1974 4th Annual Molson GrandNational

Pro Stock Division

The first round opened with a match-up of the two long wheelbase Fords that run at the 6.45 weight break; Gapp’s Maverick and Nicholson’s Mustang. Nicholson’s impressive debut was cut short when Gapp Set down an 8.87 to Nicholson’s 9.18. Bobby Yowell then dropped Castaldo’s car, 9.16 to 9.60, followed by Blevins’ drubbing of Lee Edwards, 9.15 to 9.58. Lombardo then advanced with a 9.07 to 9.16 conquest of Jerry Miller in the “Jeg’s” Pinto. The next race saw Wally Booth stop Dave Kanners, 9.06 to 9.17. Tony Christopher then advanced over Bill Innes (subbing for a broken Lingenfelter) with a 9.57. Next, Richie Zul put away Bert Straus, 9.15 to 9.41 . Closing out the round, Glidden easily stopped Gianino, 8.97 to 9.22.

The second round opened with Gapp easily putting away Yowell, 8.96 at only 137.40 to 9.11. In the next race, Blevins put a tremendous hole-shot on Lombardo, taking the win with a 9.15 to Lombardo’s faster 9.05. Booth then dropped Christopher, 9.06 to 9.33, and then Glidden bested Zul, 8.92 to 9.10.

The semis opened with Gapp meeting Blevins. On the run, Gapp brought the crowd to its feet when he set the NHRA Pro Stock record down to 8.84, hitting a mph figure of 153.06 to Blevins’ red-lighting 9.07. Even though Gapp only had one engine for the Maverick at the time, he later related that he kept his foot in it because he hadn’t seen Blevins’ red-light and that’s why he’d run so hard (try ing to catch the early-leaving Vega). In the other semi-final race, Glidden easily disposed of Booth, 8.90 to 9.09. That meant an all-Ford final, with Glidden’s Pinto meeting the Maverick in what promised to be the race of the day. It had to have been a frustrating effort for Bob and Etta Glidden, who’d changed three engines over the course of the weekend, only to have Gapp fly by them on the final, 8.90 at a slowing 145.09 mph to 9.01 at a straining 153.32 mph.