NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

BUY TICKETS

WATCH! Rare footage of ’50s drag cars from the 1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals

More than 500 hot rods from around the country gathered at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds to compete at The Big Go in 1958.
08 Apr 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals - slide 1
1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals - slide 2
1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals - slide 3
1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals - slide 4
1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals - slide 5
1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals - slide 6
1 of 6

Thumbnail for: 1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals - slide 1
Thumbnail for: 1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals - slide 2
Thumbnail for: 1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals - slide 3
Thumbnail for: 1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals - slide 4
Thumbnail for: 1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals - slide 5
Thumbnail for: 1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals - slide 6

 

The photos and footage collected here come from NHRA National Dragster's archives of the 1958 NHRA U.S. Nationals in Oklahoma City, held August 29-September 1, 1958. They showcase the state-of-the-art in drag racing and hot rodding from the period when Wally Parks ran Hot Rod Magazine and the NHRA.

At this point Wally moved the NHRA U.S. Nationals to the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds, to create the epicenter of drag racing’s national scene. The footage shows how diverse race cars were, how popular engine swaps and superchargers had become, and the interest in the power-to-weight ratio early dragsters offered.

In this footage and photos you will see the best from Chrisman, Crower, Isky, and AK Miller. There was even a special award presented by Coca-Cola in a runoff between the top cars in the coupe and sedan classes.

To see more classic races on demand, become an NHRA.tv member today.