With the 1971 event a huge success it was time to expand the format, bring in more cars and really get after it in 1972.

In 1972 Doner stepped up the program from 16 nitro funny cars to the next logical
step at 32 of the fan favorites. Not only did he include 16 alcohol cars-mostly from California, organized by Jerry Malicoat, but also added in some more long-distance nitro stars. They included Dave Beebe driving for Art Whipple in the Fresno-based Mr. Ed Car; Pisano and Matsubara; The Coca Cola Cavalcade of Funny Cars, an 8-car traveling show including Raymond Beadle driving for Don Schumacher; Harry Schmidt’s Blue Max with Richard Tharp aboard; a young Canadian named Gordie Bonin in the Gordon Jenner-tuned Vega and several other teams.

This was a stellar field of nitro cars for this early 70’s event.

Part 2 - The huge line-up of funny cars at night were well received at SIR


With the 1971 event a huge success it was time to expand the format, bring in more cars and really

get after it in 1972.

In 1972 Doner stepped up the program from 16 nitro funny cars to the next logical
step at 32 of the fan favorites. Not only did he include 16 alcohol cars-mostly from California, organized by Jerry Malicoat, but also added in some more long-distance nitro stars. They included Dave Beebe driving for Art Whipple in the Fresno-based Mr. Ed Car; Pisano and Matsubara; The Coca Cola Cavalcade of Funny Cars, an 8-car traveling show including Raymond Beadle driving for Don Schumacher; Harry Schmidt’s Blue Max with Richard Tharp aboard; a young Canadian named Gordie Bonin in the Gordon Jenner-tuned Vega and several other teams.

This was a stellar field of nitro cars for this early 70’s event.

Art Whipple, the former partner of Ed “Ace” McCulloch, had just won the huge
event at Orange County International Raceway the week prior to arriving at SIR. Whipple was undefeated that entire year and had totaled a record of 24 straight wins. McCulloch had proven, many times over, that he was the best the Northwest had to offer and he was anxious to take on his former partner. Wins in the national event at Pomona, Gainesville, Columbus, along with a runner-up at Englishtown, were all part of the success story Ace was having on his way to Seattle.

At the time, Ace wanted nothing less than to put a stop to the unblemished record that Whipple had amassed. It’s not often that two really strong win streaks end up going head-to-head. This event had the promise of being one of those times.

Radio commercials leading up to the expanded, unique funny car show were constantly blaring away throughout the Puget Sound area encouraging the listeners to attend the momentous event. The Doner-produced, hyped-up radio ads were so descriptive that you would crank the radio up when they played. If you had never been to a SIR funny car show before the ads came with a personal appeal: YOU just gotta be there to see this thing!”

Doner could be quite convincing.

Doner was ready to deliver to a (hopefully) large crowd.                                     

 

A 32-car funny car show on Saturday night before the Seafair hydros was all set. The field included Ed McCulloch, Dave Beebe in the Mr. Ed racer, the Blue Max, Raymond
Beadle driving for Don Schumacher in the Coca Cola Cavalcade, Pisano and Matsubara,
all of these front-line teams aimed at increasing the anticipation of a huge crowd. The “Coke Cavalcade” had never raced in the Northwest before. The event was shaping up to be first-class from top to bottom.

When that Saturday night in 1972 arrived, a giant crowd responded – certainly bigger than any funny car race ever held at SIR before. This new format, with a whole batch of funny cars, was outlined in the Doner radio ads and “thundering” all evening long was exactly what the crowds wanted. There would be some of the best teams in the sport of drag racing, in all-out competition, similar to the Slam-Dunk contest with the NBA. It would be pure “Showtime” at its best.

Track operator and good friend Bill New, who would follow suit with a smaller version of an event sized to better suit his Boise facility, took his then 12-year old son Scott and headed out to SIR. New needed to see how this Doner-format would work, as his very own event would debut in September, and he wondered just what size crowd would attend here in Seattle.

Young Scott was planning to write a book report for his 6th grade assignment with the topic, “What did you do during your summer vacation?”

The News headed toward Puget Sound on a warm summer day in dad’s family station wagon, a ’70 Datsun B-210.  Little did they know that they would be attending such a historic event. The format they would witness was the foundation for the first-ever 64 funny car event held anywhere.

The News really got involved at SIR as, the now deceased, Joe Pisano was in need of a tow rig and the little Datsun that could, was the perfect fit. Race teams in those years were forced to be so creative with limited dollars and the little Datsun was there for their use, which allowed an avenue for Scott to be “up close and personal” with the race teams.

IN PART 3 - 64 FUNNY CARS - The earth, east of Kent, Washington is ready to tremble

PART 1 - JIM ROCKSTAD REMEMBERS SEATTLE'S 64 FUNNY CARS

 

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