Video: Classic Drag Racing Action at the 1966 NHRA World Finals

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From Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins to Tom “Mongoose”  McEwen, you’ll see all the superstars of the golden age of drag racing in this 1966 film. The scene is the NHRA World Finals from Tulsa, Oklahoma, so strap in and hold on.

 

 

There’s little fluff in this Robert E. Petersen film from 1966, just eight minutes of hard-packed drag racing action. The scene is the annual World Finals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the National Hot Rod Association selected its season champions in a winner-take-all format, unlike the yearlong points and playoff system used today. Narration is supplied by the famed drag racing commentator Steve Evans, with television sports legend Keith Jackson providing the summary.

Nearly every round-by-round matchup in this video is an all-star moment, but we could call particular attention to these key events: The crafty Pete Robinson takes Top Fuel honors with his SOHC Ford-powered dragster, defeating Dave Beebe. (Read our popular feature on the classic Ford Cammer here.) And watch at the seven-minute mark as Bill Jenkins in his giant-killer Chevy II with small-block V8 power faces off against Jere Stahl’s ’66 Plymouth hemi sedan in the Stock Eliminator final. Spoiler alert: Here, Stahl takes the trophy, as he often did when the two met. And near the top of the film, we see Miss Hurst Golden Shifter Linda Vaughn astride her 10-ft. shift lever—then and now, the best ambassador any sport ever had. Video below.

 

4 thoughts on “Video: Classic Drag Racing Action at the 1966 NHRA World Finals”

  1. Back in the good ol’ days. I remember Don Garlitts breaking 200 mph (I believe) in the ’65 Winternationals. That was a major achievement 50+ years ago. The engine in front of you. Driving anything, it seemed that the only protection you needed was a tacky crash helmet. Then people started to realize what a potential bomb the engine was and the best place for it was behind the driver. Interesting that Funny Cars still have the engine in front….

    • I remember watching drag racing on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, with Jim McKay and Chris Economaki, ( when the old man wasn’t home) and it always played 2nd fiddle to Championship Croquet ( or something) I liked the vintage “push vehicles” they used. Back then, spinning the tires all the way was the way to go. Today, spin the tires, it’s almost a guaranteed loss. Several teams experimented with rear engine Funny cars, John Force even had a “sidewinder”, rear engine sideways and chain drive, with limited results. They were unpredictable, at best.

      • LOL! Championship Croquet, Right up there with golf, and watching paint dry. I remember that too. You got 2 minutes of racing, 3 minutes of commercials, then 10 minutes of golf. The only time golf was remotely entertaining was The Caddy Shack….

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