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1965

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1965 TOP FUEL WORLD CHAMPION MAYNARD RUPP

  • Won two of four events
  • Claimed title with NHRA World Finals win
  • Drove the Logghe-Steffey-Rupp “Prussian”

Top Fuel world champion
Maynard Rupp

Top Gas world champion
Jim Minnick

Comp eliminator world champion
Virgil Cates

Jr. Gas world champion
Doug Kahl

Jr. Stock world champion
Doug Kahl

Street world champion
Gene Moody

Top Stock world champion
Joe Smith

1965

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

PRUDHOMME, LEONG WIN TWICE

Don “the Snake” Prudhomme’s first career national event victory, at the 1965 NHRA Winternationals in Roland Leong’s Hawaiian, was followed months later when the duo also won the NHRA Nationals in Indy.

WINTERNATIONALS: ‘ONE-DAY’ WONDER

Heavy fog and persistent rain Friday and Saturday forced the NHRA Winternationals to be completed in one hectic day of qualifying and eliminations, completing approximately 3,000 runs in 10 hours.

FIA STATUS GRANTED TO NHRA

NHRA’s status in the motorsports world was elevated when it was elected the fourth member club in the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS)/Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

GROUND BROKEN IN BRISTOL

In March, ground was broken on Bristol International Dragway. Thousands of tons of dirt were moved and a 60-foot-by-20-foot tower with a pressroom and guest suites was constructed in advance of the NHRA Springnationals.

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