Event Coverage 1962 Winter Nationals NHRA

Did a search didn't find this so thought I'd post it.....hard to remember it like this when you think of what's there now!...great shots of Drag Racing the way I remember it.....enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wSgv7-OMVdg#!

 

Cool - true Nostalgia drag racing. interesting to see the area around the track so empty. enjoyed the interviews and cars in the long hair racing days too.

 

Those were the good old days....

 

I got my license the Tuesday before the 1962 Winternationals weekend. We cut school on Friday and went out to watch the qualifying. The stands were virtually empty.

 

And Target sells the retro T-shirts for $10.00

 

That was the first WinterNat's I worked at. Hung all those tarps on the fence line, and took them down LOL. Saw a lot of people that I remember well, working with them. John Moxley, Stan Adams (track announcer), Chuck Griffith, Ron Vinterinni (starter for a long time), Chuck Branham. Plus all the drivers/cars I remember. I was working in Staging control and front staging that year

 

I picked up that T-Shirt at Target too! I thought I was the only one that had one.

 

BTW, great video too!

 

Great video, that was when drag racing was cool. Funny not to see a Christmas tree or water burnouts. I had forgotten that those were not always around.

Don

 

Thank you for posting this! Absolutely amazing! 40,000 spectators in attendance! Tom Compton would give his left nut (if he had one) to see a turn out like that now days! Perhaps if the NHRA would let the sport return to it's former glory they would see this kind of enthusiasm again. People line up in groves just to listen to cackle fest cars! Imagine what a draw it would be to actually see the cars run? On a side note tonight at the local car show they were saying that Pomona might be a thing of the past because all of the land is being sold off to make way for condos... Is this true? I sure hope not. The 60's were truly the golden age of Drag Racing! Thanks again for posting.

 

Hey!----I was there!---& the next one too in 1963!---Just started building my '32 roadster at that time.

 

'62 Winternationals cl*** trophy run. Pic from Rod & Custom coverage.

 

'62 Winternationals first round of street eliminator. Won two rounds, then lost to Doug Cook in the Swindler B.

 

I envy you, that has to be one great memory.

Don

 

I was in the stands cheering you on!

Great video and wonderful memories. Thanks for posting.

 

Thanks for posting that! I hadn't seen it before, it's excellent! I'm of to Target now.

 

strong rumor, and just a matter of time on the pomona rumor. talked to some locals around the track when i was there last year. lots of money is talking, and they want the track gone.

 

dont dought that one. anyone seen a LP recording of winter nats. from 61 or 62. ive got detroit 59, 60, and 63, 64 winter nationals.

 

The city of La Verne, of which I am a resident, but totally disagree with the short sited city council, has been trying to shut down Pomona raceway for 20 years. The ***** is Pomona reaps all the rewards such as tax on the admission and food service, profits for the local hotel/motel and restaurant owners, while La Verne only gets the traffic and noise ***ociated with the races. I doubt the two national events held annualy at Pomona will be going away any time soon, unless NHRA sees more profit elsewhere. And if you think NHRA has not been greasing the protestors, you don't know big business. Just before the World Finals in November, NHRA held a "meet the racers" day in old town La Verne. D street was closed off and various race cars were dispalyed, pro drivers were available for autographs and photo opps, discount tickets given away, and sponsors gave away samples. The event drew a good crowd, and the local merchants loved the exposure. While Tom Compton may know nothing of his product, he certainly knows how to sell it. Also, the fair board likes the profit generated twice a year from what basically is parking lot that NHRA maintains for them. No, the sky is not falling.

 

I also was there.
My dad was too cheap to pay for me, so if I wanted to go, I had to agree go in the trunk of my dad's brand new, bright red, 409 Impala.
The line was about 80% of the way around the fairgrounds. He was "nice" enough....to wait till just before the entrance to open the trunk for me..!

Only missed a few Pomona races since then...but now I pay to get in..!

Mike

 

I worked for Jim Nelson and Dode Martin at Dragmasters in '82. We all went to Pomona for the '82 Winternationals. We did a parade lap with that same car. Kind of cool.

 

Thanks for the film. Brought back nice memories. I made the event in 1963 with two buddies.

 

I made it in '63 too.

 

Man I love how films like this bring such great memories out for us all to enjoy. Thanks everyone who posted.

 

I was 3 years old and like to think I was stuck to the black and white tv watching this.

Very Cool

 

It sure was harder to find drag racing TV coverage then. We'd look through TV guide and it would be a while after an event, they showed very few anyway, before it would be on. Then just one of several events on "Sports Spectacular" or "Wide World of Sports". Half hour at best usually.

Bill

 

Great shots of the good old days. Thanks for posting the link.

 

Found this old thread which had a UTube link to the 1962 NHRA Daytona Winter Nationals but the link no longer works. Anyone have an archive copy or suggestions on how to research that event? I have a 57 Vette that historical owner do***entation going back to the late 60s that indicates the car set a CM/SP record that year. The family indicates it was called "Little Giant" or similar.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Hello,
You are looking at the wrong ***le. It is the So Cal Winternationals from 1962. Not Daytona.


Jnaki

In looking at the film, all of the top racers in So Cal were racing at Pomona. It was always a big time drag race held around February of each year. There were some old racers from a few years back, 59-60, but also a few new ones to make the compe***ion more exciting. Dragmaster, Twin Bear, and the newly designed Shark car. YRMV