Generally, even when a NHRA National Event had no
top fuel bike eliminator, a top-notch pair of bike racers
were on hand for a few exhibition runs. Here in the early
1970's, at a NHRA Winternationals event, Joe Smith (near lane)
took on Boris Murray (far lane) to the delight of the SRO crowd.

The NHRA US Nationals had the wildest and greatest group
of fuel bike racers before it was phased out in the early 1980's.
Toward the end of the class the US Nationals was the only
major event with a top fuel bike eliminator. Unfortunately,
Ernie Rife was killed in 1979 and Elmer Trett in 1996.
With two fatalities in the class over a short period, the
class' fate was sealed and NHRA eliminated it.

When Southern California's Russ Collins wasn't driving
Bill Miller's top fuel dragster he would "relax" on one of
his wild Honda powered top fuel bikes. Collins was a
long time drag bike racer who preferred the Honda 4 engine.
He raced a dual engine, then three engines, and finally,
a radical rear engine Honda powered fuel bike.
In 1980 at the NHRA World Finals, Collins was runner up to
Kawasaki star Bo O'Brochta for top fuel bike honors.

In 1978, I ventured to Santa Pod in the United Kingdom
and was able to see some very impressive top fuel bikes.
One of these was piloted by Henk Vink and his team
Big Spender Kawasaki. Vink was quite the showman with
smokey burnouts and swagger making him a fan favorite.
In 1983, Vink rode his custom built rocket bike at
Blackbushe, United Kingdom. The bike was built by American
Sam Miller and still exists today. The always colorful Henk
celebrated his fiftieth birthday with a huge party in 1988
and then dropped dead after the party.

In England, I also was able to see John Hobbs
and his Hobbit top fuel bike. His bike was powered
by two 850cc Westlake engines with dual Shorrock blowers.
I caught Hobbs on film in 1978 before he retired in 1979.
Too bad he retired because he put on quite the show with his Hobbit.

In the early 1980's the bad to the bone bike in top fuel
was the Terminal Van Lines Kawaski ridden by Bo O'Brachta.
This bike was impressive, very impressive.
In fact, it impressed Popular Hot Rodding editor Tom Senter
so much he had me photograph it for the cover.
I believe it was the only drag bike ever to grace the
cover of Popular Hot Rodding. In 1980, O'Brachta rode to victory
at the NHRA US Nationals beating Larry "Spiderman" McBride
in the final. O'Brachta ended that year with a win at the World Finals
over Russ Collins. Bo passed away a few years ago but the bike
resides at Don Garlits' Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Florida.

In 1981, Terry Vance sat astride his Suzuki top fuel bike.
It looked like a bit of a handful as it was pushed towards
the center line at speed. Vance was the first, six second,
top fuel bike. He won 27 NHRA national events
in top fuel bike and pro stock bike.

I came across this bike at Union Grove, Wisconsin,
during the 1980's. Well, it was his first and last run when
the chopper style front end came apart at the finish-line.
He didn't die but got banged up pretty good. Track officials
told me his wife drove their push truck down to the scene of
the crash and then stood over him as track workers tried to get
the bike off his leg shouting, "I told you so, I told you so"
at the top of her lungs.