Winston championship when his two closest rivals, Gordie Bonin and Billy Meyer, suffered first-round defeats.

Defending U.S. Nationals champion Gary Burgin, who qualified second at 6.07, set low e.t. of the meet at a sizzling 6.02 seconds with his Orange Baron Monza. The Stanton, Calif., veteran also clicked off a 6.08 in eliminations and appeared to be on his way to the final round until his parachute vibrated out of the pack against Rogers in the semifinals. Top speed of the meet went to Dale Pulde for his 242.58-mph run from the War Eagle Trans Am.

Bob Glidden, who won back-to-back Indy titles in 1973 and 1974, as did Prudhomme, was denied a victory for the third straight year by Nicholson, who won his only Winston Pro Stock title that year, finishing just ahead of Glidden, who would go on to capture three straight Winston championships.

The 50-year-old Nicholson set low e.t. of the meet at 8.61 in qualifying, then ran 8.67, 8.74, 8.72, and 8.73 in the final to beat Glidden, who had to shut down his Arrow after suffering trouble with his car's drivetrain. Nicholson defeated Larry Lombardo in the semifinals, putting an end to one of the event's many subplots. Lombardo entered the event in second place behind Nicholson, but crashed Bill Jenkins' Monza in qualifying, setting the car ablaze. Ronnie Manchester loaned Jenkins and Lombardo his nearly identical Monza for eliminations.

Dennis Baca scored his first career win in Top Fuel, upsetting reigning Winston champion Richard Tharp in the final round. Baca, a part-time competitor on the national event trail and twice a runner-up, qualified well in the 32-car field with an eighth-best 5.99, then ran 5.97, 5.98, 6.05, and 6.08 to face off against Tharp.

Dennis Baca, near lane, pulled off a huge upset in the Top Fuel final, collecting his first national event title over reigning Winston champ Richard Tharp.

In qualifying, Tharp had become just the third driver to eclipse 250 mph with a 250.39-mph top-speed pass, but he shook the tires against Baca's 5.99 in the final and suffered the loss with a 6.16. Don Garlits had low e.t. in qualifying, 5.80.

As the finals raced along, NHRA was racing against the weather that was closing in on Indianapolis Raceway Park. Raymond Martin scored in Comp over red-lighting Joe Williamson, Joe Scott downed Jim Kinnett's SS/AA entry to win Super Stock, and homestate hero Mike McKinney won Stock in a final-round decision over Mick Leiferman, who suffered his third straight U.S. Nationals final-round loss.

The impending weather also played a hand in the two quickest Sportsman classes. Arlen Fadely took Modified over Tom Turner, who did not receive an elapsed time due to a lightning strike near the track, and Dale Armstrong took a final-round solo in Pro Comp after an extreme gesture of sportsmanship from former teammate and future fellow fuel crew chief Ken Veney.

Veney had cracked a cylinder wall on the potent Ford powerplant in his Alcohol Dragster, and although he could have competed against Armstrong, he decided to sit out in fear that he might oil the track and prevent the other finals from being completed if rain began to fall.

Approximately 10 minutes after the last cars crossed the finish line, rain fell on Indianapolis Raceway Park, bringing a soggy end to a wild U.S. Nationals.