1979 25th Anniversary Top Fuel Entry List

[Nunz]

Hey Tom, I remember that car from '79, as I posted I was with a T/F car at Indy that year, and I believe I met some of the guys. Was one of them Bill Thomas? I may have this all wrong but didn't he have a company called Genuine Suspension that was bannered on the car?

 

[TSK]

I was fortunate to be involved with the Over The Hill Gang for its only year of competition, I was unable to go to Indy as we just bought a new house and in the middle of reconstruction. Those were the days before cell phones, I recieved a collect phone call from either Sonny Diaz or Kelly Brown every hour of so so I was able to keep up on the activity. After the race I got a call but there was such noice in the background I figured that they won or crashed. Kelly won 4 or the NHRA's 9 national events that year but did not win his second championship. It was a shame, but in those days NHRA counted the points from local points races so Rob Bruins , who did not win a single event took the Championship. NHRA realized the inequity and changed the system thereafter.

Keep your eys peeled for the Over the Hill Gang ll, Sonny is putting a replica together for the new Nostalgia Front Engine Dragster class, it will be a close clone. I restored the original OTHG T/F car and donated it to the NHRA museum , where it resides today.

Here's a shot from Indy '79.

 

[TSK]

Being Mopar through and through, this is my favorite shot from Indy '79.

 

[Taunsie]

Jay, yes, I did work with Nick Arias over the years, I worked special projects such as the Harley Davidson Scream'n Eagle program. We ran the 1st Arias 8.3 L Chevy at Bakersfield in 79, as I rembember the et was either low or right at it as well as top speed. The plan was to develope the Arias Hemi Chevy for the full year, Bill Schultz and Nick could not settle on a deal that worked for both of them so we put a Milodon that we had in it and ran that all year until Indy sucked up all the parts and more ( had to borrow a block from John Lombardo for the final round. Put the Arias back in for the Super Nationals at Ontario. One gremlin after another , on the last attempt to qualify the clutch linkage fell off on the burnout. so much for the World Championship. Jim Thomas paid for the chassis, and got the side billing. The car was sold to Dale Smart who put an Arias in it and ran a PSI for the first time in a dragster for the 1988 Indy race , with Gary Southen driving, he blew past all competion by a huge margin and won. I found the car at the Winternationals in the early 80's , it was being run as as a Super Comp by George Cerny's grandson. He won the 1994 World Finals with it. He modified it extensively, but kept most of the components he took off. I had Bob Hansen recreate the origional specs of the chassis and Mike Fennel restored the body parts. It is the only know dragster to have wom in three seperate catagories, ( at least that was the NHRA concensus when we restored it, there may be other now)

 

[Taunsie]

Just read on anothr thread that Bob Glidden may drive, he felt he tested well during the early week. If that is the cas I quess he and Pat Dakin will be the only returning Pros from 1979.

 

[big guy]

Just read on anothr thread that Bob Glidden may drive, he felt he tested well during the early week. If that is the cas I quess he and Pat Dakin will be the only returning Pros from 1979.

There is one more(John Force).

 

[Nick Name]

Jay, yes, I did work with Nick Arias over the years

Then I met you when we sold Arias mototcycle pistons.

Jay

 

[Percboy]

How about stock eliminator

Yeah I`d like to see that, we were on the entry list 76-79

From `76:

From `76: