ATOM - NHRA Blog Feed

Pomona: SoCal drag racing's lifelong love

2012-02-07T10:33:00Z

Turns out, you're all rocketmen

2012-02-03T13:10:00Z

'The Rocketman'

2012-01-31T11:45:00Z

Rocket roundup

2012-01-27T08:00:00Z

'Capt. Jack' and the amazing rocket go-kart, part 2

2012-01-24T08:00:00Z

'Capt. Jack' and the amazing rocket go-kart

2012-01-20T08:00:00Z

Sparring partners

2012-01-17T14:12:00Z

Remembering Tommy "T.C." Lemons

2012-01-13T14:21:00Z

Feedback squared

2012-01-10T13:40:00Z

The gift-giving continues

2012-01-06T13:42:00Z

2011: The year in review

2011-12-30T17:08:00Z

It's baaack (motored, again)

2011-12-23T12:16:00Z

The story of John Hoven, as told by his son

2011-12-20T09:34:00Z

More mind-blowing mid-motor madness

2011-12-16T09:18:00Z

The Mid-Winder

2011-12-13T13:27:00Z

Stalking the Night Stalker

2011-12-09T08:00:00Z

Getting our rears in gear

2011-12-06T09:25:00Z

In Hindsight, maybe not such a great idea

2011-12-02T08:00:00Z

Rear-Engine Funny Cars

2011-11-29T09:01:00Z

More cars with scars

2011-11-22T08:00:00Z

Attention Nitro Generation: We want your stories!

2011-11-18T13:43:00Z

Topless Funny Cars

2011-11-15T13:59:00Z

Reyes brings on the ugly

2011-11-08T08:00:00Z

This could get ugly

2011-11-04T08:45:00Z

Cleaning out the Inbox

2011-11-01T10:55:00Z

Sorry, we're not home right now ...

2011-10-28T17:47:00Z

Remembering Phil Castronovo

2011-10-25T07:00:00Z

Crowning champions, then and now

2011-10-21T11:43:00Z

Welcome to drag racing heaven

2011-10-18T13:09:00Z

Back on the 'Dyno'

2011-10-14T12:40:00Z

Brush with garage greatness

2011-10-11T07:45:00Z

Of jackrabbit finishes and faked photo passes

2011-10-07T07:00:00Z

The return of Fan Fotos

2011-10-04T11:04:00Z

Another Memorable Motorplex Moment

2011-09-30T07:02:00Z

How the elephant crushed the guardrail

2011-09-20T07:11:00Z

Open houses, early chutes, finals gone wrong, and '70s floppers

2011-09-16T07:00:00Z

Don't lift until you've heard the referee's whistle

2011-09-13T13:54:00Z

More Indy yearbook feedback ... and 'Jungle's' wedge

2011-09-09T07:00:00Z

My favorite time of year(book)

2011-08-30T12:34:00Z

The 1977 NHRA U.S. Nationals Yearbook

2011-08-26T07:00:00Z

More farrrrrrrrrrr out stuff on Chi-Town, 'Jungle'

2011-08-23T11:04:00Z

Chi-Town and 'Jungle': Farrrrrrrrrrr out!

2011-08-19T08:23:00Z

Clearing the table (again)

2011-08-16T13:01:00Z

I didn't know that ...

2011-08-12T13:16:00Z

Open for business, again

2011-08-09T17:10:00Z

As any of you who have been around this cantina for any length of time full know, it’s as much your own memorable morsel as the main course that I serve up that makes this column the popular potluck it has become. Despite me hanging out the “Closed” on the “food at the drags” thread, apparently I cleared the table a little too quickly because you guys weren’t quite finished.

The slingshot's last hurrah

2011-08-05T11:01:00Z

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of a very telling date in drag racing history, for it was Aug. 6, 1972 — 39 years ago — that the last front-engine Top Fueler was pushed into the winner’s circle at an NHRA national event.

Second helpings

2011-08-02T10:20:00Z

Friday’s "Food for Thought” column about dragstrip delicacies may have been the main course, but plenty of other cheeseburger-crazed members of the Insider Nation decided that the entrée needed a little dessert.

Food for thought

2011-07-29T08:36:00Z

It may well be the most famous and photographed concession stand in drag race history, showing up in the background behind superstar racers burning rubber at Irwindale Raceway in the 1960s and ‘70s, and also Ground Beef Zero for any discussion about dragstrip food.

A farewell to Dave Condit

2011-07-26T13:02:00Z

I was all set to kick off a discussion of dragstrip food when I learned yesterday about the passing of former Funny Car racer Dave Condit. I guess John Force mentioned it on the air during this weekend's ESPN2 show from Denver as fate would have it, received a phone call from Force yesterday morning and was able to confirm the sad news.

And, finally, ‘the Snake’ weighs in

2011-07-22T09:01:00Z

I use the word “finally” in the headline not as a measure of time – as in, “Well, he finally speaks about the subject” -- but to let Don Prudhomme himself bring a close to the subject of his early Barracuda Funny Cars.

All Snake, all the time

2011-07-19T11:19:00Z

Over the wails of frustration from the few residents of the Insider Nation complaining about the current “all-Snake-all-the-time” format … sorry ‘bout that, and here we go again. Last Friday, I left the floor open for further comments/discussion about the fate of the original yellow Snake Cuda, and quite a few of you decided to stroll out for a little dance of your own, and, boy, can you guys tango.

What became of the original yellow 'Cuda?

2011-07-15T09:04:00Z

It’s been well-documented here and in other places that the yellow Barracuda in Prudhomme’s collection is the twin car built by Ronnie Scrima of Exhibition Engineering at the same time he built the Hot Wheels Cuda that “the Snake” ran in 1970. The twin was built for display in Chrysler’s Rapid Transit display and, to be honest, I’m not sure if it ever raced. So, what became of the original race-driver Cuda? Good question.

The 'other' black 'Cuda

2011-07-12T11:42:00Z

Last week’s discussion about the notorious black-primer Snake III Barracuda of Don Prudhomme opened up a whole new can of snakes, as it were.

Red Gooses, black Snakes, and steam catapults

2011-07-08T08:58:00Z

After somewhat reluctantly (yet honor bound to do so) publishing mixed reviews of the replica Hot Wheels Duster Funny Car in last Friday’s column, I was glad to see an outpouring of support for the project from fans.

That was then, this is now

2011-07-01T12:02:00Z

Reaction to my unveiling here of photos of the restored red Hot Wheels ramp truck was a real mixed bag, with enthusiastic thumbs-up for the primo job that Don Prudhomme’s Willie Wolter-led troops did to resurrect the iconic hauler and bedazzlement, bemusement, bewilderment, and begrudgement for the matching Funny Car, which clearly is not an original.

It's ready!

2011-06-28T18:50:00Z

As you can see, not only is the “Mongoose” ramp truck completed, but “Snake” and crew also got the blue Duster painted a matching red to complete his set. Man, plop these cars into the OCIR pit area, and you’d swear it was 1970 all over again.

M&R revisited, and the tale of Bob Gibson

2011-06-21T12:55:00Z

After posting here earlier last week about Roger “Riceman” Lee’s upcoming recreation of the Masters & Richter Top Fueler, it didn’t make me long to get the expected reply about whether or not it was the ex-M&R car that “Big John” Milner drove in More American Graffiti.

Top Fuel seasons, then and now

2011-06-17T14:05:00Z

OK, Insider experts, what do Top Fuel racers Carl Olson, Don Garlits, Chip Woodall, Jeb Allen, Art Marshall, Gary Beck, Jim Walther, and Don Moody have in common? I’ll give you some time to think about it as the column progresses.

Filling out my to-do list

2011-06-14T16:47:00Z

After the Norwalk event in about 10 days, I’m done traveling for the summer – until Indy – so that will let me catch up on some of my projects after attending five of the season’s first eight events.

It's ramped up and almost ready

2011-06-07T19:58:00Z

Any trip to Englishtown is steeped in history — the names of heroes such as “Jungle Jim” Liberman and Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney are always invoked. The vast majority of the nitro racers who compete annually always tip their hats to the event’s rich tradition and talk about how a win at the event is considered a true feather in the cap.

The name game

2011-06-01T11:12:00Z

In today's column, I'll try to follow the twisting and turning evolution of several eternally entwined events: the Supernationals, Summernationals, and Springnationals.

Rats, snakes, hustlers, and kings

2011-05-27T12:51:00Z

At this time next week, I'll be at one of my favorite places in the drag racing world, Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown for the annual Summernationals SuperNationals. (Still struggle with that one, and don't even get me started on SuperNationals.)

At a loss, again ...

2011-05-24T12:54:00Z

Another Tuesday, another sad duty to report another substantial loss to our sport. Yesterday, about 5 p.m., just a week after the death of James Warren, we lost 1970s veteran fuel Funny Car campaigner Dick Rosberg, adding to the already staggering toll this year has taken on our sport. Last Friday, we also learned of the death of popular Division 4 announcer Lynn Nickerson who, while not as well-known a name as Rosberg or Warren, was widely loved and ...

Memories of James

2011-05-20T07:00:00Z

As expected, the news earlier this week of the passing of Top Fuel hero James Warren brought forth a sea of sorrow and a wave of nostalgia as fans and friends remembered the West Coast giant.

A monumental loss

2011-05-17T16:31:00Z

I had a whole other column ready to go this morning, copy edited, photos prepared, and was ready to hit the publish button when the phone rang. With a few other obvious exceptions, there couldn’t have been tougher news coming from the other end of the line.

Hot times in ol' Hot-lanta

2011-05-10T13:46:00Z

Fair warning that this will be this week's only Insider column because come Thursday, I'll be in the air again (surrounded by an airplane) on my way to Atlanta for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at good ol' Atlanta Dragway.

Let's get small

2011-05-06T09:41:00Z

Honestly, I don't know where and how some of you find the patience to craft incredible machines out of just about thin air, but follow-up to last Friday's report on the from-scratch efforts in plastic of British artist/modeler Mark Gredzinski unleashed a flurry of responses, photos, and links to your projects and those of others, and the work is simply breathtaking in design, scope, and execution.

And ... action!

2011-05-03T10:56:00Z

So, the news is now out, unveiled last Friday at the Anaheim Comic-Con during a panel discussion and officially announced yesterday on NHRA.com: They're making a movie about drag racing's Hot Wheels heroes, Don "the Snake" Prudhomme and Tom "the Mongoose" McEwen.

Model citizen

2011-04-29T07:00:00Z

Most of us hard-core drag racing fans built plastic models in our youth – and a lot of you apparently still do – but I have to admit that I was never very good at it. Sure, the pieces would all end up in the right places and the decals mostly straight, but other than gluing three or four blowers atop one another or chopping the roof off of a car, I was never much into experimentation or customization, let alone the intricate hand-fabrication that some of the...

A weekend of tributes at the NHRA Museum

2011-04-26T13:25:00Z

In his five-decade racing career, not many people got one over on Don Prudhomme. Save for Tommy Ivo's notorious practical jokes on the young "Snake's" first road trip with him in the early 1960s, you couldn’t pull a fast one on Prudhomme, whether in the pits, on the track, or even in the boardroom.

Dry Hops in Heaven Revisited (again)

2011-04-22T09:32:00Z

After commiserating with me about the recent spate of losses our sport has suffered in the past couple of weeks, reader Randy Wallingford suggested that it might be time to update a column I first published in June 2008 called "Dry Hops in Heaven." Spurred by the death of Scott Kalitta, I wrote "Dry Hops" a week or so after his passing as a tribute not just to him, but to many of the famous from our sport's history who had passed away. People always seemed ...

More odds and ends

2011-04-19T12:13:00Z

I didn't go this year to the four-wide extravaganza in Charlotte, but I caught the TV show from home and thought that ESPN did a great job in covering it. Every lane had a dedicated camera operator on the starting line to assure that sponsors got the exposure that was lacking in last year's coverage, and ESPN employed a host of jib and fixed cameras to cover the racing from all angles. The improvement over last year's show – a sore point for the teams – is...

Enough!

2011-04-15T12:25:00Z

You know what? It has been a pretty lousy two weeks for the NHRA family. Just before the Las Vegas event, we learned of the passing of former Division 4 tech ace Lindy Vencill, known far and wide as one of NHRA's great assets until his retirement a few years ago. Then Monday after the Vegas event came the sad news that we'd all been expecting for a while, the loss of Division 7 Top Alcohol Funny Car pioneer Lou Gasparrelli, who had fought a long and ...

More of your photos

2011-04-12T13:31:00Z

The Legend of Benito Magneto

2011-04-08T07:00:00Z

The Garlits lovefest continues

2011-04-05T07:48:00Z

Your Garlits stories and photos

2011-03-29T17:23:00Z

Swamp Rat Spotters Guide, Part 3

2011-03-25T08:04:00Z

Swamp Rat Spotter's Guide, Part 2

2011-03-22T07:00:00Z

Swamp Rat Spotter's Guide, Part 1

2011-03-18T13:07:00Z

A matter of timing

2011-03-15T16:19:00Z

My greatest Gatornats hits

2011-03-08T15:45:00Z

Your stuff

2011-03-04T15:21:00Z

In the Snake Pit

2011-03-01T11:58:00Z

The Pomona archives

2011-02-22T11:51:00Z

At the (dry) hop ...

2011-02-18T08:00:00Z

'Cool is in the eye of the beholder'

2011-02-15T14:27:00Z

Yeah, 'the Snake' is definitely cool

2011-02-11T09:17:00Z

Fan Fotos: 1970 Summernationals

2011-02-08T14:34:00Z

Sticking it to me

2011-02-04T10:10:00Z

Decal details

2011-02-01T09:58:00Z

A bold yet frustrating attempt

2011-01-28T09:16:00Z

Remembering Jim Jackson

2011-01-25T14:24:00Z

Sticker shock, part 2

2011-01-21T21:50:00Z

Sticker shock, part 2

2011-01-21T09:50:00Z

Sticker shock

2011-01-18T18:13:00Z

Feedback on your feedback

2011-01-14T11:02:00Z

When 'Brute Force' met Mötley Crüe

2011-01-11T11:52:00Z

Cleaning out the e-mail, Part 2

2011-01-07T15:43:00Z

Cleaning out the e-mail, Part 1

2011-01-04T17:33:00Z