Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The 1986 NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway delivered one of the most unforgettable weekends of the decade — a race remembered as much for triumph as for terror.
This was the sixth NHRA national event held at the famed Georgia facility, and it marked the first NHRA Top Fuel victory for former NFL quarterback turned drag racer Dan Pastorini. With just 11 months of experience behind the wheel, Pastorini outdrove a stacked field that included Don Garlits, Dick LaHaie, Bill Mullins and Gene Snow, mastering treacherous, rain-affected track conditions to seal the win.
But the weekend is also forever tied to one of the most violent moments in Pro Stock history — the terrifying semifinal crash involving Bob Glidden, a reminder of how unforgiving the era could be when things went wrong at speed.
This rare footage captures the raw reality of mid-1980s NHRA competition: low-traction Sundays, Monday run-offs, fearless driving, and championship momentum swinging in real time. Pastorini would leave Atlanta second in Winston Drag Racing Series points, trailing only Garlits as the season’s storylines began to take shape.
This is classic NHRA drag racing — unfiltered, unforgiving, and unforgettable.
👉 Subscribe for more rare NHRA history, full-length vintage race coverage, and drag racing stories you won’t find anywhere else.
#NHRA #SouthernNationals #AtlantaDragway #DanPastorini #BobGlidden #TopFuel #ProStock #NHRAHistory #VintageDragRacing #1986DragRacing #NitroRacing #ClassicNHRA #DragRacingLegends #PEAKSquad
The 1986 NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway delivered one of the most unforgettable weekends of the decade — a race remembered as much for triumph as for terror.
This was the sixth NHRA national event held at the famed Georgia facility, and it marked the first NHRA Top Fuel victory for former NFL quarterback turned drag racer Dan Pastorini. With just 11 months of experience behind the wheel, Pastorini outdrove a stacked field that included Don Garlits, Dick LaHaie, Bill Mullins and Gene Snow, mastering treacherous, rain-affected track conditions to seal the win.
But the weekend is also forever tied to one of the most violent moments in Pro Stock history — the terrifying semifinal crash involving Bob Glidden, a reminder of how unforgiving the era could be when things went wrong at speed.
This rare footage captures the raw reality of mid-1980s NHRA competition: low-traction Sundays, Monday run-offs, fearless driving, and championship momentum swinging in real time. Pastorini would leave Atlanta second in Winston Drag Racing Series points, trailing only Garlits as the season’s storylines began to take shape.
This is classic NHRA drag racing — unfiltered, unforgiving, and unforgettable.
👉 Subscribe for more rare NHRA history, full-length vintage race coverage, and drag racing stories you won’t find anywhere else.
#NHRA #SouthernNationals #AtlantaDragway #DanPastorini #BobGlidden #TopFuel #ProStock #NHRAHistory #VintageDragRacing #1986DragRacing #NitroRacing #ClassicNHRA #DragRacingLegends #PEAKSquad
