One year after his famous 1967 beard-shaving victory, Don Garlits returned to the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis facing the daunting test of repeating as champion. Starting with his qualifying run on Friday, and continuing down to his final blast for Top Fuel Eliminator, the grandstands erupted with deafening cheers each time "Big Daddy" would clean off his tires under the Hurst bridge.

Garlits' three Indy wins were viewed at the time as an unbeatable record, along the lines of legendary baseball slugger Babe Ruth's 715 homeruns. .

Overcoming seemingly insurmountable problems, both on and off the race track, Jack Jones, of San Diego, California, and car owner Bill Shultz, of El Monte, California, triumphed over the toughest field of Top Gas Dragsters ever assembled.

Clean cut, articulate Paul Stage, a machinist from Rockford, Illinois, scored for his second major Super Eliminator Championship of 1968 [Springnationals event to stage] and established a new Official National Class Record for AA/Competition on the final

One year after his famous 1967 beard-shaving victory, Don Garlits returned to the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis facing the daunting test of repeating as champion. Starting with his qualifying run on Friday, and continuing down to his final blast for Top Fuel Eliminator, the grandstands erupted with deafening cheers each time "Big Daddy" would clean off his tires under the Hurst bridge.

Garlits' three Indy wins were viewed at the time as an unbeatable record, along the lines of legendary baseball slugger Babe Ruth's 715 homeruns. .

Overcoming seemingly insurmountable problems, both on and off the race track, Jack Jones, of San Diego, California, and car owner Bill Shultz, of El Monte, California, triumphed over the toughest field of Top Gas Dragsters ever assembled.

Clean cut, articulate Paul Stage, a machinist from Rockford, Illinois, scored for his second major Super Eliminator Championship of 1968 [Springnationals event to stage] and established a new Official National Class Record for AA/Competition on the final run.

A happy Sam Gianino and family accepted their share of the $150,000 posted cash purse for Street Eliminator honors. Gianino, a 28 year old mechanic from Royal Oak, Michigan, wheeled a 1957 Corvette through 5 rounds of rugged competition.

A classic '32 Ford "deuce" coupe captured Competition Eliminator laurels, driven by Harry Luzader, of Monroeville, Pa.

Super Stock Eliminator was a whale of a show, with likeable Arlen Vanke, of Akron, Ohio, hauling in more than $6,650 with his '68 Hemi-Barracuda.

Only 19 years old, Larry Lombardo, of Wyomissing, Pa., handled himself and his '61 Corvette stocker like a true champion, upsetting hundreds of more experienced competitors for the Stock Eliminator crown.

PART 2

PART 3