The two men sit, one hand on the butterfly steering wheel, the other on the brake handle. To their left are tens of thousands of fans. Immediately in front of them, a nitro-burning, snarling Chrysler Hemi engine, and beyond that, a flagman. The date is February 17, 1963. The two men had come all the way to Pomona, California, to compete at the NHRA Winternationals seeking the same prize, the first trophy carrying the name of Top Fuel Eliminator. Not only that, but they had also come from the same hometown, Tampa, Florida. Their names are Art Malone and Don Garlits. Friends who morphed into rivals, both vying to etch their name into what would become a landmark moment in drag racing history.
Just over 62 years later in Concord,…
