Tying some racing history together
See last post in thread:
See it before it goes away.

 

NHRA 1995
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKiFHIA45vk

Video Review of the 1995 NHRA Drag Racing Season presented by Steve Evans & Dave McClelland.

IHRA 1995 Spring Nationals by Dave W
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5uCLnzcD3o
Don Garlits interview around 9-10 minutes

 

1999 US Nationals NHRA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h2m1gzgc6k

The 2 part live broadcast on TNN. Part one was first round and the second part was the rest. This was one of the greatest top fuel points battles in history. Missing from this years coverage was the sportsman classes, they chose to focus on pros only.

 

1985 Stroh's Summernationals by buggy boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzsqqHHm4IQ

In March of 1985, Lee Shepherd, who many thought was the best Pro Stock driver, racing for arguably the best Pro Stock team, Reher-Morrison, was killed when he was testing a new car at the Ardmore, Okla. track. A severe crosswind was blamed for sending Shepherd's car airborne, and after that, he was just a passenger.
Without question one of the nicest guys in drag racing, Shepherd left some enormous shoes to fill. That job went to Bruce Allen, who won the IHRA Pro Stock title in 1985, dedicating it to Shepherd.
Still, losing Shepherd, not only a top driver but one of the best mechanics when it came to cylinder head development, cast a pall over the 1985 season. Despite upbeat interviews from drivers like Kenny Bernstein, Dale Pulde and Rickie Smith, the ESPN broadcast of the 1985 IHRA Strohs Summernationals from Edgewater Park in Cincinatti (below) is colored by the loss of Shepherd.
That said, it's a solid 44-minute wrapup of the event – you'll want to see the race between Pulde, the top IHRA Funny Car driver of the time, and Bernstein. Billy Meyer and his Ford Mustang figure into the drama, too.
It's hosted by the much-missed duo of Bob Jenkins and Larry Nuber, with a young Marty Reid in the pits. Well worth your time:


themopar426
the good old days when the ihra could compete with the nhra

 

2004 IHRA AC Delco Nationals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XExsG3uW2Tc
The Top Fuel and Pro Modified show. Clay Millican becomes the winningest IHRA pro racer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ws2GYxAIRg
The Alcohol Funny Car and Pro Stock show. Missing the Funny Car finals.

 

IHRA: 2016 Pro champion profile - Cary Goforth

Steven Cole Smith (words and image)

Gary Goforth, 2016 IHRA Pro Stock champion, wrapped up his title in a close battle in the rain-plagued season finale at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan.

But, Goforth said after the race, the weekend wasn't all roses and bunny rabbits.
The previous day, he said, "I called my wife, and I told her I don't know if I want to do this anymore. It was eating me up. I was letting things get to me. I was sure we were going to get the crap kicked out of us this weekend."
Goforth wasn't even able to make a qualifying run Friday night due to mechanical problems, hence that call to his wife. Nothing was going right. But he qualified third in Saturday's final round.
Then the tide turned: He won all three rounds Saturday night, with his semifinal win over Trevor Eman clinching the title over the Aruba.com racer. It was one of the best races of the IHRA season: Goforth, in his Amsoil Chevrolet Camaro, ran 6.319 at 221.57mph. Eman, gunning for his first championship, ran 6.342 at 220.91mph.
To make it complete, Goforth then beat J.R. Carr in the finals to win the event championship, too.
This was Goforth's third straight IHRA Pro Stock win in his Jerry Haas-built car, which is powered by an 826-cubic-inch V-8 from Sonny's Racing Engines. The Holdenville, Oklahoma resident was joined on the circuit by his father, Dean, who was competitive all season long.
Dean is a former national champion who re-entered the racing circuit after devoting his attention to his other business interests. He owns Dean's Casing Service, one of the largest oil well casing services in Oklahoma, as well as an automotive service center and various other business ventures.
Oh, and as for that Friday phone call home to his wife? Goforth made a very different call on Saturday. "She said, 'I have been dreading this call because I was afraid what you might say,'" Goforth said, grinning. "But it turned out all right."

 

I added some 1988 videos.......Gatornationals.....
Don Garlits does some commentary...

post 9 in this very thread
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/d...all-began.html

 

Quick-8 movie film Shuffletown Dragway by scdragracingvideos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwbIwGzwzqM

Pinups2Showboats

I used to love this place, it was a great drag strip. Corrupt politicians invested in the property surrounding the strip then used their political power to shut the strip down, of course that increased property values around the strip tremendously, and they made a fortune from their corrupt dealings. 

 

HIN returns to the Tampa Convention Center on Saturday November 19th, 2016.

 

[h=1]Battle of the States 2014 - Memphis International Raceway March 21-23, 2014!!!![/h]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvrBw5O4s44

With the action turning to the IHRA World Finals at Memphis International Raceway this weekend, here's a reminder of the track, it's layout and its grippy surface, courtesy of the Outlaw Street Car Reunion held there in 2014.

Take a look at the action, multiple it by a few hundreds, and that's what you'll watch at MIR this weekend.

For more information, log onto RaceMIR.com. See you there!