NHRA Winternationals

The NHRA Winternationals (commonly called the Winternats) are an annual drag racing event held by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.

Winternationals

National Hot Rod Association
Venue	Auto Club Raceway
Location	Pomona, California, U.S.
First race	1961
Circuit information
Length	^1⁄4 mi (0.40 km)

In 1962, under pressure from Peggy Hart (wife of track owner "Pappy" Hart) and Mickey Thompson, as well as fellow racers Shirley Shahan and Roberta Leighton, Carol Cox was the first woman allowed to race at an NHRA national event.[1] Cox drove a 1961 Pontiac Ventura with a 348 cu in (5,700 cc) V8, which was driven (not trailered) to Pomona.[2] Cox won the title in S/SA, making her the first woman ever to take a win at an NHRA national event; the 9 March 1962 issue of National Dragster recorded her as a "crowd favorite", with a winning pass of 13.06 seconds at 107.65 mph (173.25 km/h), but says nothing about it being a first for a woman, dismissively calling her a "'powder puff' handler".[3] Some racers believe a class win is more difficult to achieve than a handicap (eliminator) win.[4]

At the 1966 event, Shahan was the first woman to claim a national event eliminator crown, by taking Stock Eliminator.[5] The win put her on the cover of National Dragster'.[6]

NHRA debuted the new Top Fuel Funny Car (TF/FC) class at the Winternationals in 1969; Funny Car Eliminator (FCE) would be won by Clare Sanders, teammate of "Jungle Jim" Liberman.[7]

In 1970, Top Fuel Eliminator (quickset fuel car of the meet, digger or flopper) went to Larry Dixon,

The AA/FC winner was the 1970 Dodge Charger, Hawaiian, of Larry Reyes (driving for Roland Leong). Barrie Poole became the first Canadian to win an NHRA national event, taking the 1970 Super Stock title.[8]

The Funny Car Eliminator title at the 1971 Winternats would go to Leong's Hawaiian.[9] with Butch Maas at the wheel.[10] Don Garlits' novel rear-engined dragster appeared at the Winternats that year, qualifying with 6.8; his best time of the meet was a 6.70, over Jim Dunn's 7.58, in the semi-final: Garlits would win, when Kenny Safford broke in the final.[11] The last Top Gas Eliminator crown, before NHRA abolished the class, went to Walt Stevens, at the wheel of Ken Theiss' twin-engined Odd Couple TG/D.[12] The year's award for Best Engineered Car went to Jim Busby, with a dragster powered by a pair of injected 255 cu in (4,179 cc) DOHC Ford Indy V8 engines.[13] (Hank Westmoreland failed to qualify the car, and it never ran again.[14]) Canadian Barrie Poole repeated his 1970 Winternats win in Super Stock, in a Sandy Elliot Mustang.[15] Don Enriquez (in Gene Adams' A/FD) won Competition Eliminator, turning in a pass of 7.34 at 199 mph (320 km/h), quicker and faster than Steve Woods' hemi-engined BB/Gas Ford Anglia; the field also included twin-engine straight-six-cylinder-powered D/Ds, and AA/FAs.[16]

The 1971 meet was marred by the death of "Sneaky Pete" Robinson, who wrecked his TF/D in qualifying, with a 6.77 pass.[17]

Altereds were so popular in the 1960s and 1970s, at the 1977 Winternationals, more than 75 drivers contested for the Comp Eliminator title.[18] Among them was Ed Prout, who brought his A/Altered from Connecticut.[19]

NHRA introduced a significant change to the Christmas tree, LEDs instead of incandescent bulbs, at Pomona in 2003.[20]

At Pomona in 2014, Alexis DeJoria became the first woman ever to make a sub-four second pass, with a 3.997-second e.t.

In 2018, Top Fuel Dragser went to Doug Kalitta, Top fuel Funny Car to Matt Hagan, and Pro Stock to Bo Butner.

Past class winners

Year (report)	Top Fuel Dragster (TF/D)	Top Fuel Funny Car (TF/FC)	Top Gas (Dragster {TG/D}, Funny Car {TG/FC}, Eliminator {TGE})	Top Alcohol (Dragster {TA/D}, Funny Car {TA/FC}, Eliminator {TAE})	Altered	Pro Stock	Pro Comp	Pro Stock Motorcycle	Super Stock (SS)	Stock
1961	Jack Chrisman (Top Eliminator)	Mickey Thompson (Middle Eliminator)								Johnny Loper (Street Eliminator)[21] "Dyno Don" Nicholson (Stock Eliminator)[22]
1962	Jim Nelson (Top Eliminator)[23]	Gary Cagle (Middle Eliminator)[24]								Carol Cox[25] "Dyno Don" Nicholson (Stock Eliminator)[26]
1963	Don "Big Daddy" Garlits[27]	--none--	Bob Muravez[28]				Tony Nancy (Comp Eliminator)[29]			Al Eckstrand (Stock Eliminator)[30]
1964	Jack Williams[31]	Ronnie Sox (S/X)[32]	Danny Ongais[33]		Charlie Smith (Comp Eliminator)[34]					Tommy Grove (Top Stock)[35]
1965	Don "The Snake" Prudhomme[36] (TFE)	--none--	Jimmy Nix[37]		Chico Breschini (Comp Eliminator)[38]					Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins (Top Stock)[39]
1966	Mike Snively[40]	Clare Sanders (FCE)	Gordon Collett [41]						Wiley Cossey[42]	Shirley Shahan (Stock Eliminator)
1967	Connie Kalitta[43]	(A/FX)	Gordon Collett[44]				Chico Breschini (Comp Eliminator)[45]	Eddie Vasquez[46]		Graham Douglas[47]
1968	Jim Warren[48]		Gordon Collett[49]			Gene "Snowman" Snow[50]			Al Joneic[51]	John Barkley[52]
1969	John Mulligan[53]	Clare Sanders[54]	Dave Grassi[55]						Don Grotheer[56]
1970	Larry Dixon (TFE)		Don Hamptons[57]	Larry Reyes (AA/FC)					Barrie Poole	Richard Charbonneau (Stock Eliminator)
1971	Don "Big Daddy" Garlits	Butch Maas (FCE)	Walt Stevens (TGE)			Ronnie Sox[58]			Barrie Poole
1972	Carl Olson[59]	Ed "The Ace" McCulloch[60]				Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins[61]
1973	Don "Gig Daddy" Garlits[62]	Don Schumacher[63]				"Dyno Don" Nicholson[64]
1974	Gary Beck[65]	Dale Emery[66]				Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins[67]	Dale Armstrong[68]
1975	Don "Big Daddy" Garlits[69]	Don "The Snake" Prudhommee[70]				Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins[71]
1976	Frank Bradley[72]	Don "The Snake" Prudhomme[73]				Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins[74]
1977	Jerry Ruth[75]	Don "The Snake" Prudhomme[76]				Larry Lombardo[77]
1978	Kelly Brown[78]	Don "The Snake" Prudhomme[79]				Bob Glidden[80]
1979	Bob Noice[81]	Tom Hoover[82]				Bob Glidden[83]
1980	Shirley Muldowney[84]	Dale Pulde[85]	Bob Tietz (Pro Gas Eliminator)[86]			Lee Shepherd[87]	Brian Raymer (Comp Eliminator)[88]
1981	Jeb Allen[89]	Billy Meyer[90]				Bob Glidden[91]
1982	Dick LaHaie[92]	Al Segrini[93]				Frank Iaconio[94]
1983	Shirley Muldowney[95]	Frank Hawley[96]				Frank Iaconio[97]
1984	Gary Ormsby[98]	Al Segrini[99]				Lee Shepherd[100]
1985	Joe Amato[101]	Al Segrini[102]				Bob Glidden[103]
1986	Darrell Gwynn[104]	Tim Grose[105]				Frank Iaconio[106]
1987	Don "Big Daddy" Garlits[107]	Kenny Bernstein[108]				Warren Johnson[109]
1988
1989									Abe Loewen[110]
1990
1991				Stan Sipos (TA/FC)[111]
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004				Mitch Myers (TA/D)[112]					Abe Loewen[113]
2005	Scott Kalitta[114]	Tommy Johnson, Jr.[115]		Steve Federlin (TA/D)[116]		Dave Connolly[117]
2006	Melanie Troxel[118]	Robert Hight[119]		Duane Shields (TA/D)[120]		Greg Anderson[121]
2007	J. R. Todd[122]	Gary Scelzi[123]				Greg Anderson[124]
2008	Tony Schumacher[125]	Robert Hight[126]		Duane Shields (TA/D)[127]		Greg Anderson[128]
2009	Doug Kalitta[129]	Ron Capps[130]		Jim Whiteley (TA/D)[131]		Jason Line[132]			Shane Studley
2010	Larry Dixon[133]	John Force[134]		Chris Demke (TA/D)[135]		Mike Edwards[136]
2011	Morgan Lucas[137]	Robert Hight[138]				Jason Line[139]	Rob Harrison[140]
2012	Spencer Massey[141]	John Force[142]				Greg Anderson[143]			Abe Loewen[144]
2013	Shawn Langdon[145]	Courtney Force[146]				Vincent Nobile[147]
2014	Khalid al-Balooshi[148]	John Force[149]				Jason Line[150]
2015	Shawn Langdon[151]	Matt Hagan[152]				Jason Line[153]		Len Darnell (TF/Harley)[154]
2016	Steve Torrence[155]	Ron Capps[156]		Shawn Cowie (TA/D)[157]		Greg Anderson[158]		Len Darnell (TF/Harley)[159]
2017	Leah Pruett[160]	Matt Hagan[161]		Joey Severance (TA/D)[162] Shane Westerfield (TA/FC)[163]	Doug Lambeck (Comp Eliminator)[164]	Jason Line[165]		Jay Turner (TF/Harley)[166]
2018	Doug Kalitta	Matt Hagan		Shawn Cowie (TA/D)[167] Shane Westerfield (TA/FC)[168]	Dan Fletcher (Comp Eliminator)[169]	Bo Butner III[170]		Doug Vancil (TF/Harley)[171]

Notes

1. Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at NHRA.com (retrieved 16 September 2018)
2. Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at NHRA.com (retrieved 16 September 2018)
3. Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at NHRA.com (retrieved 16 September 2018): text and photo.
4. Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at NHRA.com (retrieved 16 September 2018)
5. Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at NHRA.com (retrieved 16 September 2018)
6. Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at NHRA.com (retrieved 16 September 2018)
7. McClurg, Bob. "50 Years of Funny Cars: Part 2" in Drag Racer, November 2016, pp.42 and p.44 caption.
8. NHRA.net (retrieved 18 September 2018)
9. McClurg, p.46 caption.
10. NHRA.net (retrieved 18 September 2018)
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18. Kommel, Dave. "Gallery: The Best of 1970s Drag Racing", written 25 April 2017, at Hot Rod Network (retrieved 22 May 2017)
19. McClurg, Bob. "Pure Heaven: The Life and Fast Times of Fuel Altered Pioneer Leon Fitzgerald", written 14 March 2017, at Hot Rod Network (retrieved 22 May 2017)
20. Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "A Christmas (Tree) Story", at NHRA.com (retrieved 22 September 2018)
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