1. Don Nicholson was an American drag racer from Missouri.
36 Facts About Don Nicholson
1. 2.
Don Nicholson raced in the 1960s and 1970s when there were few national events.
3.
Don Nicholson was nicknamed "Dyno Don" after he was one of the first drivers to use a chassis dynamometer on his cars in the late 1950s, a skill that he learned while working as a line mechanic at a Chevrolet car dealer.
4.
Don Nicholson began organized racing in jalopies on oval tracks in the late 1940s before quitting in 1949, because his friends were frequently killed.
5.
Don Nicholson moved to the dry lakes at the Bonneville and El Mirage.
6.
Don Nicholson was already an experienced driver when drag strips began opening in Southern California.
7.
Don Nicholson got a job with Mead Chevrolet in Pasadena in 1958.
8.
In 1961, Nally Chevrolet lured Don Nicholson to move his family to Georgia by giving him his own dyno shop and race car.
9.
Don Nicholson became nationally known to drag racing fans when he won the Stock class at NHRA's first Winternationals in 1961 with a 12-second pass; he and Ronnie Sox raced the only two Chevrolets, when Fords were the standard.
10.
Don Nicholson received lucrative offers from promoters in the Southeastern United States, so moved to Atlanta to compete in match races.
11.
Don Nicholson won over 90 percent of match races he entered that year.
12.
Don Nicholson was concerned about losing his match racing income since his car was outclassed.
13.
Don Nicholson was so dominant, critics predicted the demise of the new Funny Car "craze".
14.
Don Nicholson enjoyed another highly successful year in Eliminator II in 1967, until other teams started adding superchargers late in the year.
15.
Don Nicholson prepared a Ford Maverick for the Winternationals in seven days, but did not win.
16.
Don Nicholson's Maverick earned Ford's first NHRA Pro Stock win at the Summernationals in 1971.
17.
Don Nicholson switched to a 351 Cleveland-powered Pinto for 1972.
18.
Don Nicholson started the 1973 season by winning three consecutive national events at the American Hot Rod Association Winternationals, NHRA Winternationals, and NHRA Gatornationals.
19.
Don Nicholson finished second at the 1974 US Nationals and 1976 Summernats.
20.
Don Nicholson decided to compete in the complete NHRA Nationals tour in 1977.
21.
Don Nicholson won the Gatornationals, Springnationals, and US Nationals to win the 1977 Winston championship.
22.
Don Nicholson did qualify for the Springnationals, where he lost in the second round when his Mustang II broke, and the Summernationals, where he lost in the first round.
23.
Don Nicholson returned to Pro Stock at Milan for IHRA's Northern Nationals and went on to win the event.
24.
At the IHRA Summernationals at Bristol, Don Nicholson set top speed at 169.45 on the way to a runner-up finish.
25.
Don Nicholson had a brand new Mustang built to replace his "old" Mustang II and he debuted it at Maryland International Raceway's Mountain Motor Nationals, but lost in the first round.
26.
Don Nicholson lost in the second round to a holeshot.
27.
Don Nicholson's tuning aided Denton to a runner-up finish at the next IHRA event, the Springnationals, at Bristol.
28.
Don Nicholson returned in 1988 in the nostalgia tour in a version of 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air, which he was still campaigning in 2001.
29.
Don Nicholson made some appearances in a Pro Stock Truck in 1998 and 1999.
30.
Don Nicholson died from Alzheimer's disease on January 24,2006, in Southern California at age 78.
31.
Don Nicholson was survived by his daughter Cindy Christie, grandson Christopher Christie and granddaughter Candace Christie.
32.
Don Nicholson was ranked 18th on NHRA's Top 50 Drivers list in 2001.
33.
Don Nicholson was awarded the Funny Car Driver of the Year in 1967.
34.
Don Nicholson received the Car Craft All-star Drag Racing Team Ollie Award in 1977.
35.
Don Nicholson has been inducted in several halls of fame.
36.
Don Nicholson was inducted in the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1998.