NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

It’s Circle K NHRA Winternationals week, and the annual season opener in Pomona has been the site of numerous memorable moments through the years, including the five featured here.

Shirley Shahan cemented her name in history as the first woman to win a major drag racing national event eliminator title when she shocked everyone at the 1966 Winternationals and defeated all challengers to win Top Stock, and she did so by defeating some of the best drivers in drag racing. Among those whom Shahan wheeled her Drag-On-Lady S/SA ’65 Plymouth past en route to the winner’s circle were 1964 Nationals winner Roger Lindamood, 1964 Nationals S/S winner Butch Leal, 1964 Junior Stock world champion Mike Schmitt, 1965 Winternationals Stock winner Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, and future star Don Grotheer.

A year after a near-career-ending accident, Don Garlits won Top Fuel at the 1971 Winternationals with a revolutionary rear-engine dragster in its NHRA national event debut, proving that not only was the car safer but also competitive. Running without the rear wing he would later add, Garlits qualified No. 9, then defeated Tommy Allen, John Nichols, Carl Olson, and Jim Dunn before running uncontested in the final after Kenny Safford broke.

Eddie “the Thrill” Hill lived up to his nickname after a front-spoiler malfunction sent his yellow Top Fuel dragster soaring across the finish line. The wild ride happened during Friday qualifying and was triggered by front wings on Hill’s dragster slipping into an upright position. That lifted the front end, and as air got under the nose, lifting it even higher, the rear wing tripped the clocks at 5.21, 236.15, then the dragster did a back somersault, rolled right-side up, and struck nose first, deploying the parachutes and slowing as it tumbled downtrack. Remarkably, Hill suffered only bruised knees and returned to action in a car borrowed from Darrell Gwynn to qualify for the event and make an amazing comeback.

With the ink practically still wet on his nitro license — he completed licensing just nine days before the event — K.C. Spurlock wins Funny Car in his debut, knocking off No. qualifier John Force, R.C. Sherman, defending series champ Bruce Larson, and, in the final, Ed “the Ace” McCulloch. Spurlock was the first driver in history to win in his Pro debut. He would later be joined by Gary Scelzi (1997) and Darrell Russell (2001) on the short list.

The winning 4.91 that defending Top Fuel world champion Joe Amato put on the scoreboard in the final at the 1993 opener was overshadowed by what was happening in the other lane: Kenny Bernstein was but a passenger in his Budweiser King rail after the engine blew and sent him on a wild ride. The big engine explosion sent shrapnel flying and appeared to shred the left rear tire, sending Bernstein’s rail out of control. The car shot across both lanes, went through the speed traps at 221 mph, then slammed into the right wall behind Amato and exploded on impact. Bernstein was dazed but climbed from the wreckage of his own accord.