1955 Winner - Bustle Bomb, also the first piston engined dragster to break 150 MPH in the quarter mile, did it again at the 1955 NHRA Nationals.
1956 Winner - Don Scheicher
1957 Winner - First year at Cordova - Serop Postoian, Don Garlits runner up.
1958 Winner - Serop Postoian was the repeat winner. This photo shoot took place sometime during the event.
1959 Winner - Leffler-Loukas.
1960 Winner - The Speed-Sport II roadster.
The original Speed-Sport is now restored and in the NHRA museum.
1961 Winner - Chris Karamesines.
The "Golden" Greek and the winning ChiZler are still with us.
1962 Winner - Pete Robinson, also 1961 US Nationals winner.
1963 - The "Golden" Greek did it again.
Ron Johnson recreated the winning 1963 ChiZler It can now be found at most major "Cacklefests".
1964 Winner - The California team of Croshier-Baltes-Lavato.
Jerry Baltes recreated the 64 winner in 2005. History and Recreation
1965 Winner - Charlie Proite with the former ChiZler. Falling a week prior to the US Nationals, the World Series attracted all the heavy hitters.
1966 Winner - Don Prudomme
1954 Winner - The Arfons Brothers Green Monster. 1954 - 56 World Series race was held at Lawrenceville, Illinois.
For 1964, this was a pretty unique hauler.
1967 Winner - Charlie Proite - Runner UP - Powers and Riley ( see story below )
1968 Winner - Mel Hoyhs "Swamp Fox" History and Restoration
The Swamp Fox restored, the advent of Hot Rod Reunions and "Cacklefests" has brought the past to the present.
1970 Winner - The Tennessee BO-WEEVIL
1968 Winner - Jim Nicoll - Run on a 1,000 ft. track.
Not sure if Top Fuel was contested after 1970.
Ray Wirges
V
World Series History
1959 by Dennis Friend
My first drag race, was 12 yrs. old. The things I remember most are the DCB 32 Ford coupe, the Hall Chevrolet 55 Chevy, and the Speed Sport Roadster. The winner was the Leffler - Loukas
team on a single - Speed Sport was the runner up when after three attempts to get to the line,
each time the car fired but sounded terrible ( like maybe crossed plug wires ) the order for a single
was given. Have to give the Leffler - Loukas team for giving the team from Arizona a lot of time to
get the car to run.
1967 by Bret Kepner
Very weird deal about the runner - up in '67. Cliff Zink lost fire behind the starting line so Fred Welchmann in Charlie Proites Telstar singled. However, Bartel only paid if the car left the line
under power. After a bit of arguing, Bartel allowed Zink and Powers, ( who lost in the semis )
to come back about a half-hour after the final to run for runner - up money "winner take all".
Powers won. Therefore, Zink was technically the runner - up but Powers got paid for it.
Thank You Bret
Illinois Legends Home
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Cars remembered from my first World Series.
Don't have a photo, thanks to Ron
Pelegrini for this article.
