Qualifying #12, Cowin took out former Winston champ Raymond Beadle in round one then put #16 qualifier Tim Grose on the trailer in R2, then beat California racer John Martin to set up an America vs. On the other side of the ladder it was Australian owner/driver Graeme Cowin from Sydney surprising the field. During eliminations, Bernstein wasn’t challenged too much defeating a shut off John Force in round one, Ed “The Ace” McCulloch in the Miller Beer car in round two, and Dale Pulde in the War Eagle in the semis.īernstein (Far Lane) up against McCulloch during qualifying The car, to say the least, stretched the NHRA rulebook to the max with it’s radical body design that by the end of the year, NHRA put rules in place to limit the ingenuity that Funny Car racers could use when it came to body modifications.īernstein qualified the Budweiser King Buick on the pole with a 5.482 which was good enough for the NHRA ET record. Bernstein, who had debuted his radical Buick LeSabre Batmobile earlier at the Super Bowl of Drag Racing at Phoenix blew all the other FC driver’s minds. The avalanche known as Kenny Bernstein won Funny Car. Tim Morgan from Walnut Creek, Ca got upside down during qualifying but repaired the car and made the first round call as an alternate after Ray Stutz was a no show Amato beat Denver Schutz, Gene Snow, and Darrell Gwynn to get the chance to meet Garlits.Īlthough the win at Pomona made it look like Garlits was going to repeat his 1985-86 championship seasons, he never won another event in 1987. Garlits defeated Larry Minor, Alabama racer Bill Mullins, and Dick LaHaie to make it to the finals. Dick LaHaie driving the Miller sponsored dragster of Larry Minor for the first time qualified #5. Gene Snow was #2 and Garlits grabbed the #3 spot. Low Qualifier in Top Fuel was New Jersey racer Hank Endres driving the John Carey #2 car. Shirley Muldowney lost in the first round to Bill Mullins In the final Big Daddy put down a 5.29 to Amato’s game 5.415. With today’s Pro fields struggling to fill the 16-car show, the 1987 Winternationals had enough cars for two full fields.ĭefending NHRA/Winston Top Fuel champ Don Garlits driving his Swamp Rat XXX won Top Fuel over former Top Fuel champ Joe Amato. Next stop, the 1987 NHRA Winternationals.Ĭonnie Kalitta on a unsuccessful attempt to make the showĪpologies to the great Rod Serling aside, the 1987 season opening NHRA Winternationals was one for the books. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination where there are 32 cars entered in Top Fuel and Fuel Funny Car along with 35 Pro Stockers. A dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. You are about to enter another dimension.
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