1966 NHRA Nationals. Drag Racing. Wide World of Sports. ABC Network.

[@chad9899]

ABC's. Wide world of sports,. Was a classic program I miss it today on Saturday and Sundays,. Classic video.

[@kenneymitchell1186]

I'm from Cincinnati, I was 10 years old, just discovered love for cars and NHRA, BIG DADDY DON GARTLITS!

[@GruesomesGarage]

That little 327 of Grumpy Jenkin’s was amazing, Jere Stahl beat him but not by much, and it took 99 more cubic inches ! Truly a golden age for the NHRA .

[@dennysanders2748]

It wasn't that simple. Jenkins weighed over 800 pounds less. Stock classes are factored on shipping weight divided by the factory horsepower rating or NHRA refactored horsepower. In this case Jenkins' 327 used the factory 350 horsepower rating, while Stahl's 426 street Hemi (originally 425) was refactored by NHRA to 460.

[@seanh2390]

I miss Wide World of Sports ... memories of a simpler time.

[@jimbeckettplay]

Me too.

[@hdcvospringer]

When living in the Marshall Islands (Kwajalein) we didn’t have TV and I so looked forward to when tapes of Wide World of Sports showed up. Watched it in a community center

[@ericnaumann8717]

Mike at his very best! Standing on top of the TOP FUEL MOUNTAIN!! Pause on 11:10, All the smiles tell it all!!!! Rest in peace my dear uncle!

[@budspaulding7121]

Keith Jackson should be in the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, if he isn't already!

[@Slinger43]

He was inducted many year's ago & rightfully so, KJ is one of The Golden mic GOAT's 👍

[@jesussavescars807]

He is in there and yes definitely earned it

[@gybx4094]

I was 8 years old then. Everything stopped on Saturday afternoon for ABC WWOS. Back then, California was clean and cool. Dragsters and surfers. In the Midwest, we thought if we were cool and died, we would go to California instead of heaven.

[@peterbilt8799]

Can't get enough of these videos!!

[@alant5757]

Back when sports commentators would only talk about sports. Wow… what a concept

[@geoffreyfrost7823]

Jimmy Reilly was my wife’s Uncle from Garwood NJ. I have herd much about him, but it was quite emotional seeing this video.

[@richardmcerlean9094]

My God!!! I went to the 1962 nationals with him. And his. Brothers! A good dude!!

[@peterg.bassist]

Thanks for sharing these great racing moments. I was 9 years old back then, yet your video brings it all back to life.

[@renaissanceman7145]

I came into the world July 3rd 1966. It's really cool to be able to look back to the year I was born and see the pinnacle of technology for that year. Technology has come further in my life than anyone could have imagined.

[@slothzombi307]

Happy Birthday tomorrow!

[@renaissanceman7145]

@@slothzombi307 Thank you very much! I appreciate you thinking of a kindness toward a stranger and then taking the time (regardless the amount) to actually do it. You put a smile on my face. All the best!

[@larrylittleton8702]

So awesome that this reel is captioned!

[@davidweimer8880]

Every Saturday - ABC’s Wide World Of Sports. Loved it ! Indeed, to me, Keith Jackson is the voice of Sports.

[@alexthedog]

Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me CC

[@markmark2080]

That was such a thrill back in my teen years watching the fuel dragsters smoke their tires through the quarter, I remember when anything over 200 and under 8 seconds was a fantastic run...

[@Mike_Collins392]

Chrysler FirePower engines from 1950's passenger cars owned the " Golden Age " of fuel drag racing. And would remain competitive into the 1980's actually. Possibly the finest production engine to ever leave Detroit.

[@thomasgroetzinger2203]

Basically the same basic design of today's engines!

[@21stcenturyfossil7]

@@thomasgroetzinger2203 That's the rules. A clean sheet design would likely incorporate overhead cams and 4 valve heads.

[@elevenbucks5682]

Those old 392,s weighed around 900 lbs.

[@Mike_Collins392]

@@elevenbucks5682 740 lbs stock. Losing the generator and iron intake most iron head builds come in a little less than 650 lbs.

[@CarsandCats]

@@21stcenturyfossil7 No. It's been tried before. You don't need 4 valves with forced induction. The valve area is not the limit to making horsepower; the tires are!

[@Slinger43]

Most dragracing fan's under the age of 50 have no clue as to what The Great Roland Leong accomplished in the sport before the clock even struck 1970! Roland is definitely one of The GOAT's in the all of Motorsport's history 💪😎

[@joefriday1586]

Actually it was his mother's checkbook that made it happen!

[@Slinger43]

@@joefriday1586 Wow, jealous much? 🤨

[@joefriday1586]

@@Slinger43 No but anyone can accomplish things with a big pile of money. It's even easier when it's someone else's money!

[@Slinger43]

@@joefriday1586 Really? That's a fool's view & there is at least a half dozen HOF's that believe Ol' Roland was pretty damn talented 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@joefriday1586]

@@Slinger43 Didn't build the car. Didn't drive the car. So where's all the talent?

[@rickintexas1584]

What a blast. It is sad that a driver lost his life. I was 3 years old when this occurred. I can imagine my father would have been watching on tv as I was playing with my brothers.

[@jamesriley5548]

That was my dad. My mom was home watching with my fathers mother and didn't know it happened. They heard it live during the telecast from Keith Jackson and they both collapsed on the floor.

[@billywatson118]

Spanning the globe, To bring you the constant variety of sports! The thrill of victory, And the agony of Defeat.

[@daveywaite25]

Mrs. Fujikowa is cuter than a bug's ear!

[@david54106]

When i first seen her i was thinking she must be Roland's mum... Then Mike kissed her and i'm thinking wtf lol...

[@jimbeckettplay]

@@david54106 If I saw that correctly, it was the other way around, and SHE kissed him. (Oddly, he didn't shy away. I found it a bit creepy, tbh.)

[@bloqk16]

The Wide World of Sports coverage of drag racing had a marvelous way to keep the action going with its editing for TV, whereupon when I attended the first drag racing event as a spectator, the lag time between races seemed to take forever. Of course, my being a kid in the 1960s added to my impatience for racing action. The biggest disappointment for me at that first event, which was behind the start line in the staging area, was the final race duel for the day: Top Fuel showdown between Don Garlits and Don Prudhomme, as being the best of three races. After the first race that Garlits won, word got around that it would be at least a half-hour before the second race. The adult that took me and his sons to the race said that was BS, and we left the venue with not seeing the second race. But then, viewing the race from the back of the staging area, all we saw were the smoking tires and little more. In my youth, I didn't understand the complexities of the racing machinery needing to be torn down, inspected, and reassembled. All I could think of at the time was: Why the lag time? Get the cars re-fueled, pack the chutes, and get them back to the starting line for the second race.

[@txrick4879]

I felt 10 years old watching this .

[@mikepotter6426]

Mike Snively wearing a Chrysler Marine shirt. Some do not realize the impact Chrysler had on marine propulsion. They even built sail and power boats. There are still lots of 440’s and 318’s out there. Chrysler brought diesel stern drives to this country by coupling the Mitsubishi inline 6 to a Volvo drive. They also built monster sized out drives under Dana. Used a 318 and power steering pump to actuate a throw out bearing to go between neutral forward and reverse. Way way ahead of the game. I remember at least one hemi powered boat. A 40 foot Richardson with 392’s

[@UnapologeticAhole]

It's sad many strips are closing down.

[@jeffwoods9816]

Interesting listening to Mr.College Football announcer drag racing.

[@Slinger43]

Big Keith Jackson was absolutely awesome, no matter the event or sport, hell I would have happily listen to KJ call a game of checkers! Maybe KJ & John Madden, I can hear it now...."BOOM, crown me!"... "Whoa Nelly, what a move!" LOL!! 😂👍

[@dabprod]

I miss those days.

[@MoxieMike66]

I keep hoping I can find video w/my dad & his buddies racing their BB/GD. They went there a few times.

[@michaeltaylor8835]

Loved the rails

[@56redjets]

Wow, 1350 feet of asphalt! Now its 1000 feet. Bummer. lol

[@gregm3406]

yea he was a little off. A 1/4 mile is 1320ft. but 1350 is pretty close. 😆

[@bloqk16]

@M Proctor . . . Yeah! The spectators in the 21st Century attending drag races are getting short-changed in a couple of ways. The race distance is shorter, the cars are faster, and the ticket prices are $$$$ compared to what was paid in the 1960s, even when adjusted for inflation.

[@gregm3406]

@@bloqk16 One reason I dont like the 4 wide race. With a 16 car field, first round is over with in 4 rounds. Semi finals is just one round. But you have to pay the same admission fee, for half the rounds.

[@EverythingNITRO]

Great stuff! Thanks for posting

[@MoviecraftInc]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kurtknapp3569]

Just noticed that that is a Ford SOHC in the Hawaiian dragster very powerful motor but complicated Roland knew just how to tune them to perfection

[@slothzombi307]

At 8:45. "In the far lane a Honda, Danny Ongais". A rare big block Honda?

[@alexthedog]

M Proctor 4 months ago Wow, 1350 feet of asphalt! Now its 1000 feet. Bummer. lol Traditional Humans regionally, Glo round the track sparks fire.

[@achecase]

This was great!

[@MoviecraftInc]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@ludedude5228]

Amazing how no 1/4 Mile times were mentioned, only the top speed mph . A totally different mindset back then, we're all out was the only mention

[@VIRGONOMICS]

Surely my Dad was there . I remember the T-shirt as a child .

[@gteefxr3094]

I thought Roland's mom was going to make out with Mike Snively.😃

[@ps-mq7tm]

Where's John Milner? 🏁🙋‍♂️

[@michaeltaylor8835]

Don Prudholme a legend

[@j.frankparnell3087]

So let me get this straight, Danny Ongais, who was a native Hawaiian, loses to a guy named Snively driving a car called "The Hawaiian?" Weird. 12:26

[@ckane510]

Great video. I remember those days. Good riddance to the slingshots. They killed way too many good racers.

[@MrSuzuki1187]

1320 feet, not 1350 feet. In those days, the announcers had no clue what drag racing was, as illustrated by this guy's mistake.

[@donziperk]

Never made a mistake in your life. Other than that post.

[@21stcenturyfossil7]

Keith Jackson died a few years ago but it's nice to know that nitpickers will find his gaffe immortal.

[@donziperk]

@@21stcenturyfossil7 People like that must have a pretty boring life.

[@adamchrist6354]

Yes the quarter mile is 1320 ft , but in 1966 the speed traps extended 66 ft past the finish and 66 ft before the finish line for a total of 132 ft to time and calculate the average MPH . Thats where the term " run it out the back door" came from . Some drivers would leg it past the finish line to get the MPH record for their class But most of the fuel cars would not do that , to much damage to the motors .

[@donziperk]

@@adamchrist6354 Thats really interesting I’d heard that term but didn’t know what it meant. I wonder if know it all Joel Turpin knew that.

[@jerrypuckett6733]

I’m from Lexington Kentucky also. Wish I knew her name.

[@irocitZ]

I love these classic drag videos, right around 4 minutes in, how about those two ladies dressed in military uniforms. I mean, damn they were really good looking..

[@andrewclark1331]

Either it was left out but I didnt know they didn't do burnouts before the race

[@McFlyGuitarsandStuff]

They hadn't figured out smoking the tires makes you slower by that point I guess.

[@paulj0557tonehead]

1:22 Kapow!

[@richardcole9308]

What is with ABC love of top fuel ?? 65 winter nationals thay only showed half our t/f only 66 nationals t/f again there are other classes you know gassers, a/fx cars no only t/f !!

[@michaeltaylor8835]

Before gassers and funny cars

[@clydeblair9622]

Seems like yesterday...

[@larryharry7221]

1350 feet

[@MrDragpics]

NO GLUE no burnouts .guess its going full circle what with no prep racing...

[@jameshisself9324]

7:23 geezus somebody build a guardrail properly will ya? It is all wall now for a reason.

[@CarsandCats]

It's all wall now because K-rails kill.

[@jameshisself9324]

@@CarsandCats Yep. I new someone would help me out, thanks. Fixed it.

[@frankbeach9745]

Great commentary by Keith Jackson, unlike the clowns doing nascar on nbc

[@icewaterslim7260]

I see some slip clutches going on in this. How many qualifiers they have in AA/FD for this? 32? First generation Chrysler Hemis still ruled top fuel but not for long. You got to put a little toluene in that nitro if you're gonna tip the can team Ramcharger.

[@jeffring1222]

Y isn't this in color, it's 1966 not 1956, WTF.

[@williamwagaman9538]

1320 Chris Jackson is wrong

[@haroldmordt4421]

The Hurling Championships? Who wants to watch people throw up?

[@shaddowcarter817]

Seems like drag racing is splitting into different X camps...old school gassers and top fuel retros as maybe a backlash to pro mods which aren't that bad they're setting speed records in the 5's but honestly it's just the shell of an idea of a Camarillo but all the fabrication is fiberglass...the allure of the little man o r woman building a dragster out of let's say a 66 plymouth belvedere or a 65 Buick wildcat

[@shaddowcarter817]

Is just more compelling than the murder nova or big chief...I'm waiting for a triplet turbo 🤣

[@michaelbyrnee9584]

"1350 feet" ????

[@CarsandCats]

1350 feet. What?

[@markrowland1366]

I was 13yo when this stupidity was a sport. Drivers were murdered in bulk.

[@CarsandCats]

Tell us about your stamp collection?

[@randyelliott9152]

Murdered??? Hyperbole much ?

[@honkylips69]

Finally , we found who started the saying " get off my lawn"