Dramatic and emotional in every respect, the conclusion of the 1978 NHRA U.S. Nationals was the kind of event which could leave you breathless.

What made it so emotional was Don Garlits winning his fifth Nationals Top Fuel title; Tom "the Mongoose" McEwen scoring his first Indy win in Funny Car; Bob Glidden ruling in Pro Stock, again; John Samolyk upsetting the wild Pro Comp field; John Lingenfelter sweeping a tough Comp category; Bruce Sizemore topping the Modified troops; unheralded Stan White taking Super Stock honors; Don Holben capturing his first NHRA Stock crown; and Marion Owens scoring in the Fuel Bike category.

Weather-wise, no one could have asked for a better break. With the exception of Wednesday's half day of qualifying being rained out, it was clear skies and simply ideal conditions maintaining for the duration of drag racing's premier event.

Performance-wise, Indy '78 was more than spectacular -- it was just phenomenal! It was the quickest Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Comp fields ever. The flopper bump spot ended up at 6.21 seconds, Pro Stock 8.78 and Pro Comp 6.85 (for a 32-car field, no less!). Don Prudhomme and Raymond Beadle ran in the 5s just to give you an idea of the top-fight competition that was Indy '78.

Today's Indy video moment isn't about the actual drag race although the video is an authentic amateur production from the late Grant Iseli from Canada and converted from VHS copy by CompetitionPlus.com reader George Adams. However, the presence of the sights and sounds, (yes sound) in everything from Top Fuel to Stock is enough to build the scene.

But, if you're a stickler for the numbers. The 1977 U.S. Nationals was filled with action, drama, and upsets with Dennis Baca (Top Fuel), Don  Prudhomme (Funny Car), and Don Nicholson (Pro Stock) walked away with surprising victories.

Prudhomme's victory marked a then-record sixth U.S. Nationals title, breaking a two-year final-round jinx with a victory over Richard Rogers.

Bob Glidden, who won back-to-back Indy titles in 1973 and 1974, as did Prudhomme, was denied a victory for the third straight year by Nicholson, who won his only Winston Pro Stock title that year, finishing just ahead of Glidden, who would go on to capture three straight Winston championships.

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

The Discovery Channel has Shark Week.

At CompetitionPlus.com, we bring you the Great White of drag racing.

Unlike the vicious killer which swims the ocean, Indy is cherished, not feared.
 
 Indy, the most commonly used name for the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, is drag racing’s Mecca, the Promised Land for drag racing hopes and dreams.

Win Indianapolis and you might as well win the world championship. Yes, it’s that prestigious.
 
For the next seven days, we will bring you a blast from the past each day from this prestigious event.

The 57th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals takes the green light Labor Day weekend and Nitro Rewind will be there giving fans all the behind the scenes dramatic moments of the last NHRA regular season race. In this episode drivers talk about trying to grab the last few Countdown spots as well as look ahead to the majesty of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. The Nitro winners from Brainerd also chime in with their thoughts on winning and getting the play-offs started. The show, an internet based broadcast, is hosted by Bill Stephens and features interviews from Top Fuel and Funny Car NHRA competitors after every NHRA national event.

“What we love about Nitro Rewind is it gives fans the chance to see and hear from different driver, crew chiefs and NHRA personalities. This weekend Johnny Gray got his first Funny Car win and we were there to talk with him right before he went into the winner circle,” said Ashley Force Hood, John Force Entertainment president.

“Ron Douglas one of my crew chiefs gives fans his thoughts on how he will approach Indy with a ‘new’ driver, John Force. We also talk with two drivers Tony Pedregon and Terry McMillen who are really slugging it out in their respective categories for one of the final Countdown spots. Their perspective on Indy and the Countdown is really pretty cool.”