The History Of Nhra Pro Stock 1970 2019

No collection of a true student of the sport will be complete without The History of NHRA Pro Stock. From the achievements of pioneers such as Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins and the famed Sox & Martin through season after season of utter domination by Bob Glidden to today's six-second, 210-mph factory hot rods, The History of NHRA Pro Stock guides readers through the years of milestones, groundbreaking technology, and career turning points in this fascinating segment of NHRA competition. This newly revised and expanded edition covers the greatest moments in the 50 years of Pro Stock competition.

"Great vintage photos of early Pro-Stockers. Includes all the early heroes. The muscle car era's ultimate drag strip doorslammers."--Cover.

The photos in this edition are black and white. Pro Stock is a unique class of racing, and one that has changed considerably over the years. In its early years, Pro Stock was similar to the Super Stock era from a decade before, in that it featured cars that seemed to be a lot like a hot rod version of what people were driving on the street. While the engines were a little bigger and nastier than most street versions, they were not that far removed, and fans could really relate to cars like 'Cudas, Mustangs, Camaros, Mavericks, and Vegas going at it on Sunday afternoon. These mostly stock-bodied cars were, after all, what most fans wanted their own street version to be. Over the years, as always seems to happen in racing, the original vision morphs into something completely different, and in the case of Pro Stock, that meant tube frames and flip-up fiberglass bodies that resemble nothing seen on the street. And in that, there becomes a little bit of a disconnect with the fans, whose interest in Pro Stock originated in the relative stock appearance of the cars. For this reason "The Dawn of Pro Stock" by Steve Reyes is a celebration of the early years, when fans could really connect with the cars, and brand rivalries were intense. Legendary drag racing photographer Reyes was trackside at the biggest and best NHRA events from the mid 1960s throughout the 1990s. He had a unique perspective on the development of Pro Stock, as he was able to document the evolution of both the cars and drivers as he observed them throughout the season. For a genuine insider's view, Steve has gotten together his very best shots and supplemented them with some great images from his contemporaries to offer this new collection. Steve's own observations punctuate the outstanding images to give the reader a trackside view of Pro Stock's early days unlike any offered before.

Grumpy's Toys: The Legendary Cars of Bill Grumpy Jenkins stands as a full and complete history of Jenkins' career to date as told through his cars, and has been heartily authorized by the man himself (Jenkins wrote the book's foreword.) Author Doug Boyce has been following Jenkins throughout his racing career, and amassed an impressive collection of vintage photography which is shared on the pages. Through his own knowledge, extensive research, and by working with Grumpy himself, Grumpy's Toys offers readers an unparalleled look behind the man and his machines.

Since 1960, the first official rumble of high-performance engines has echoed across Southern California's Fairplex at Pomona, signaling not just the beginning of another year of exciting NHRA Drag Racing, but also the launch of a thousand dreams of glory. From Don Garlits' first winged dragster in 1963 or his revolutionary rear-engine Top Fueler in 1971 to Bill Jenkins' tube-framed Vega Pro Stocker and Kenny Bernstein's aerodynamically enhanced Budweiser King Funny Cars, the Winternationals has always been fertile ground for the birth of new technologies and the launchpad for drivers to stake their claims at one of NHRA's most majestic events. In 2010, the Winternationals celebrates its Golden Anniversary. In these pages, you'll relive the excitement and wonder of every Winternationals and explore in-depth the many facets of the event's intriguing history, from the heroes of the dragstrip to the machines they drove to glory.

In 2014, the National Hot Rod Association celebrates the 50th World Finals, the traditional season-ending drag race on the NHRA tour. Since 1965, the World Finals has determined NHRA's season champions, often under dramatic circumstances. In this spectacular book produced by the editors of National Dragster magazine, you'll relive every moment. Whether your World Finals memories include Shirley Muldowney's tremendous triumph in 1980 or "The Run" by Tony Schumacher more than 25 years later, if you're a drag racing fan, this book is for you.

Super Stock takes a look at what was the most popular class of drag racing - factory Super Stock. It traces the evolution of the cars, the engines, the rules, the personalities, and many of the teams, from its beginnings in the mid-1950s through to the 1960s and the era of the Super Stock 409s, Ramchargers, 421 Pontiacs, and 406 Fords. This was a time when Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors competed on a weekly basis at local drag strips throughout the country, and the saying ...win on Sunday, sell on Monday... had real significance in the marketplace. This is also the period that saw emergence of the term musclecar and the production of a whole class of American automobiles - which are now the most sought after by collectors, restorers, and performance enthusiasts.

Webster's Dictionary lists the term showman as "a notably spectacular, dramatic, or effective performer." In the art of drag racing, Hubert Platt checked all boxes. Known as the "Georgia Shaker," Platt cut his motoring teeth on the long straightaways and twisty back roads of South Carolina while bootlegging moonshine. After a run-in with the law in 1958, Platt transferred his driving skills from illegal activity to sanctioned drag racing and began one of the most dominant runs in drag racing history until his retirement in 1977. After stints in 1957, 1938, and 1962 Chevrolets, Platt's next ride was a Z11 Impala, which carried his first "Georgia Shaker" moniker. Once Chevrolet pulled out of sanctioned racing, Platt found a new home with Ford for 1964 and remained there until he hung up his helmet. Some of the cars he campaigned became icons in their own right. His factory-backed and personal machines included a 1963 Z11 Impala, 1964 Thunderbolt, 1965 Falcon, 1966 Mustang Funny Car, 1967 Fairlane 427, 1968-1/2 Cobra Jet, 1969 CJ Mustang, 1970 427 SOHC Mustang, and 1970 Boss 429 Maverick. A 1986 NHRA Hall of Fame member, Platt's lasting legacy on the sport can’t be denied. Whether he was launching his Falcon with the door open, conducting a Ford Drag Team seminar, or posting low E.T. at the 1967 US Nationals in his Fairlane, Platt's imprint on drag racing was all-encompassing. His son and biggest fan, Allen Platt, shares his dad's iconic career in, Hubert Platt: Fast Fords of the "Georgia Shaker"!