Dyno Don Nicholson Drag Racing Legend, Chevrolet, Mercury, Ford

This video covers (in very broad strokes) the life, cars and career of drag racing legend "Dyno" Don Nicholson.

Originally a circle-track roadster campaigner in the late 1940s and then a participant in dry-lakes racing in El Mirage, Calif., and Bonneville, Utah, Nicholson went on to become a pioneer in Stock, Factory Experimental, Funny Car, and Pro Stock competition.

Because his career spanned the 1960s and 1970s when there were relatively few NHRA national events on the calendar, the bulk of his wins came in match race competitions, where he usually won more than 90 percent of his races.

Many drag racing historians agree that if Nicholson had been able to race in the 1980s and 1990s, he would have compiled an NHRA record similar to that of Funny Car racer John Force (97 career wins) and Pro Stock racers Warren Johnson (86) and Bob Glidden (85).

Still, Nicholson holds the record for final-round appearances in the most NHRA eliminator categories, scoring either wins or runner-up efforts in Funny Car, Pro Stock, Super, Comp, Stock, and Street.

He was the first Ford campaigner to win a national event in Pro Stock, at the 1971 Summernationals, and he earned the NHRA Winston Pro Stock championship title in 1977 at the age of 50.

He earned his “Dyno” nickname as one of the first to utilize the benefits of a chassis dyno, which he operated at a Chevrolet dealership in Pasadena, Calif., in the late 1950s. By the time that NHRA announced to hold its first Winternationals at Pomona Raceway in 1961, he was ready to put his well-honed skills to use.

Mercury’s racing manager, Al Turner, had the foresight to envision where the whole Funny Car phenomenon was headed, and he accordingly commissioned the Logghe Bros., of Detroit, to build tube-chassis Comets with one-piece flip-top bodies for the 1966 season.

This gave Nicholson such a performance advantage that the only driver who had the potential to defeat him was his protégé and Comet teammate, Eddie Schartman. Today’s Funny Cars still use the same flip-top format that was established by Nicholson’s Eliminator I Comet.

Nicholson was virtually undefeated in 1966 and recorded the first Funny Car seven-second clocking at Martin, Mich., late that summer.

He enjoyed another banner season in 1967 with his Eliminator II, but when Funny Cars switched to supercharged engines late that year, Nicholson became concerned with the danger of blower explosions and engine fires. After completing the 1968 season with his 7.3-second Eliminator Cougar, Nicholson teamed with Sox & Martin, Bill Jenkins, and Dick Landy to form a match race circuit with carbureted, four-speed-equipped heads-up Super Stock cars, a throwback to the original A/FX vehicles of the mid-1960s.

Nicholson continued to campaign with his Ford entries through the 1980 season. He made a comeback effort in 1984 with an Oldsmobile before retiring from Pro Stock at age 57.

In 1988, however, he returned to drag racing with a nostalgia version of his 7.5-second, 152-mph Chevy Bel Air, and he made a brief attempt in Pro Stock Truck competition in 1998 and 1999.

Nicholson earned the Car Craft All-star Drag Racing Team Ollie Award in 1977 and was Funny Car Driver of the Year in 1967.

He has been inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in Ocala, Fla., and the Motorsports Hall of Fame in Novi, Mich. Nicholson was most recently honored as the grand marshal of the California Hot Rod Reunion in 1997, and he is spending this season running his exhibition car in the Super Chevy racing series.

[chadkent]

There aren't any racers left like Dyno D! He was feared as a competitor and rightfully so! Rest in power GOAT 🐐

[jimmyhawkins]

I used to get hot rod magazine when I was in Vietnam in 65-69. I always looked forward to reading about Dyno Don Nicholson. He was a top dog.

[nattytafari]

Dyno DON GOT ME INTO PRO STOCK, I LOVE THAT MAN❤

[here_for_the]

Thankyou for this great video bringing back a few memories & facts!
Your Great Uncle was always a pleasure to be around, for myself and anyone that knew him in the slightest.
Don was the 1 lifetime career drag racer - period.... that I never, ever, heard anyone say anything about, that was positive or upbeat. Loved by all.
May be the only lifelong racer I know of, that I've never heard a disparaging, or controversial word, ever spoken of.
My entire career is directly tied to drag racing, & more specifically door cars & Pro Stock.
So I can speak to his integrity at least a lil. I am sure someone out there said something unflattering of him.
I could say many more things about how wonderful a person he was, & yet I have not even addressed his phenomenal skills as a racer, driver, competitor, & ambassador to the sport.

Seeing Don & Earl Wade together at Indy in '98, bk racing together in ProStock Truck, was a real joy that wkend. 1 of the last races I myself got to spend a lil time with him, as I was a crew chief on another PS Trk at that event.
He may be emulated, but could never be duplicated.
You honoring his legacy, is certainly something I enjoyed coming across. Makes me wanna dig out old pictures I have of him/his cars, just to reliv those moments of a long ago.

I suspect your collection of photos is quite good. I am looking forward to watching the other videos, & the 1 w/Jon talkin about there history together. I recall the day I heard he had passed, & that day was certainly a sad one, for genuine drag racing enthusiasts of many generations. Thank you!
👍
I just remembered the most terrible thing I ever heard said of your G/U.
It was that he had those thick 👓 eye glasses. 😅
That's the equivalent of the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me 😅.
He was a wonderful human being.

[abcullens]

I met your great uncle two times, both times were at the Winter Nationals, 1970 and 1971, a gentleman and an inspiration to me. I was so inspired by his 1964 Mercury comet race car, that in 1970 I bought a 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente and drag raced it for 6 years, NHRA, bracket and Street.
In 1980 I took a 1970 Ford Maverick Grabber and shoehorned a 351 Cleveland into it as an homage to Dyno Don's Maverick pro stock. I never took it to the track, but I did street race it, it was my daily driver for 5 years.
Dyno Don was one of my racing heroes.
Thanks for the video, brought back fond memories, oh by the way I am a retired 72 year old race car owner, builder and driver. 😎

[kenreilly]

Dyno Don and Bob Glidden are the two best Pro Stock drivers that ever graced the sport.

[glengabruch]

Super cool video!!! Dyno Don was a phenomenal racing legend. I run a Superstock inspired 1968 Barracuda fastback powered by a 512 stroker, backed by an A833 4 speed manual. 👍

[mikesaccone]

Dyno Don was and still is my favorite all time drag racer. I saw him race as a kid at N.Y. National speedway in the 60's and 70's until that track closed. One of the all time greats in all aspects. Thanks for the great video.

[hdvictoryford]

Met Dyno at a car show in Macungie PA. He was as friendly as you can imagine, always had a smile on his face. I believe he had the 64 Comet there. And when he started up the car, a couple hundred people came running over. It was the highlight of the show.

[solidfuze]

I didn’t know much about your grandpa, but I didn’t know who he was as far as a drag racer a little bit but this was a great video. This is really really in-depth. Well thought out I completely enjoyed it. Thank you.

[kingfish]

Long time Dyno fan!! Thanks for this great video!

[morrischavis]

Remember Don racing a Detroit dragway in 1960s...thengot to talk to him around 1990s at Rockingham at super chevy show...really nice man.

[jdcustomz]

Man. The guys I learned from always mention they learned from Dyno Don. Thank you for your investment in others Don family.

[DR-jofg]

Don, s brother was our wood shop teacher at San Gabriel high school

[MikeM]

In the late '80's I bracket raced a yellow Pinto with a 302 motor in it. For my Birthday one year my crew gave me a yellow "Dyno-Mike" custom license plate which still hangs on my wall. Don and Glidden my top two hero's in drag racing.

[highadventur]

Greeeat History thank you for sharing!!!💥🏁

[andyharman]

I saw Dyno Don win the 1977 Springnationals, defeating Frank Iaconio. I hated it because I was a diehard Chevy guy back then, and only 15 years old. I've come to appreciate having seen Dyno Don win during his championship year.

[radioguy]

Great Video, deserves a few million more views. the 64 Comets were my favorite, although all were great. course my six cylinder version not quite as quick. but on the 1 2 column shift definitely imagined a bit of lift off, LO.

[stevenertle]

I love it great video. I'm a big dino don fan.. Is i'm a ford guy.. So will I see a ford out there kicking some butt.. I love it.. Because it makes everybody else upset. Especially the Chevy guys love it. God rest your soul, my friend.

[terraboundmisfit]

This will not mean diddly squat to most, but 1976, I was 16 years old, and I had saved up enough $ to make a down payment on a new car. I purchased a new Mustang II for $3100, 302 4spd, coupe, no a/c. The biggest reason I wanted it, was seeing DD at Bandimere beating up on everyone.