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From his runner-up appearance at the 1972 Nationals until his last national event victory in 1994 in Columbus, Gordie Bonin was one of drag racing's more successful Funny Car drivers, compiling a 9-3 record in final-round appearances at major races. For a spell in the 1970s, he consistently recorded the fastest Funny Car clockings, earning him the nickname "240 Gordie."
Bonin grew up in Red Deer, Wash., and often attended drag races in Edmonton and Calgary, Alta. His first street car was a '56 Chevy, which was replaced in 1967 by a '67 Pontiac with a 327-cid Chevy, then a '68 Chevelle Super Sport that ran 13-flat right out of the box. In 1969, Bonin campaigned an AMC Hurst/Scrambler, a factory-backed entry that ran out of the Rambler Saskatoon Ltd. dealership in Canada.
After moving back to Red Deer in 1970, Bonin began racing in Jr. Fuel.
Said Bonin, "I hooked up with Ted Sinclair, whose C/MP '55 Chevy I had driven before. He had a Jr. Fuel dragster with a small-block Chevy on 100 percent nitro and a two-speed transmission. It ran in the low sevens at 190 mph."
In 1972, Bonin was chosen to drive Ron Hodgson's Pacemaker-backed Vega Funny Car.
Said Bonin, "I got my license at Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach, Calif., and I went 205 mph on my third run."
At the 1972 U.S. Nationals, Bonin qualified third with a 6.52 and reached the final, where he lost to Ed McCulloch.
"That race was a big encouragement for me," said Bonin, "and it prompted me to become a full-time professional racer by driving Roland Leong's Revell-sponsored Hawaiian in 1973."
Bonin later regrouped with Hodgson, and in 1975, they obtained the tuning services of Jerry Verheul.
Said Bonin, "He had worked with Jerry Ruth and had helped Frank Hall win the 1973 championship with his Green Elephant car. We also got the Bubble-Up sponsorship in 1975, and that helped out a lot."
Bonin...