All month long, our racing guru David Scoggan is blogging LIVE from Lucas Oil Raceway! Check back here regularly for a dose of Dave’s wit and whimsy.
Fifty years ago, Neil Armstrong and “Buzz” Aldrin walked on the moon (or DID they, Ryan Newman?), Max Yasgur hosted a small rock concert on his Bethel, New York dairy farm, Andy Granatelli gave Mario Andretti the biggest kiss of their careers in Victory Lane at the Speedway, the “Amazin’ Mets” and Joe Willie’s Jets won championships, and the U.S. Nationals featured two well-known names as the marquee nitro category winners.
The 15th annual NHRA Nationals — the proper title back then — featured a mere eight eliminator categories, Pro Stock was six months from inception, Top Gas still existed, and the only motorcycles in the pits were used for transportation. There was a 32-car Top Fuel Eliminator field and every machine was a front-engine slingshot — nary a rear-engine fueler in sight. The winner was Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, backing up his 1965 Indy win with a final round conquest of Kelly Brown in Leland Kolb’s digger. Don’s 6.51/223.34 effort was more than enough to trailer Brown’s 6.78 pass.
Funny Car Eliminator went to Danny Ongais driving Mickey Thompson’s Mach One Mustang. Ongais earned his only Nationals victory when Rich Siroonian in “Big John” Mazmanian’s gorgeous candy-red Barracuda left the line too soon and received the evil “red light”. Ongais eased to a 7.47/195.22 pass as Siroonian’s stout 7.24/204.08 went for naught. (Low ET in FC, incidentally, of 7.22 seconds was turned by Chicago, Illinois driver Don Schumacher.)
Other Eliminator champs at Indy ’69 were: D.A. Santucci in Top Gas (gasoline-fueled versions of Top Fuel cars); the great “Ohio George” Montgomery, Super Eliminator; Terry Fritsch, Competition; Glenn Self, Street; superstar Ronnie Sox, Super Stock; and Bill Morgan, Stock.
Back to Prudhomme and Ongais; both expressed Indy 500 aspirations, but only “The Flyin’ Hawaiian” followed through with his desires. Ongais stayed mainly in drag racing through the end of 1974, then switched to SCCA Formula 5000 road-racing, thanks in large part to financial backing from Ted Field’s Interscope Racing. Danny finally made it to the Indy 500 lineup in 1977, completing a long and twisting journey that began with a USAC rejection in 1968 (denied a chance to drive Mickey Thompson’s #63 car due to “lack of experience”) and a similar fate in 1971 (not allowed to drive the #92 Shelby-Dowd/Norris Industries Eagle for the identical reason).
The “Snake”, however, was more pragmatic about his career and stayed firmly implanted in drag racing. He has admitted to a conversation with the late Dan Gurney, probably around 1981 when both were sponsored by Pepsi; he asked DSG what it would take to drive Indycars and Gurney essentially replied, “Total commitment, no more drag racing.” After 49 career NHRA wins, four World Championships, and, oh yes, SEVEN U.S.Nationals titles, it’s easy to say that Prudhomme made a wise choice.
Don’t consider Prudhomme a retired driver, though. Just this spring, the 78-year-old competed in the Baja 1000 off-road race with co-driver Jagger Jones, the 16-year-old son of P.J. Jones (and grandson of Parnelli Jones). Prudhomme also attends numerous Indy Car races and can often be spotted hanging out with Chip Ganassi or stealing ice cream from A.J. Foyt. Don was also instrumental in bringing the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist sponsorship to Austin Prock’s John Force Racing TF car and the “Snake” will certainly be on hand at LOR this Labor Day weekend.
As for Ongais, well, he never was one for public adulation and has pretty much vanished from sight. He’s most likely residing somewhere on the west coast, or maybe back in his native Hawaii, but don’t look for D.O. to be at this year’s U.S. Nationals celebrating his golden anniversary victory.
One can always hope….
