| 1773
EDIT THIS!
|
Mike Ditty |
Gordie Bonin (M) from
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
(Comp Nr/Finish:
606 / 7) |
1977 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 6 |
| "Bubble Up Pacemaker" Owned by Ron Hodgson & Gordon Jenner
from
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
| Crew Chief: Jerry Verhuel |
| '77 Pontiac Firebird by
Al Swindahl |
Powered by Supercharged Nitro 484 Keith Black Hemi with
2 speed manual transmission |
| 1/4 Mile ET: |
6.100 at Bakersfield CA 3/77 |
1/4 Mile MPH: |
240.64 at NHRA Indianapolis IN 9/04/77 |
| 1000 FT ET: |
Unknown at Unknown |
1000 FT MPH: |
Unknown at Unknown |
| 1/8 Mile ET: |
Unknown at Unknown |
1/8 Mile MPH: |
Unknown at Unknown |
|
|
Entry's 1977 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
|
|
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 86.81,
MPH 86.92 |
Entry is 0.94136 times average ET and 1.09362 times average MPH |
|
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00,
MPH 00.00 |
Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH |
| 1/8 Mile Rating:
ET 00.00,
MPH 00.00 |
Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH |
|
| 1977 Records: |
1/4 Mile: 5.964 ET, 247.93 MPH |
1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
| 1977 Average: |
1/4 Mile: 6.480 ET, 220.04 MPH |
1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
| 1977 Minimum: |
1/4 Mile: 6.996 ET, 203.81 MPH |
1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
|
|
No Racer Website |
No video link |
Web Search
|
Web Image Search
|
Web Video Search
|
|
Notes: This was Bonin's best season since he started driving Funny Cars. It started at Pomona for the NHRA Winternationals, where he debuted his new Firebird. He qualified #12 with a 6.37, and in the first round, picked up to 6.18/239.36 to beat Dale Emery's close 6.19/229. He then beat Ron Colson in the "Hawaiian" before losing to Raymond Beadle's 6.41 in the "Blue Max" with a quicker, but later 6.40 in the semifinals. At the Bakersfield March Meet, he qualified with a 6.35. Bonin ran a best of 6.10 before losing to eventual winner Eddie Pauling's 6.03 in the semifinals. He dominated the next event, the NHRA Gatornationals, where he qualified #1 with a 6.26 at 238.72 (Top Speed). He beat Dodger Glenn in the first round, and then set Low ET in round two with a 6.19/236 over Gary Burgin. In the semifinals, he dispatched Beadle with a 6.64/236. In the final, he raced veteran Roger Lindamood. Bonin took his first NHRA national event victory. Gordie then stopped off at OCIR for an eight-car show where he set Low ET and Top Speed at 6.13/240.00 before beating Dale Pulde in the final with a 6.26/236.84. He then won the Portland Funny Car Opener. There, he set Low ET and Top Speed with a track record of 232.95. The next day he went to Seattle and won its Funny Car Opener. Once again, he had the top times at 6.37/230.00. Bonin beat Terry Capp in the final. On April 9, he was at Irwindale's 64-car race. While he failed to reach the finals, he did run a best of 6.34/235.60. He did reach the final at the NHRA Division 6 race at Firebird Raceway. There, his 6.58/227.76 times were good for both Low ET and Top Speed, but in the final, he fouled against Rob Bruins, who was driving the "Green Elephant." Gordie won the NHRA Division 6 race at Mission Raceway. He was runner-up at the third Division 6 race in Seattle. He set Low ET at 6.22 before running 6.57/219.51 in the final, only to lose to Mike Miller's 6.37/231. In June, he was at National Trail for the NHRA Springnationals. Bonin qualified #9 at 6.25/233.76, and in the first round, low qualifier Burgin fouled away a 6.15/234, while Bonin advanced with a 6.27/226.70. A second-round 6.29/230.76 advanced over Tom McEwen's troubled 10.12. In the semifinals, he smoked the tire to a 7.09/133.18 in a losing effort to Don Prudhomme, who was long gone with a 6.17/235. He was runner-up to John Lombardo at the OCIR Nitro Championships before winning Woodburn's fourth NHRA Division 6 race. He set Low ET and Top Speed at 6.29/229.59 while beating Mike Miller in the final. He did not compete at Englishtown for the NHRA Summernationals. On July 31, he was at Portland for a 32-car show, and while he failed to reach the final, he set Top Speed at 224.43. Up in Canada for the NHRA Grandnationals on August 7, Gordie qualified #5 in the eight-car field with a 6.36/229.59. Unfortunately, that set up a first-round meeting with low qualifier Prudhomme. Don ran 6.21/234 to beat Bonin's 6.29/227. A week later (August 13), he was at Firebird Raceway for the Night Fire 500 race. All ten cars there made two runs, with the two lowest ETs meeting in the final. Gordie didn't make the final, but he did win his two races. A 7.21/215.74 beat Beadle in his first race, while he shut off when Twig Zeigler fouled against him in his second race. The NHRA Division 6 final was held at Portland International on August 19, and Gordie set Low ET and Top Speed on a first-round single with a 6.20/236.22. He then beat Miller to reach the final only to have Beadle gate him off the line, and his 6.33/225.56 lost to Raymond's 6.34/227. Bonin was at Spokane for the AHRA World Finals on August 21. He qualified #1 with a 6.34/230.17, and in round one, his 6.30/230.76 solo advanced when Jim Liberman lost fire. Gordie had another solo in round two when Capp shut off, and Bonin advanced with a 6.38/219.50. He looked like he was on his way to another win as his times were the best in each of the first two rounds, but he failed to hear the call for his semifinal race against Beadle, and the "Blue Max" was able to make a solo run into the final. At Indy for the NHRA US Nationals, he qualified #3 with a 6.106/240. An off-pace 6.62/224.43 lost to Bob Pickett's 6.36/216 in the first round. Only fifteen cars showed up at Seattle for the NHRA Fallnationals, so qualifying wasn't a problem. Still, Bonin ran 6.28/234.98 (Top Speed) to qualify #5 for the show. A 6.42/222.77 advanced over Bob Papirnick in the first round, but in round two, his 6.40/230.76 lost to Tripp Shumake's 6.28/223. Irwindale held its last race ever on October 1, and Gordie was there. It was a sixteen-car field, and Bonin ran 6.69/223 in the first round, over Tom McEwen, and in round two, Prudhomme broke on the line, and Gordie advanced with an easy run. In the semifinals, he faced Lombardo, and Bonin had traction problems and shut off while John ran 6.28/193 to advance. At Ontario Motor Speedway for the NHRA World Finals, Gordie ran 6.19/239.36 to qualify #5. Bob Pickett broke against him in the opening round of eliminations, and his 6.19/232 advanced. A strong 6.16/239 beat low qualifier Burgin's 6.25 in round two, and in the semifinals, a 6.22/232 beat Tommy Ivo's troubled 11.68. The final came down to Bonin vs. The "Snake." Prudhomme had been running like a bracket racer, hitting 6.06 on all three runs in eliminations, not to mention his 6.05 in qualifying. So it looked like Bonin was done. But, both slowed to 6.3's in the final, and Bonin's 6.31/228.42 triggered the win light ahead of Don's 6.36/238. | Runner-up to Mike Miller at Seattle PDA. - Joe Moore |
|
Submitted by Mike Ditty, Last updated on Sunday, June 14, 2026, 10:24:53 PM by
Ron Howard.
Approved by Super Crew. |
|
Rankings updated: 06/19/26 03:05:05 am EDT
