WJ's Wrap Sheet - Winternationals Edition
1. WJ's First Winternationals - 1976
Race Car: 1976 Chevrolet Camaro (a car he nicknamed "The Incredible Hulk")
Performance: WJ Qualified #2 8.79 seconds Defeated Lee Edwards Lost to Wayne Gapp
In Warren's Words: "Ironically, the only reason I even participated in that year's Winternationals was because I had competed in an AHRA event in Phoenix the week before, so I figured since I was already on the West Coast, I would see what the NHRA race was like. Although I don't remember a lot about that particular race, I do recall being surprised at qualifying second.
"There was a tremendous variety of race cars in Pro Stock back then, because it was based on a pound to cubic inch ratio, which left it wide open. Whatever your engine of choice was to work on, you could fit it in to anything with the same nameplate. That made it pretty interesting, because we had small- and big-block Chevys and Fords, along with a few Chrysler products and even that AMC. Although we are somewhat limited now with the 500 cubic-inch engine rule, I think it would certainly help to for us have a bigger variety of body styles out there today."
Notes of the time:
* The '76 Winternationals field was the quickest in the history of Pro Stock, led by Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins' 8.77-second effort and anchored by 16th qualifier Kevin Rotty's 9.06-second pass.
* The Pro Stock field was comprised of Chevrolet Camaros, Monzas and Vegas, Ford Pintos, Mavericks and Mustang IIs, Plymouth Dusters and Dodge Darts, and even an AMC Hornet.
* The field contained some of the all-time greats in Pro Stock, including Jenkins, Bob Glidden, "Dyno" Don Nicholson, Wayne Gapp, Lee Edwards and Dick Landy. Gapps' ride was the legendary Gapp & Roush "Tijuana Taxi", which was co-owned by current NASCAR team owner Jack Roush.
* Current team owner Don "The Snake" Prudhomme was the winner in Funny Car at this race, defeating current crew chief Ed "The Ace" McCulloch. Prudhomme was also the No. 1 qualifier with a time of 6.02 seconds.
* In Top Fuel, current NHRA Graham Light was the No. 9 qualifier at 5.97 seconds, but was unable to make it to the line for the first round of eliminations.
2. WJ's First Winternationals Final Round - 1985
Race Car: 1985 Hurst/Olds Oldsmobile Calais
Performance: WJ Qualified #4, 7.658 seconds, 180.50 mph Defeated Joe Lepone, Rickie Smith, Butch Leal Lost to Bob Glidden
In Warren's Words: "That Calais was a pretty interesting car. It was short, high and narrow - not the optimum combination for a race car. It was a decent car, but not very aerodynamic by any stretch of the imagination. However, after driving the big Hurst/Olds Cutlasses from 1982 to 1984, which we nicknamed the "Flying Boxcars", it was at least a step in the right direction in that it was smaller, as evidenced by our being able to make it to the final round in its first race."
Notes of the time:
* Rival Bob Glidden set the Pro Stock elapsed time and top speed records at this event, covering the quarter-mile in 7.530 seconds at 186.87 mph.
* The Pro Stock field was filled with Oldsmobile Calais, Pontiac Firebird and Trans Ams, Chevrolet Camaros, a Ford Thunderbird and a Mercury Topaz.
* Kenny Bernstein campaigned a Ford Tempo in Funny Car, with John Force racing in a Corvette.
* Among the stars of the day in Top Fuel were Joe Amato, Don Garlits and current Larry Dixon crew chief Dick LaHaie.
3. WJ's First Winternationals Win - 1987
Race Car: 1986 GM Goodwrench Performance Parts Oldsmobile Firenza
Performance: WJ Qualified #2, 7.437 seconds, 188.20 Defeated Kenny Delco, Gordie Rivera, Larry Morgan & Butch Leal
In Warren's Words: "Our performance in this race was a testament to the aerodynamic improvements we had been able to achieve with our race cars. We had also had some time to work on the 500 cubic-inch engine format. The DRCE engine was starting to come around pretty significantly, just as Glidden had his Boss 429 working pretty well.
"Over all, the entire category was getting comfortable with the stabilization of the rules, combining the 500 cubic-inch engines with the 2,350-pound minimum weight. Fortunately, we had done our homework during the off-season, and were able to capitalize on it with a win."
Notes of the time:
* WJ's became the first driver in Pro Stock history to run all four rounds of eliminations in the 7.4-second range at this event, posting elapsed times of 7.432, 7.463, 7.403 and 7.436 en route to victory, with the 7.403-second pass setting a new Pomona Raceway track record.
* WJ competed in his 1986 Firenza, as his new 1987 model was not yet completed
* Bob Glidden's Thunderbird was the lone non-General Motors entry in the field, with the other 15 spots taken by Camaros, Trans Ams and Oldsmobile Firenzas.
* The Pro Stock field was the quickest in the category's history, led by Glidden's 7.425-second run and anchored by Larry Morgan's 7.574-second pass.
* Other notable entries in Pro Stock included Darrell Alderman (in a Camaro), Bruce Allen and Mark Pawuk
* Other winners at this event included Don Garlits in Top Fuel, who posted a 5.298-second pass in the final, and Kenny Bernstein in Funny Car, who set a new national record in his controversial Buick LeSabre "Batmobile" at 5.482 seconds.
4. WJ's Most Recent Winternationals Win - 2003
Race Car: 2003 GM Performance Parts Pontiac Grand Am
Performance: WJ Qualified #2, 6.775 seconds, 204.54 mph.Defeated Troy Coughlin, Kurt Johnson, Darrell Alderman, Allen Johnson
In Warren's Words: "It was the first official race with the LED lights, and everyone had been complaining about them. I simply studied them during the pre-season test session in Las Vegas, as well as during some of the sportsman racing during the weekend, comparing them to the old-style bulbs, and seeing how they reacted. This allowed me to get a handle on their effect, which ultimately worked in my favor."
Notes of the time:
* WJ recorded five passes in excess of 204 mph, and reset the Pro Stock national top speed record with his 204.91-mph pass in the first round of eliminations.
* WJ also reset the Pomona Raceway elapsed time track record with his 6.764-second pass in the semifinals.
* This was the first race where the LED bulbs were used on the starting line "Christmas Tree", with WJ adapting quite well, as evidenced by his .003 reaction time in the final round against Allen Johnson.
* The Pro Stock field consisted of Pontiac Grand Ams, Chevy Cavaliers and Dodge Neons.
* Winners in other categories included Larry Dixon in Top Fuel and Tony Pedregon in Funny Car.
5. WJ's Winternationals In A Nutshell - In Warren's Words:
"The Winternationals are important, because you can't win all the races in a year without the first one. It's usually an interesting race, because everyone has been honing their set-ups during the winter, and have new parts to run.
"Personally, it's hard to pick out one year that stands out from the others, simply because it's our first foray into the racing world after 80 plus days of working non-stop in the shop getting ready for the season, making you fairly oblivious to your surroundings. With the workload we handle leading up to the start of the year, you're usually happy just to survive the weekend.
"Pomona Raceway has always been a challenging track. With a four-foot drop from the starting line to the finish line, it's all downhill, and the atmospheric conditions are usually among the best we face all season, making it pretty quick. In the early 80's, before they resurfaced the starting line, you would have to make wholesale changes to the four-link set-up for that race because the cars would instantly shoot to the left. However, since they have been taking better care of the racing surface, it's become a pretty good racetrack, although the shutdown area is still pretty rough."
WJ's Winternationals Box Score
Races Starts Wins Finals #1 Avg. Qual. W L Pct.
25 24 5 10 5 3.92 55 19 .743
WJ's Pomona Raceway Overall Box Score
Races Starts Wins Finals #1 Avg. Qual. W L Pct.
47 45 9 16 12 3.73 93 35 .727
Race Car: 1976 Chevrolet Camaro (a car he nicknamed "The Incredible Hulk")
Performance: WJ Qualified #2 8.79 seconds Defeated Lee Edwards Lost to Wayne Gapp
In Warren's Words: "Ironically, the only reason I even participated in that year's Winternationals was because I had competed in an AHRA event in Phoenix the week before, so I figured since I was already on the West Coast, I would see what the NHRA race was like. Although I don't remember a lot about that particular race, I do recall being surprised at qualifying second.
"There was a tremendous variety of race cars in Pro Stock back then, because it was based on a pound to cubic inch ratio, which left it wide open. Whatever your engine of choice was to work on, you could fit it in to anything with the same nameplate. That made it pretty interesting, because we had small- and big-block Chevys and Fords, along with a few Chrysler products and even that AMC. Although we are somewhat limited now with the 500 cubic-inch engine rule, I think it would certainly help to for us have a bigger variety of body styles out there today."
Notes of the time:
* The '76 Winternationals field was the quickest in the history of Pro Stock, led by Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins' 8.77-second effort and anchored by 16th qualifier Kevin Rotty's 9.06-second pass.
* The Pro Stock field was comprised of Chevrolet Camaros, Monzas and Vegas, Ford Pintos, Mavericks and Mustang IIs, Plymouth Dusters and Dodge Darts, and even an AMC Hornet.
* The field contained some of the all-time greats in Pro Stock, including Jenkins, Bob Glidden, "Dyno" Don Nicholson, Wayne Gapp, Lee Edwards and Dick Landy. Gapps' ride was the legendary Gapp & Roush "Tijuana Taxi", which was co-owned by current NASCAR team owner Jack Roush.
* Current team owner Don "The Snake" Prudhomme was the winner in Funny Car at this race, defeating current crew chief Ed "The Ace" McCulloch. Prudhomme was also the No. 1 qualifier with a time of 6.02 seconds.
* In Top Fuel, current NHRA Graham Light was the No. 9 qualifier at 5.97 seconds, but was unable to make it to the line for the first round of eliminations.
2. WJ's First Winternationals Final Round - 1985
Race Car: 1985 Hurst/Olds Oldsmobile Calais
Performance: WJ Qualified #4, 7.658 seconds, 180.50 mph Defeated Joe Lepone, Rickie Smith, Butch Leal Lost to Bob Glidden
In Warren's Words: "That Calais was a pretty interesting car. It was short, high and narrow - not the optimum combination for a race car. It was a decent car, but not very aerodynamic by any stretch of the imagination. However, after driving the big Hurst/Olds Cutlasses from 1982 to 1984, which we nicknamed the "Flying Boxcars", it was at least a step in the right direction in that it was smaller, as evidenced by our being able to make it to the final round in its first race."
Notes of the time:
* Rival Bob Glidden set the Pro Stock elapsed time and top speed records at this event, covering the quarter-mile in 7.530 seconds at 186.87 mph.
* The Pro Stock field was filled with Oldsmobile Calais, Pontiac Firebird and Trans Ams, Chevrolet Camaros, a Ford Thunderbird and a Mercury Topaz.
* Kenny Bernstein campaigned a Ford Tempo in Funny Car, with John Force racing in a Corvette.
* Among the stars of the day in Top Fuel were Joe Amato, Don Garlits and current Larry Dixon crew chief Dick LaHaie.
3. WJ's First Winternationals Win - 1987
Race Car: 1986 GM Goodwrench Performance Parts Oldsmobile Firenza
Performance: WJ Qualified #2, 7.437 seconds, 188.20 Defeated Kenny Delco, Gordie Rivera, Larry Morgan & Butch Leal
In Warren's Words: "Our performance in this race was a testament to the aerodynamic improvements we had been able to achieve with our race cars. We had also had some time to work on the 500 cubic-inch engine format. The DRCE engine was starting to come around pretty significantly, just as Glidden had his Boss 429 working pretty well.
"Over all, the entire category was getting comfortable with the stabilization of the rules, combining the 500 cubic-inch engines with the 2,350-pound minimum weight. Fortunately, we had done our homework during the off-season, and were able to capitalize on it with a win."
Notes of the time:
* WJ's became the first driver in Pro Stock history to run all four rounds of eliminations in the 7.4-second range at this event, posting elapsed times of 7.432, 7.463, 7.403 and 7.436 en route to victory, with the 7.403-second pass setting a new Pomona Raceway track record.
* WJ competed in his 1986 Firenza, as his new 1987 model was not yet completed
* Bob Glidden's Thunderbird was the lone non-General Motors entry in the field, with the other 15 spots taken by Camaros, Trans Ams and Oldsmobile Firenzas.
* The Pro Stock field was the quickest in the category's history, led by Glidden's 7.425-second run and anchored by Larry Morgan's 7.574-second pass.
* Other notable entries in Pro Stock included Darrell Alderman (in a Camaro), Bruce Allen and Mark Pawuk
* Other winners at this event included Don Garlits in Top Fuel, who posted a 5.298-second pass in the final, and Kenny Bernstein in Funny Car, who set a new national record in his controversial Buick LeSabre "Batmobile" at 5.482 seconds.
4. WJ's Most Recent Winternationals Win - 2003
Race Car: 2003 GM Performance Parts Pontiac Grand Am
Performance: WJ Qualified #2, 6.775 seconds, 204.54 mph.Defeated Troy Coughlin, Kurt Johnson, Darrell Alderman, Allen Johnson
In Warren's Words: "It was the first official race with the LED lights, and everyone had been complaining about them. I simply studied them during the pre-season test session in Las Vegas, as well as during some of the sportsman racing during the weekend, comparing them to the old-style bulbs, and seeing how they reacted. This allowed me to get a handle on their effect, which ultimately worked in my favor."
Notes of the time:
* WJ recorded five passes in excess of 204 mph, and reset the Pro Stock national top speed record with his 204.91-mph pass in the first round of eliminations.
* WJ also reset the Pomona Raceway elapsed time track record with his 6.764-second pass in the semifinals.
* This was the first race where the LED bulbs were used on the starting line "Christmas Tree", with WJ adapting quite well, as evidenced by his .003 reaction time in the final round against Allen Johnson.
* The Pro Stock field consisted of Pontiac Grand Ams, Chevy Cavaliers and Dodge Neons.
* Winners in other categories included Larry Dixon in Top Fuel and Tony Pedregon in Funny Car.
5. WJ's Winternationals In A Nutshell - In Warren's Words:
"The Winternationals are important, because you can't win all the races in a year without the first one. It's usually an interesting race, because everyone has been honing their set-ups during the winter, and have new parts to run.
"Personally, it's hard to pick out one year that stands out from the others, simply because it's our first foray into the racing world after 80 plus days of working non-stop in the shop getting ready for the season, making you fairly oblivious to your surroundings. With the workload we handle leading up to the start of the year, you're usually happy just to survive the weekend.
"Pomona Raceway has always been a challenging track. With a four-foot drop from the starting line to the finish line, it's all downhill, and the atmospheric conditions are usually among the best we face all season, making it pretty quick. In the early 80's, before they resurfaced the starting line, you would have to make wholesale changes to the four-link set-up for that race because the cars would instantly shoot to the left. However, since they have been taking better care of the racing surface, it's become a pretty good racetrack, although the shutdown area is still pretty rough."
WJ's Winternationals Box Score
Races Starts Wins Finals #1 Avg. Qual. W L Pct.
25 24 5 10 5 3.92 55 19 .743
WJ's Pomona Raceway Overall Box Score
Races Starts Wins Finals #1 Avg. Qual. W L Pct.
47 45 9 16 12 3.73 93 35 .727
posted by David @ 9:55 PM
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