NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Calvin Rice was crowned the winner of the first NHRA National Championship Drags, held on the 8,000-foot runway at the Great Bend (Kan.) Municipal Airport in late September 1955.

Rice, winner of the first regional event of the year, in Colton, Calif., was in high form in his slick-looking dragster, painted a glistening yellow and black and its flanks bearing the name "J.E. Riley & Son Spl," with sponsorship from Riley's construction company. From the cockpit that was formed from the inverted tail of a sprint car, Rice turned 143 mph in time trials.

By the end of the meet's third day, six dragsters were still in contention for the championship. Unfortunately, the worst rainstorm in 30 years hit Great Bend, washing out the final runs. It was decided that the event would conclude Nov. 19-20 at a neutral site, the Southwest Regional Championship in Perryville, Ariz., just outside of Phoenix.

The disappointment of having to wait nearly two months to crown a national champion was outweighed by the drama of the final runs on the 4,000-foot asphalt runway in Perryville. The final boiled down to Rice and Fritz Voight, and they lined up three times, with three foul starts, in which the races were, under the rules of the day, waved off as "no-go," and the contestants returned to the starting line to try again.

On the third try, both drivers jumped the flag start, and Rice's transmission blew. The race had already been waved off by starter Paul Wallace as another "no-go," meaning Voight could not claim the trophy by default.

The Riley crew was given 30 minutes to repair and leaped into action, bolting in a new transmission … which didn't fit. A reworked Ford tranny was bolted into place with nary a moment to spare. The team didn't even have time to adjust the clutch linkage. Rice had to scoot down deep into the seat and work the clutch with the tip of his toe to make the shift in the final, which he took in 10.30 seconds at 141.95 mph, overcoming Voight's early lead to make the 25-year-old resident of Santa Ana, Calif., NHRA's first national champion.