Dyno Don Nicholson Passes

[JIMS409]

Gang, I just learned this .......

01-24-2006) - A legendary figure in drag racing passed away this morning. "Dyno Don” Nicholson was an engine builder and driver whose talent and skills have seldom been surpassed.

He began his career on the circle tracks and dry lake beds in the 1940's before moving on to quarter-mile competition. A pioneer in what have now become some of the most popular classes in the sport, including Funny Car and Pro Stock, Nicholson was a major player throughout the 1960's and ‘70's.

Nicholson still holds the record for final-round appearances in the most NHRA eliminator categories, scoring wins or runner-up finishes in Funny Car, Pro Stock, Super, Comp, Stock, and Street.

R.I.P. Don, You will be missed... For full story...

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?series=nhra&id=2304811

[No409]

Don will certinally be missed. he is one of my heros of the 60`s super stock racing.

[Ronnie Russell]

Dyno Don is the only man I have ever asked for an autograph. It is a sad day because he is gone.

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Here on the Canadian prairies, we only read about people like Don Nicholson. Nevertheless, his accomplishments are well known. It would have been a privilage to meet him... to get his autograph !
Rest in peace, Mr Nicholson:bow

Aubrey

[jim_ss409]

Here's a couple of lines from a website...
During the era of manually shifted four-speed transmissions, Nicholson had no equal because in addition to driving, he also turned his own wrenches. Ronnie Sox might have been his equal with the four-speed, but Sox never worked on his cars. Bill Jenkins was a more innovative engine builder, but he preferred to let other individuals such as Dave Strickler and Larry Lombardo do the driving whenever possible.

One of Nicholson's advantages was that he already had raced for many years in other forms of motorsports by the time that sanctioned dragstrips began to open up at various locations throughout Southern California.

He earned his "Dyno" nickname as one of the first to utilize the benefits of a chassis dyno, which he operated at a Chevrolet dealership in Pasadena, Calif., in the late 1950s. By the time that NHRA announced to hold its first Winternationals at Pomona Raceway in 1961, he was ready to put his well-honed skills to use.

Nicholson not only won the Stock title at the '61 Winternationals, but he also successfully defended his title in 1962 to become a household name in drag racing circles throughout the country.
Match race promoters in the Southeast offered him so many lucrative bookings that he soon relocated to Atlanta to compete against the likes of Strickler, Sox & Martin, the Ramchargers, Dick Landy, Arnie Beswick, Dick Brannan, Phil Bonner, and Gas Ronda. During the mid-1960s, these rising stars popularized the pre-race rosin burnout rituals, and their contingent of fans grew from hundreds to thousands.

When Chevrolet dropped their factory backing in 1963, Nicholson jumped to an A/Factory Experimental Mercury Comet in 1964 and enjoyed a match race winning percentage in excess of 90 percent that year.

There was a method to Nicholson's unorthodox approaches. Though he had a few weeks to prepare his 409-engine prior to the '61 Winternationals, he did not take delivery of his Chevy Bel Air until the day before the race.

Fearing that the new suspension would be too stiff to provide proper weight transfer to the rear tires, he had one of his crew members drive the car roughly 500 miles that night to loosen up the front shocks and coil springs.

A site with a few pictures... http://www.evolvecars.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album26&page=1

[Garbageman]

I'm sorry to hear of Don's passing. He was a great racer, tuner, and all round car guy. The world will miss him.

Here's to "Dyno Don":cheers

Paul

[4onthefloor]

Another legend gone...very sad.

[dq409]

You guys said it all, RIP Don,:beerbang

[bjburnout]

Dyno Don was a living legend on any dragstrip he competed on......:bow

I read about him when I was a kid and saw him race at many different strips
during the 60's and 70's.
I was lucky enough to meet him and talk to him at Super Chevy in Indy in the
early 90's........:cool:

He was a hero in my books, I will never forget the great memories of
Dyno Don Nicholson................:clap

bj

[munger345]

You'r right, he will be missed. He was a very friendly man as well as a great driver. Very easy to talk to. I talked to him on the phone a few times. I bought a dist. advance kit from him, and quite a few AFB jets and metering rods. Also got some good tuneing info. from him. That was when he was doing the dyno. tuning thing in Calif. The man knew his stuff, and wasn't above helping anoughther 409 guy out.

Eldon

[Steve "wully bully"]

We had the pleasure of meeting 'Dyno' on several occasions. He was always a polite and genuine person, never seeming to allow his status affect his personality. The first time was when he was match racing his '62 with Super Chevy. We talked to him, and Earl Wade, at great length that day. He had a lot of stories, and was very open. Carl asked him that day, why didn't he have a 409 in the Bel-Air, he told us that he originally did, then one day he showed up for a match race against Arnie Beswick, who had installed a 'Pro-Stock' big block in the Tempest, and from there they all ditched the 'nostalgic motors', to make the cars go faster to put on a show. He stated he would rather have had the 09 in the car, he always liked them, and thought it was more nostalgic. We later met up with him during several nostalgia races held at Beaver Springs Dragway. Dink Bishop of 422 Motorsports knew him quite well, and also knows 'Grumpy' Jenkins, and arranged to have them present for the nostalgia races. He had remembered us from several years earlier, and again was most accomadating. In the later years, his health had started to deteriorate, and you could tell he wasn't the same. We enjoyed one particular occasion, while we were racing at another event at BSD, our rig was parked behing the 422 motorsports rig. Dyno came walking back from the track, past our rig, towards the 422 one. As he was passing by, he stopped, looked at our cooler of soda, and helped himself. At first we thought he was confused, but then realized he knew exactly where he was, apparently he prefered our Mountain Dew to the drinks they had over at the 422 trailer. He will be missed!! God Bless!!
Steven

[tripowerguy]

I had the privilage of knowing Don from 1958 until 1962 and there was not a better more honest person I ever delt with. He told me in 1959 to start looking for a sponser and go pro. I thought that was foolish this was an sport for fun and no one would pay you to have fun. Don could row a 4 speed better than anyone I ever witnessed. I raced him many times in 1958 and 1959, I only beat him once, at a Super Stock only race at Lions in Long Beach CA. Hearing of Don's passing makes me feel my mortality, he will be missed.:cry Roy

[gearhead409]

he always had time to talk with me, never had his nose in the air, i sure appreciated that and will always remember the things he told me. i will miss him, he was one of the best. there is a large picture of him and me hanging in my shop and it will hang there as long as i'am still kicking. LOVE YA DON!

[jim_ss409]

I came across this post on another site...

Sorry to hear the passing of Dyno Don. I remember seeing him race back in 1962 in a white 62 Chevy 409 with a thin line top. The place was Roanoke, Virginia and if my memory serves me correctly it was the month of August because Marilyn Monroe passed away at about the same time period. I was only 14 and the hot cars were the local 406 Fords and 409 Chevy's and 413 Dodges. I remember the car being trailered into the pit area and the big crowd standing on the stands when he made a test run. That 409 motor sounded sweet and different from the local stuff. He made a test run and it was in the 11's right off the trailer. The locals went "ape" and Dyno Don took the money later when the flag came down. "Happy Days" those early 60's.

[Tic's60]

Flags should be half staff in their memory across the nation for all they have done and given to our sport.

[425/409ER]

I am saddened to learn about Dyno Don's passing and I think my 409 shead a tear today. So to you Don I tip my hat and I wish you all the luck on running the Big dyno in the sky. You will be missed.

[wrench]

Saddened by the loss of Don, Gene.....they'll be missed by all.