'71 Supernationals At OMS

Gary Smith · 01-15-2009, 09:56 AM

I was curious if anyone here ever attended and/or participated at the Supernationals (World Finals) when it was contested at Ontario Motor Speedway? Although I never attended, and was too young to remember specifics back in '71, it brought back a couple of unusual scenes from what I recall during TV covereage of the event -

At 3:36 into the video I noticed the slight track bend between the track burnout box and the starting line. I assume this was due to limited length because of the event being run on pit road.

At 4:52 into the video there are Pro Stockers doing burnouts before turning onto the track.

How long was this method used?

Ed Wright · 01-15-2009, 11:14 AM

I ran there in '77 or '78? Think it was the last year the finals were held there. Shame to loose a nice facility like that. Don't remember the water box not being in line with the track (I'm old) it may have been. Seems like you did turn left coming out of the staging lanes. I remember the world finals at Tulsa, Lewisville/Dallas, Amarillo, then Ontario. That was back when you had to qualify to enter the workd finals. Not just anybody got to enter. They have dumbed that down like everything else.

larry dowty · 01-15-2009, 12:19 PM

I was there with Jim Selby's div. 6 modifield V.W. We spent all our spare time up in the bar above the main grand stand. Great place to see the race.

art leong · 01-15-2009, 01:20 PM

We were there in 1979 and 1980.
In 79 it was a one lane race track. Very few wins in the right lane. track was peeling up bad. We had a bye in the semis and I thought our car was wide enough to straddle the peeling bald spots. So I painstakingly lined Ray (Tex) up. He left went about 50 feet and then idled down the track. We both knew what we needed to know. In the final we ran Jeff Powers with a Cobra Jet Mustang D/SA . We flipped for lanes we won the toss and To Jeff Powers' astonishment picked the right lane. I could read Jeff's mind it was saying these guys just gave me the world championship. He got the spot. about 2 tenths (I think) Tex went by him in first gear. We became world champs

Marty Hujda351 · 01-15-2009, 01:25 PM

The "Killer Car" as it was called is shown on the line in 1970 at the first annual "Supernationals" at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario Calif. This was the first time NHRA drag racing was televised live on "ABC Wide World of Sports." Ray Allen killed the competition here as well with a Super Stock victory at this last race of the 1970 season. Allen also lowered his own 11.55 ET record to 11.33 ET on the final winning pass.

Gary Smith · 01-15-2009, 02:47 PM

Art,

I wonder how many Olympia cans were left on Power's trailer before the final LOL!!! My mom used to get mad at me for hangin' around Jeff because he was "a bad influence, and drinks too much beer". Couldn't have been that bad, cause I'm still here

.

Seriously does anyone remember when the burnouts stopped prior to the left turn?

Tony Janes · 01-15-2009, 05:45 PM

I ran there in 70 and 80, there was nothing unusual about going from the water box to the line.

Gary Smith · 01-15-2009, 08:53 PM

Here's another video, this time Dick Landy doing the same thing. It's around 4:05 into the clip:

It looks as though there's a burnout box in front of the lanes.

Paul Dilcher · 01-15-2009, 10:38 PM

I ran Stock there in 1971 SuperNationals . The staging lanes came in at a angle to the left. Once you were in the water box, you went straight to the line.

bill dedman · 01-16-2009, 07:28 AM

Thanks for posting that video. How refreshing, to watch a young Dick Landy stabbing the clutch while power-shifting that 4-speed... and actually DRIVING the car instead of the "stab it and steer it" clutchless shifting that goes on, nowdays.

A qualified field of THIRTY-TWO Pro Stockers... wow.... I don't even remember that! What a show!!!

There was a purity, a wholesomeness, and an an innocence about racing then, that we have somehow lost, along the way. Is it just me, or do you think that's true?

It just seems different, thirty-eight years later, to me. And, what a shame, to lose that facility...

01-15-2009, 09:56 AM	#1
Gary Smith Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 820 Likes: 9 Liked 132 Times in 30 Posts	'71 Supernationals At OMS I was curious if anyone here ever attended and/or participated at the Supernationals (World Finals) when it was contested at Ontario Motor Speedway? Although I never attended, and was too young to remember specifics back in '71, it brought back a couple of unusual scenes from what I recall during TV covereage of the event - At 3:36 into the video I noticed the slight track bend between the track burnout box and the starting line. I assume this was due to limited length because of the event being run on pit road. At 4:52 into the video there are Pro Stockers doing burnouts before turning onto the track. How long was this method used? __________________ Gary Smith "another broke racer spectating"

01-15-2009, 11:14 AM	#2
Ed Wright Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sand Springs, OK Posts: 8,132 Likes: 896 Liked 390 Times in 170 Posts	Re: '71 Supernationals At OMS I ran there in '77 or '78? Think it was the last year the finals were held there. Shame to loose a nice facility like that. Don't remember the water box not being in line with the track (I'm old) it may have been. Seems like you did turn left coming out of the staging lanes. I remember the world finals at Tulsa, Lewisville/Dallas, Amarillo, then Ontario. That was back when you had to qualify to enter the workd finals. Not just anybody got to enter. They have dumbed that down like everything else. __________________ Ed Wright 4156 SS/JA Last edited by Ed Wright; 01-15-2009 at 11:20 AM.

01-15-2009, 12:19 PM	#3
larry dowty Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: chewelah wa Posts: 283 Likes: 0 Liked 11 Times in 4 Posts	Re: '71 Supernationals At OMS I was there with Jim Selby's div. 6 modifield V.W. We spent all our spare time up in the bar above the main grand stand. Great place to see the race.

01-15-2009, 01:20 PM	#4
art leong VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Richmond Hill, Georgia Posts: 2,003 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: '71 Supernationals At OMS We were there in 1979 and 1980. In 79 it was a one lane race track. Very few wins in the right lane. track was peeling up bad. We had a bye in the semis and I thought our car was wide enough to straddle the peeling bald spots. So I painstakingly lined Ray (Tex) up. He left went about 50 feet and then idled down the track. We both knew what we needed to know. In the final we ran Jeff Powers with a Cobra Jet Mustang D/SA . We flipped for lanes we won the toss and To Jeff Powers' astonishment picked the right lane. I could read Jeff's mind it was saying these guys just gave me the world championship. He got the spot. about 2 tenths (I think) Tex went by him in first gear. We became world champs __________________ Art Leong 2095 SS Last edited by art leong; 01-15-2009 at 01:32 PM.

01-15-2009, 01:25 PM	#5
Marty Hujda351 Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Stapels,Mn. Posts: 14 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Ray allen's famous ss/ea in 1970@ontario nhra world finals The "Killer Car" as it was called is shown on the line in 1970 at the first annual "Supernationals" at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario Calif. This was the first time NHRA drag racing was televised live on "ABC Wide World of Sports." Ray Allen killed the competition here as well with a Super Stock victory at this last race of the 1970 season. Allen also lowered his own 11.55 ET record to 11.33 ET on the final winning pass.

01-15-2009, 02:47 PM	#6
Gary Smith Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 820 Likes: 9 Liked 132 Times in 30 Posts	Re: '71 Supernationals At OMS Art, I wonder how many Olympia cans were left on Power's trailer before the final LOL!!! My mom used to get mad at me for hangin' around Jeff because he was "a bad influence, and drinks too much beer". Couldn't have been that bad, cause I'm still here . Seriously does anyone remember when the burnouts stopped prior to the left turn? __________________ Gary Smith "another broke racer spectating"

01-15-2009, 05:45 PM	#7
Tony Janes Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Whittier, Ca Posts: 830 Likes: 94 Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: '71 Supernationals At OMS I ran there in 70 and 80, there was nothing unusual about going from the water box to the line. __________________ Tony Janes 7941 STK, SS

01-15-2009, 08:53 PM	#8
Gary Smith Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 820 Likes: 9 Liked 132 Times in 30 Posts	Re: '71 Supernationals At OMS Here's another video, this time Dick Landy doing the same thing. It's around 4:05 into the clip: It looks as though there's a burnout box in front of the lanes. __________________ Gary Smith "another broke racer spectating"

01-15-2009, 10:38 PM	#9
Paul Dilcher Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: brockport newyork Posts: 97 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: '71 Supernationals At OMS I ran Stock there in 1971 SuperNationals . The staging lanes came in at a angle to the left. Once you were in the water box, you went straight to the line. __________________ Paul Dilcher 1037 STK

01-16-2009, 07:28 AM	#10
bill dedman VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Conway, AR Posts: 1,739 Likes: 0 Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Re: '71 Supernationals At OMS Thanks for posting that video. How refreshing, to watch a young Dick Landy stabbing the clutch while power-shifting that 4-speed... and actually DRIVING the car instead of the "stab it and steer it" clutchless shifting that goes on, nowdays. A qualified field of THIRTY-TWO Pro Stockers... wow.... I don't even remember that! What a show!!! There was a purity, a wholesomeness, and an an innocence about racing then, that we have somehow lost, along the way. Is it just me, or do you think that's true? It just seems different, thirty-eight years later, to me. And, what a shame, to lose that facility... __________________ Bill