RELATED ARTICLE - THE LEGEND OF LEE SHEPHERD

Before there were Chevrolet Pro Stock standouts such as Jeg Coughlin
Jr. and Dave Connolly, there was Lee Shepherd. The former NHRA Modified
eliminator standout was the bridge that brought Chevrolet back to the
forefront of Pro Stock. He followed in the path started in the 1970s by
the legendary Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins and with the guidance of the
legendary Reher & Morrison duo, he scored the first Chevrolet NHRA
Pro Stock world championship in five years when he claimed the 1981
crown.

Shepherd won four consecutive NHRA Pro Stock crowns as well as two IHRA titles simultaneously. 

An accident claimed the life of Shepherd in 1985.

The final installment of the three-part 1979 NHRA World Finals features
the finals of the three professional divisions. Top Fuel features the
final round fo Don Garlits versus Rob Bruins while Gordie Bonin goes
for his third Funny Car title of the season against Tripp Shumake. Bob
Glidden meets Frank Iaconio in the final round.

The final installment of the three-part 1979 NHRA World Finals features
the finals of the three professional divisions. Top Fuel features the
final round fo Don Garlits versus Rob Bruins while Gordie Bonin goes
for his third Funny Car title of the season against Tripp Shumake. Bob
Glidden meets Frank Iaconio in the final round.

Are you bored out of your mind this Thanksgiving weekend?

Tired of turkey, football and checking the internet only to discover
the racing community is busy taking time off and not making news?

CompetitionPlus.com has the perfect elixir for what ails you with our Classic Video Rewind Section.

We scour the world of YouTube.com so you don’t have to. If there’s a
classic drag racing video to be found, we’ll find it for you and make
it easy to view.

There are currently 47 videos to view with many more staged up and
ready to go featuring your favorite vintage scenes. We have a strong
selection ranging from vintage John Force to drag racing on Long Island
New York in the 1970s. You can witness Shirley Muldowney in her Funny
Car days as well as some old gear-jamming Modified.

If you’re a Pro Stock aficionado we have Bob Glidden in the Ford Pinto,
Plymouth Arrow and the Ford Fairmont. We even have the “Mad Dog”
squaring off against the legendary Lee Shepherd.

Of course we have Big Daddy Don Garlits. Need we say more?

THE LATEST CLASSIC VIDEOS

Are you bored out of your mind this Thanksgiving weekend?

Tired of turkey, football and checking the internet only to discover
the racing community is busy taking time off and not making news?

CompetitionPlus.com has the perfect elixir for what ails you with our Classic Video Rewind Section.

We scour the world of YouTube.com so you don’t have to. If there’s a
classic drag racing video to be found, we’ll find it for you and make
it easy to view.

There are currently 47 videos to view with many more staged up and
ready to go featuring your favorite vintage scenes. We have a strong
selection ranging from vintage John Force to drag racing on Long Island
New York in the 1970s. You can witness Shirley Muldowney in her Funny
Car days as well as some old gear-jamming Modified.

If you’re a Pro Stock aficionado we have Bob Glidden in the Ford Pinto,
Plymouth Arrow and the Ford Fairmont. We even have the “Mad Dog”
squaring off against the legendary Lee Shepherd.

Of course we have Big Daddy Don Garlits. Need we say more?

THE LATEST CLASSIC VIDEOS

Detroit Dragway was a legend of another era.

When the strip closed in the 1990s, the facility ended a rich history
of drag racing that dated back to the 1950s when a fledgling sport was
just beginning to spread throughout the country.

The facility hosted national events but none like the premiere drag racing in the world.

Detroit Dragway hosted the NHRA U.S. Nationals in 1959 and 1960.

While that may prove quite the trump card in some circles, nothing will
ever invoke the Detroit Dragway legend like its famous radio
commercials did.

Simply put, the catchphrase became the tradition for drag racing advertising.

“Sunday Sunday Sunday at Detroit Dragway” began at Detroit Dragway and quickly spread throughout the drag racing world.

That fever was no doubt inspired by the YouTube Video we found of the 1959 NHRA U.S. Nationals at Detroit Dragway.

This video clip, we understand, came from a documentary titled "Ingenuity in Action".

Detroit Dragway was a legend of another era.

When the strip closed in the 1990s, the facility ended a rich history
of drag racing that dated back to the 1950s when a fledgling sport was
just beginning to spread throughout the country.

The facility hosted national events but none like the premiere drag racing in the world.

Detroit Dragway hosted the NHRA U.S. Nationals in 1959 and 1960.

While that may prove quite the trump card in some circles, nothing will
ever invoke the Detroit Dragway legend like its famous radio
commercials did.

Simply put, the catchphrase became the tradition for drag racing advertising.

“Sunday Sunday Sunday at Detroit Dragway” began at Detroit Dragway and quickly spread throughout the drag racing world.

That fever was no doubt inspired by the YouTube Video we found of the 1959 NHRA U.S. Nationals at Detroit Dragway.

This video clip, we understand, came from a documentary titled "Ingenuity in Action".

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.

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.

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.