Decades before Drag Week, HOT ROD Magazine presented its own annual drag race known as the HOT ROD Magazine Championship Drag Races. From 1964 to 1969 HOT ROD’s yearly meltdown was on par with NHRA’s top events in terms of importance. Held at the historic Riverside Raceway in Riverside, California, the first HOT ROD Championship posted $37,000 in cash and merchandise, well beyond NHRA purses at that time. Conceived in conjunction with the NHRA, itself created through the pages of HOT ROD and its first editor Wally Parks in 1952, HOT ROD publisher Ray Brock and editor Bob Greene coordinated with NHRA for an early summer event to enhance their schedule. NHRA national records for Top Fuel, Top Gas—all of their top classes, could be set during the three days of racing. In that first year new Ford Mustangs were the prize in each class in addition to cash. A new Mustang was even given away in a special drawing to a lucky spectator.
Including a full field of Sportsman classes—something Parks was adamant about maintaining in all NHRA events, in 1965 the Factory Experimental cars made their first appearance, soon to become the Funny Car class. In Top Fuel Tom McEwen and Don Prudhomme dominated the 1965 race each hitting 211-plus mph in mid-7 second runs, but they were ultimately defeated by Nando Haase and John Smyser from Upland, California, in the final against Jim Warren. The 1965 event was also the subject of the HOT ROD Magazine-produced film The Hot Rod Story-Drag Racing. Narrated by Dick Enberg, it gave a comprehensive overview of the sport up to that time.
McEwen would go on to win Top Fuel in 1966, with Mike Snively winning the class in Roland Leong’s Hawaiian dragster with a 7.07 at 221.66mph the following year. Steve Carbone took Top Fuel in 1968 in the Atlas Oil Tool Special, and for its final year Larry Dixon Sr. won in the Howard Cams “Rattler.”
For those six years some great drag racing brought to you by HOT ROD Magazine and those participants and spectators attending took place in the hot Riverside sun, going down in history as one of the most significant drag racing events of the day.
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