History of the NHRA Winternationals

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.