The caption reads:
DRIVER OF THE YEAR – Pro Stock sensation Wayne Gapp, second from right, was honored as IHRA’s Driver Of The Year when the International Hot Rod Association held its annual Awards’ Banquet at the Country Club of Bristol Saturday night. Congratulation Gapp, whose famed ‘Taxi’ won four IHRA national events in 1974, are IHRA president Larry Carrier, Mrs. Larry Carrier and Miss IHRA Lisa Johnson. (Staff Photo by John Beach).
Looks like the 1973 Pinto is operating here. I’m a little confused by that and the lack of numbering on the car which would give me the year.
Anyway, some cool images of G&R cars + other competitors. Driving those Hemi powered Colts looks like a good way to get yourself killed.
4 races out of 6. Not bad…
RACE 1
Southern Nationals
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte, NC
PRO STOCK
Wayne Gapp defeats Roy Hill
RACE 2
Pro Am Nationals
Rockingham Dragway
Rockingham, NC
PRO STOCK
Don Nicholson defeats Reid Whisnant
RACE 3
Spring Nationals
Bristol International Dragway
Bristol, TN
PRO STOCK
Reid Whisnant defeats John Lingenfelter
RACE 4
Northern Nationals
Mid-America Dragway
Muncie, IN
PRO STOCK
Wayne Gapp defeats Bob Glidden
RACE 5
US Open Nationals
Rockingham Dragway
Rockingham, NC
PRO STOCK
Wayne Gapp defeats Herb McCandless
RACE 6
All American Nationals
Bristol International Dragway
Bristol, TN
PRO STOCK
Wayne Gapp defeats Don Nicholson
So the IHRA sanctioning body put together a meeting at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. WG won the Pro Stock side of the tilt.
There are a couple of things strange about the race. The track was apparently pit road and the track was 1/8 of a mile in length.
Here’s a radio ad for the event:
1974_IHRA_SouthNats_Radio_Ad.mp3
I love some of those old radio ads.
Below is a link to a fairly recent article about the race. Unfortunately, one of the rocket cars got loose, killed two crewman of another vehicle and the driver.
Link to the article.
From the article:
Less than a year earlier, Anderson had become the first to break the five second mark on a quarter-mile track, at 4.99 seconds, and a top speed at the finish line of 322 mph.
1) Those speeds and times are equivalent to Top Fuel and Funny Cars times of today.
2) Rocket cars didn’t have stop switches for the fuel? Wow.