Winternationals : Glidden and Johnson Set Records

The National Hot Rod Assn. staged the silver anniversary of the Winternationals drag races on Sunday and the occasion was celebrated with record-breaking runs in front of a record crowd at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona.

A turnaway crowd of 42,500 saw pro stock driver Bob Glidden of Whiteland, Ind., complete a remarkable four-day roll by establishing another NHRA national record and unheralded funny driver Rick Johnson of Fort Worth, Tex., break another in the elimination rounds.

Glidden captured the pro stock title but Johnson had to be content with his record as Al Segrini of South Easton, Me., won his second consecutive funny car championship. Joe Amato of Old Forge, Pa., won the top fuel division.

When the smoke had finally cleared from the rear-wheel spinning dragsters, three national records had been broken and several more track marks had been established in the traditional opener for the 13-race season.

“The next thing you know we’ll be driving the (space) shuttle down a race track,” Segrini said. “We might as well. The only difference is they’re going up and we’re going straight.”

Glidden set the tone for the weekend by becoming the first pro stock driver to run under 7.60 seconds in Friday’s qualifying run. He never ran over 7.60 seconds the remainder of the weekend.

Glidden, driving a Ford Thunderbird, had his best run of 7.53 seconds and 185.87 m.p.h. coming in the first round. He defeated Warren Johnson in the finals to gain his 42nd career win, best in the NHRA.

“From the opening day to the finals, this was my best race I can ever recall,” Glidden said. “The racing conditions were ideal for my first run. The air was cool and the track was warm.”

Rick Johnson’s performance in the quarterfinals of the funny car division was a big surprise. Johnson has never won an NHRA event and his previous best in his Dodge Daytona before Sunday was only 5.79 seconds.

But Johnson defeated Kenny Bernstein with an elapsed time of 5.58 seconds and 263.62 m.p.h. in what was the fastest, side-by-side run in any funny car race. Bernstein ran 5.67 seconds and 235.97 m.p.h., his career best, but was a loser.

Johnson met his match in the next round, losing to eventual winner Segrini. Segrini, driving a Chevrolet Corvette, went on to defeat Dale Pulde for the funny car title but his car burst into flames as he crossed the finish line.

“I didn’t mean to be that spectacular,” Segrini said. “I blew out the clutch, but the motor is fine. This cold front made for all the record times. These engines love this cool air.”

Favorite Don Garlits’ top fuel engine didn’t find the weather conditions so favorable. Neither did rival Amato. Garlits, 53, blew his engine about 800 feet from the finish line while leading eventual winner Amato in the semifinals.

But Amato’s victory against crowd-favorite Garlits didn’t come easy. Amato’s dragster nearly crossed the center line halfway down the track when his front wheels rose high into the air and then he blew his engine as he crossed the finish line.

“We had to replace the injector, fuel lines and the entire engine before the finals,” Amato said. “All that and be at the lineup in about two hours. The car still wouldn’t start at the lineup. We worked on it right up to the starting line.

“We’ve got a new trailer and no one knew where any of the parts or tools were. We changed one piston in four days. The car was running flawless and it was a good thing because my mechanic chief stayed in his hotel room most of the weekend with a 102-degree temperature.”

There was nothing wrong with Amato’s dragster in the finals. He raced down the track in 5.50 seconds and 261.17 m.p.h. per hour to defeat defending champion Gary Ormsby. Afterward, Amato talked about becoming the first driver in his division to defend his national title.

“I’m a goal-oriented person and no one has ever repeated,” he said. “I’d really like to do that. I’m glad to see Don Garlits on the circuit this year because he’ll push all of us harder . . . there won’t be any complacency.

“I sat next to Don in church this morning and perhaps some of his good fortune will rub off on me.”