Billy Kleinspehn  Images Courtesy NHRA

Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to the 2025 Countdown to the Championship! It’s hard to believe it’s time for the final six races of the year to decide the 2025 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Championships and the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series National Championships.

But next weekend it’s all about the big 40 as we celebrate 40 years of the Reading NHRA Nationals sponsored by Nitro Fish Ultimate Apparel. Since 1985 Maple Grove Raceway has been the host of many historic moments and firsts in NHRA History.

In this first of five part series we will be taking a look at my picks for the 5 greatest Maple Grove National Events in NHRA History and what better way then to start with 1989. 

In 1989 the Reading NHRA Nationals sponsored by Nitro Fish Ultimate Apparel then known as the Castrol GTX Keystone Nationals stole the show for the entire 1989 NHRA Season with a whole season of highlights in just one single event.

To show you how speical it was in 2001 as part of the NHRAs 50th Anniversary Season the event along with the 1992 Keystones was named on of the NHRA Greatest Races. 


In Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden was looking for history by winning his magical 75th NHRA National Event win in the class. However carburetor issues and a complete rainout of pro qualifying on Saturday many thought history would not happen at the grove. 

Thought Glidden would fine the right setup and would run consistently in the 7.30s made it to the final round to meet up with Bruce Larson. As both Allen and Glidden pulled up to stage the feeling of intensity was in the air as the possibility of history on the line. When the tree hit green Glidden pulled a starting line holeshot of seven thousands of a second and Allen could not make up the difference. Glidden crossed the line with an eight thousands of a second margin to win his historic 75th career National Event. 

Winston the then series sponsor presented a special diamond plaque with 75 diamonds on it to Bob at the top end of the track.

In Funny Car Don The Snake Prudhomme who announced his plans to move back to Top Fuel in 1990 was coming into the weekend as the crowd favorite. 

Having run the quickest Funny Car pass at the time at the US Nationals at 5.17 and going on to win both the Big Bud Shootout and the Labor Day US Nationals many thought he could win his second consecutive Funny Car National Event. 

During eliminations Snake would back the National Et record not at 5.17 but 5.24 in second round of Funny Car. The Snakes name did not last long in the record book as 1984 Funny Car Champion Mark Oswald in the famed Candies and Hughes machine came back to lower the Et Record at 5.21 and on the same run set a new Nationals Speed record at 283mph. The major highlight of second round Funny Car action was the race that all but decided the 89 season champion between Hometown Hero Bruce Larson and 4 time and defending NHRA Funny Car Champion Kenny Bernstein. 


The way that Larson had been racking up points all season Bernstein knew it was his last shot at Larson and Bernstein would go up in smoke just after 330 feet. Larson would go on to the final round to meet up against John Force who had gone winless so far in the season would pick up his first win of the year defeating Larson in the final. Larson would eventually go on to clinch the championship that season. 

As legendary Diamond P Sports Announcer Steve Evans said when calling the Top Fuel Action of the event “Now certainly the action was spectacular in Funny Car certainly great in Pro Stock but Top Fuel stole the show.” 

Indeed the first two Top Fuels down the track in qualifying gave a hint of what was to come when Shirley Muldowney ran the first 4 second Top Fuel pass at Maple Grove and also joined the 4 second club with that run a 4.97 against the soon to be 1989 Top Fuel Champion Gary Ormsby. 

The run also grabbed Shirley the Number 1 qualifying spot. 

The second round of Top Fuel Eliminations at the event will go down as one of the greatest single rounds of racing in NHRA History. 

Dick LaHaie would take away the record from Shirley in his win over Lori Johns with another 4.97. 

Then the lady herself Shirley Muldowney and defending Top Fuel Winston Champion and Hometown Hero Joe Amato came to the line. 

In a great side by side race the scoreboards lit up along with a huge roar from the crowd Shirley ran 4.97 to Joes 4.96 the quickest side by side in history as well as the first ever side by side 4 second Top Fuel pass. 

The very next saw Gary Ormsby and Frank Bradley met up with Ormsby setting a new Top Speed record of 291mph as Bradley went up in smoke. 

When the final pair in second round Darrell Gwynn and Jim Head came to the line the huge crowd wondered what more history could happen this round? 

It did didn’t take long as Darrell would run another 4.96 pass to take the win. 

It marked the first time in NHRA history all four drivers in a single round ran under 5 seconds. 

The beat went on into the semi finals Gwynn’s 4.96 was could enough for a National record he could reclaim the record he set at Indy 2 weeks prior 4.98 and he did it with a quicker 4.95 and the win over Dick Lahaie. 

Gwynn who won his first US Nationals two weeks prior came into Maple Grove with a goal to run his house number which was a 496 which he accomplished in the second round of eliminations. 


When the Top Fuel final between the Kid Darrell Gwynn and Hometown Hero and defending Top Fuel Champion Joe Amato came to the line Joe in front of his hometown crowd was trying desperately to revenge a final round loss at the first Keystones in 1985 came up short again as Darrell Gwynn scored his second straight Top Fuel National Event win.

The action wasn’t just limited to the Pros as the Sportsman action was just as exciting.

In Top Alcohol Dragster Mike Kosky defeated Bill Barney in the first ever side by side 5 second TAD pass 5.96 to a 5.99.

There was more history in the Top Alcohol Funny Car final with Pat Austin defeated the first ever driver into the 5s in TAFC Bob Newberry in the first ever side by side 5 second pass in TAFC history 5.95 to a 5.97.

In Competition Eliminator future D1 hall of famer Bob Kaiser would outlast 32 cars and incredible 66 tried to make the 32 car field to pick up the win over Harold Stout.

In the stock categories theme was Brothers rule as Super Stock winner Gary Ewing driving his brothers 69 Camaro to the win over Stephen Negrini. In Stock Eliminator it was all brother final with Dave LeBrun getting the win over Bob LeBrun. 

Rounding out the sportsman categories was the Super Gas class with Ed DeStaute getting the win over Alain Tanguay. 

We hoped you enjoyed this look back at the 1989 Keystone Nationals and be sure to check back for our other picks for the Greatest Maple Grove National Events.