NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

More history was made at Houston Raceway Park at the 1992 Slick 50 NHRA Nationals, where, for the first time in NHRA history, women qualified in all three Pro classes and the then-fastest speed in NHRA history was recorded by Mike Dunn.

Kim LaHaie, daughter of 1987 Top Fuel world champ, made the show in Top Fuel with a 5.070, which actually anchored the quickest field in Top Fuel history, which featured 12 cars qualified in the four-second zone. LaHaie had to race No. 1 qualifier Michael Brotherton in Darrell Gwynn’s Ken Veney-tuned Coors Light dragster in round one and fell. 4.89 to 5.06.

Phoenix’s Paula Martin similarly qualified for Funny Car in the Trapper Racing entry, grabbing the No. 16 spot with a 5.53 and drawing the low qualifier (not unpredictably) John Force in Sunday’s opening stanza, where she lost, 5.15 to 5.43.

Home-state heroine Lucinda McFarlin – who a few months later would make Pro Stock history in Memphis, Tenn., as the first female to win a round of Pro Stock competition – powered her Victoria, Texas-based Lumina into the No. 14 spot with a 7.241 and gave Jerry Eckman a run in round one before losing, 7.23 to .7.24.

Just weeks before Kenny Bernstein would break the 300-mph barrier in Top Fuel, Mike Dunn ran 297.12 mph in Jack Clark's dragster, then the fastest pass in history. Dunn ran too fast to get a backup to reset the national record, which instead went to Pat Austin at 295.37 while Bernstein reset the Top Fuel national record to 4.84. Bruce Allen reset the Pro Stock national record with a stunning 7.16 pass in the Reher-Morrison/Super Shops Lumina.

On Sunday, Mark Pawuk won his first Pro Stock title while Joe Amato (Top Fuel), Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), and John Myers (Pro Stock Bike) were also victorious.

To purchase tickets to the final NHRA SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park, call 281-383-7223 or visit www.HoustonRaceway.com. Children 12 and under are admitted free in general admissions areas with a paid adult.