Check out the priceless color action from the glory days of drag racing in this complete coverage of the 1965 AHRA Winternationals.
Bee Line Dragway in Scottsdale, Arizona is now history, but in its day it was famed as the home of the American Hot Rod Association’s Winternationals, a key element in pro drag racing’s annual winter western swing. In this great video, you’ll see a virtual who’s who of the sport in 1965, including:
+ Connie Kalitta, who had just switched his supercharged top fuel dragster from Chrysler 392 hemi power to a brand new SOHC Cammer Ford.
+ Most of the factory Dodge/Plymouth Super Stock contingent, including Dick Landy, the Ramchargers, Sox & Martin, and Roger Lindamood’s Color Me Gone. Note that at this early stage of the ’65 season, only some of the racers are equipped with the radical new altered-wheelbase configuration that inspired the name Funny Car. Many, including the winning Ramchargers Dodge, were still running standard chassis at this time.
+ At just past the two-minute mark, we see the legendary EJ Potter make a run with his amazing Chevy V8-powered motorcycle, the Widow Maker, but for some unknown reason he’s not credited by the narrator, the great Bud Lindemann.
…and many, many more top racers of the period. This is a rare look at a special time. Enjoy the film.
Great video MGC! Love seeing how it was done back then! Many familar names, and you could actually tell what kind of cars were racing!
Whoops, fingers faster than my brain, meant MCG!
At the 13:40 mark the announcer says something that had me laughing so hard I had to rewind it just to make sure i heard it properly. and yes, yes he did say exactly what I thought he did.
Looking for 1970 IHRA Nationals Was on Wide World of Sports ? Ed deareddear@aol.com