Ormsby Sets Drag Records in Qualifying

Defending Winston champion Gary Ormsby recorded the quickest and fastest times in drag racing history Saturday at Heartland Park in final qualifications for the $1,025,050 NHRA Heartland Nationals at Topeka, Kan.

Ormsby set a quarter-mile record of 4.881 seconds and had the fastest speed ever, 296.05 m.p.h, in the Top Fuel division.

Ormsby’s record run bettered the elapsed-time record held of 4.909 seconds set by Darrell Gwynn last March in Baytown, Tex., and beat Ormsby’s own top speed mark of 294.88 m.p.h. established last October at Ennis, Tex.

In the funny-car category, Ed McCulloch of Hemet wheeled his Oldsmobile to a track record of 5.211 seconds at 271.49 m.p.h.