| Race Title: | 1971 NHRA Winternationals |
| Series Long: | National Hot Rod Association |
| Series Short: | NHRA |
| Location: | Pomona, California |
| Length Mi: | --> |
The 1971 NHRA Winternationals were a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event, held at Pomona, California on 7 February.[1]
The Funny Car Eliminator title at the 1971 Winternats would go to Roland Leong's Dodge Charger, Hawaiian,.[2] with Butch Maas at the wheel.[3] Don Garlits' novel rear-engined dragster, Swamp Rat XIV, appeared at the Winternats, qualifying with 6.8; his best time of the meet was a 6.70, over Jim Dunn's 7.58, in the semi-final: Garlits would win, when Kenny Safford broke in the final.[4] The last Top Gas Eliminator crown, before NHRA abolished the class, went to Walt Stevens, at the wheel of Ken Theiss' twin-engined Odd Couple TG/D.[5] Canadian Barrie Poole repeated his 1970 Winternats win in Super Stock, in a Sandy Elliot Mustang.[6] Don Enriquez (in Gene Adams' A/FD) won Competition Eliminator, turning in a pass of 7.34 at 199mph, quicker and faster than Steve Woods' hemi-engined BB/Gas Ford Anglia; the field also included twin-engine straight-six-cylinder-powered D/Ds, and AA/FAs.[7]
The year's award for Best Engineered Car went to Jim Busby, with a dragster powered by a pair of injected 427 "Cammer" (SOHC) engines.[8] (Hank Westmoreland failed to qualify the car, and it never ran again.[9])
The meet was marred by the death of "Sneaky Pete" Robinson, who wrecked his TF/D in qualifying, with a 6.77 pass,[10] which would have been #4 qualifier.[11]
The field was 32 cars. Ron Rivero, Larry Dixon, Jim Paoli, Gary Cochran, and John Mitchell attended, but failed to qualify.[12]
Top qualifier Norm Wilcox (driving for Ted Gotelli) went out to #17 qualifier Jimmy King. "TV Tommy" Ivo, qualified #13, lost to Glen Woosley, who qualified #29. Larry Hendrickson qualified #24, losing to #8 qualifier Gerry Glenn. Jerry "The King" Ruth qualified #14, and was eliminated by #30 qualifier Carl Olson. #6 qualifier Rick Ramsey eliminated #22 qualifier Don "The Snake" Prudhomme. Don Cook qualified #28 and fell to Tom "Mongoo$e" McEwen. #31 qualifier Bill Alexander lost to #15 qualifier Kenny Safford (driving for Larry Bowers). Mike Tarter qualified #27 and lost to Jim Davis (qualified #11). #26 qualifier Tom Allen was eliminated by Don "Big Daddy" Garlits, who qualified #10 (in Swamp Rat XIV). #25 qualifier Denver Schutz lost to #9 qualifier Herman Petersen. Chris "The Greek" Karamesines qualified #7 and eliminated Paul Schoenfeld, who qualified #23. #22 qualifier Don Prudhomme was eliminated by #6 qualifier Rick Ramsey (in the Keeling & Clayton dragster). Les Allen qualified #21 and was beaten by Don Moody, who qualified #5. #32 qualifier Bill Dunlap lost to #16 qualifier Dennis Baca. #19 qualifier Ronnie Martin (later partner with Ronnie Sox) was eliminated by #3 qualifier Henry Harrison in the Ewell & Bell dragster. Jim Warren qualified #18, losing to #2 qualifier John Nichols (driving for Jerry Dee Hagood). Low qualifier Jim Dunn defeated #20 qualifier Ed Renck.[13]
Dunn beat McEwen. Woosley was defeated by Moody. Glenn eliminated Baca. Davis lost to Harrison. King defeated Petersen. Safford lost to Karamesines. Olson defeated Ramsey. Nichols fell to Garlits.[14]
Garlits defeated Olson. Moody fell to King. Glenn lost to Dunn. Safford eliminated Harrison.[15]
Dunn was eliminated by Garlits, King by Safford.[16]
Garlits defeated Safford, when Safford broke.[17] The win earned Garlits US$8,625.[18]
Top Fuel Funny Car was only a 16-car field.
Jake Johnston qualified #1 in the 1971 Dodge Charger owned by Gene Snow, and eliminated #9 qualifier Tom Prock. Snow qualified #2 in a 1971 Charger, beating Jim Dunn. Tom Hoover, qualifying #7, was eliminated by #15 qualifier Mike Snively. Qualifying #12, Kenny Goodell lost to Roland Leong's Hawaiian, driven by Butch Maas. Dave Condit qualified #13 and lost to #5 qualifier Larry Reyes (driving a 1971 Plymouth Barracuda owned by "Big John" Mamazian). Don "The Snake" Prudhomme qualified #14, and was eliminated by #6 qualifier Stan Shiroma. #3 qualifier Dick Tharp's 1971 Ford Mustang (owned by Harry Schmidt) lost to the Ramchargers 1971 Dodge Challenger of Leroy Goldstein. Low qualifier Don Schumacher went out to Rich Siroonian's Mamazian-owned 1971 Barracuda.[19]
Snively lost to Goldstein. Maas defeated Siroonian. Reyes was defeated by Johnston. Snow eliminated Shiroma.[20]
Snow was eliminated by Maas. Johnston fell to Goldstein.[21]
Maas took the win over Goldstein, for a prize of US$8625.[22]
The field included 16 qualifiers.[23]
Top qualifier Larry Van Unen lost to #9 qualifier Walt Stevens (driving Ken Theiss' twin-engined Odd Couple TG/D[24]). Low qualifier Chuck Beal lost to #5 qualifier Bill Mullins.[25]
Mullins beat #10 qualifier Gene Brasel, and Stevens eliminated #6 qualifier Ray Hadford.[26]
Jerry Goddard, #8 qualifier, lost to Mullins. Don Hampton, qualified #7, was eliminated by Mullins.[27]
Mullins lost to Stevens in the final, earning Stevens US$7125.[28]
The Pro Stock field was 16 cars. Attendees included Herb McCandless (qualified #2 in a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda), Dave Strickler (qualified #20), Jim Pettit (qualified #30), and Cecil Yother (qualified #31); none actually raced.[29]
Top qualifier Ronnie Sox's Barracuda defeated #17 qualifier Dick Brannan. Rich Miracki, qualified # 27, lost to #11 qualifier "Dyno Don" Nicholson. #29 qualifier Ed Schartman lost to #13 qualifier Bill Jenkins' 1971 Chevrolet Camaro. #12 qualifier "Dandy Dick" Landy defeated #28 qualifier Hubert Platt. Bob Lambeck qualified #9 and eliminated #25 qualifier John Livingston. #22 qualifier Ed Miller lost to #6 qualifier Arlen Vanke. John Petrie qualified #3, and defeated #19 qualifier Ken Van Cleve. Bobby Yowell, #8 qualifier, lost to #24 qualifier Bill Tanner. Low qualifier Ed Terry was eliminated by #16 qualifier Wally Booth (driving a 1970 Camaro).[30]
Tanner lost to Booth. Nicholson was eliminated by Petrie. Sox overcame Lambeck.[31]
Jenkins was eliminated by Sox. Booth defeated Landy. Vanke was defeated by Booth. Petrie lost to Sox.[32]
Booth lost to Sox, who earned US$11,625 in prize money.[33]