Maybe Thanksgiving dinner hasn't begun or perhaps you've already eaten, whatever the case may be we have a special Thanksgiving treat for you. We found these Diamond P gems on You Tube featuring the 1979 NHRA World Finals at the old Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, Ca.

There are some classic names on these videos such as "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Don Prudhomme, Raymond Beadle, Bob Glidden, Frank Iaconio and more. Featured today are the first rounds of Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock as well as the sportsman final rounds.

Witness Rob Bruins crowned the NHRA Top Fuel champion over Kelly Brown and Beadle clinching the Funny Car crown breaking Prudhomme's streak of four championships. 

Oh Yeah, you have to see that up and coming John Force -- he's a hoot.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Since the IHRA Funny Car division will be a thing of the past in 2009, we felt it was pretty neat to find this video showing a day and time when the floppers were a staple of the sanctioning body's program. Thirty years ago, things were a lot different for the IHRA.

This classic video rewind comes from the 1979 IHRA Funny Car Nationals hosted by Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga. On this clip you'll see such notables as Dale Pulde, Raymond Beadle, Kenny Bernstein, Frank Oglesby's Mello Yello Mustang and Shirl Greer.

Long before Mad Dawg events or Pro Modified Quick Eight associations
ever existed, Farmington Dragway (Winston-Salem, N.C.) threw down the
gauntlet with their southern style Pro Stock events. We uncovered this
sweet gem of doorslammer action featuring southern Pro Stock legends
such as “General” Lee Edwards, the late Don Carlton, Reid Whisnant and
a score others. There’s even a Ronnie Sox cameo along with Hubert
Platt’s Pinto in a small clip from Shuffletown Dragway in Charlotte,
N.C.

This classic video piece comes from what we believe to be the Flames of
Fear video on YouTube.com and features a few ugly racing accidents from
the 1970s. Among the mishaps are Bob Mayer’s tree wipe out, Raymond
Beadle’s Indy body separation and an ex Gene Snow flopper meets its
demise.

This home movie comes from the 1981 Southern Nationals in Commerce, Ga.
After running it's formative years under the IHRA sanction, this was
the first event with the NHRA. There are some interesting scenes such
as Top Fuel Motorcycle and there's a cameo appearance from Terry Vance.
You'll also see a pre-race parade and race action featuring such names
as Jody Smart, Raymond Beadle, Al Segrini and the Yuill Brothers.

Today's video classic rewind comes from home movie footage with sound
shot at the 1978 IHRA Dixie Nationals in Commerce, Ga. There are some
rough spots in the flick which opens with Big Daddy Don Garlits and
then goes into Pro Comp with Dale Armstrong's AA/DA. Then a good
portion of Modified eliminator ensues with a sprinkling of the old
Modified Compact VWs and Karman Ghias. There's even a rare appearance
by the Chi-town Hustler.