Saturday, April 23, 1966

Race Report

BILOXI DRAGWAY, BILOXI, MISS. -- The featured attraction tonight was a 3 out of 5 match between Hell Fire, John Donilson and The Drag-On-Lady, Shirley Shahan. Shahan arrived early and immediately were besieged with picture takers. This is one of the nicest couples you'll ever meet in drag racing. And their well-know husband and wife team (they do wheelstands) who have the well deserved reputation of being about the friendliest and accommodating people you'll meet, are joined by H.L. and Shirley Shahan as one of the touring good guys of drag racing.

There was a good crowd of racers on hand even though the sky was threatening all day. Nick Revon in S/SA Dodge from New Orleans called "Thunder took his class with runs in the 10:80's, pulling the best E.T.'s ever on the car.

In the first round of match race, excitement was running high. John Donilson and Shirley Shahan pulled to the line, Donilson getting pore traction than he could used in the burn-in procedure, Shirley getting little wheelies on each pass. Both cars staged very carefully and they were off, Shirley getting slight edge as the Fairlane bogged, and went on to with with a 10:41 at 129:87. The crowd went wild. Round one for the Drag-On-Lady.

Two national record holders were on hand tonight. S.T. Cooper from Long Beach, Miss., in his Injected '57 Chevy, and Leon Gregg from Metairie, La. Leon's car is powered by a 100 cu.in. Porsche Spyder engine in a '56 V.W. Chassis with a 1965 Aztec fiberglass body. --- a record in D/MSP at recent Phoenix City record runs of 14:44 ---

ROUND TWO -- MATCH RACE -- found Shirley Shahan making two straight when Donilson red-lighted giving Shirley a win with an --- 11:72 - 95:47 mph.

ROUND THREE -- MATCH RACE -- This was probably the most interesting round of the match race. Both cars made several passes thru the rosin. It should be pointed out here that Donilson was running with carbs on his wedge Ford, and Shirley was running injectors on her Hemi-Plymouth. This was do or die for the Ford. Both cars staged and at the green, Donilson was off like a builet carrying the wheels through low gear and pulling them again on every gear shift. Shirley tried to play catch-up, but couldn't quite make it, and Donilson turned in a fabulous 10:35 e.t. on carburators.

In top Dog Elim. the A/S beat the C/C and the little D/MSP beat the S/SA. On final run, the A/S had to give the little 100 in Porsche a --9 second handicap. At the green, Elisha Boyd went through the 4-speed flawlessly to catch the sports car right at the lights for the win.

THE FOURTH ROUND of the match race proved to be the final round when John Donilson again tried to cut the green too close and red lighted to give the automatic win to the Drag-On-Lady.

Weather Data

Keesler AFB

TIME	TEMP	DEW P	HUMID	PRESS	VISIB	WIND DIR	WIND SPE
5:00 PM	73.9 °F	64.9 °F	73%	0.00 in	8.0 mi	SE	16.1 mph
6:00 PM	73.0 °F	64.9 °F	76%	30.26 in	7.0 mi	ESE	12.7 mph
7:00 PM	73.0 °F	64.9 °F	76%	0.00 in	8.0 mi	SE	9.2 mph
8:00 PM	72.0 °F	64.9 °F	78%	0.00 in	8.0 mi	ESE	13.8 mph
9:00 PM	72.0 °F	64.9 °F	78%	30.24 in	8.0 mi	SE	11.5 mph

THREE DAY CONDITIONS

DATE	CONDITIONS
04/22/1966	Fog, Drizzle
RACE DAY	Drizzle
04/24/1966	Unknown

Results

Eliminator Winners

Elim.	Class	Name	Hometown	Vehicle	E/T
Top Dog Elim.	A/S	Elisha Boyd	Hattiesburg, MS	1962 Chevy	13.82
No. 1 Elim.	D/MSP	L. Greff	Metairie, LA	Porcshe Aztec	14.27
No. 2 Elim.	C/MP	H. Goff	Kreole, MS	'56 Chevy	13.46
Gas Elim.	C/G	Henwood & Kennard	New Orleans, LA	1955 Chevy	14.13
Stock Elim.	A/S	Elisha Boyd	Hattiesburg, MS	'62 Chevy	12.44
Jr. Stock Elim.	G/SA	Percy Babineaux	New Orleans, LA	'66 Ford	15.74

Class Winners

Class	Name	Vehicle	E/T	Speed	Hometown
AA/S	James McCallister	'66 Chevy	13.98	98.78	Orlando, FL
A/S	Elish Boyd	'62 Chevy	12.98	99.55	Hattiesburg, MS
B/S	Alfred Krebs	'63 Ford	13.75	103.92	Pascagoula, MS
C/S	Gary M. Randall	'66 Buick	14.58	95.44	Biloxi, MS
D/S	Raymond Ramsey	'65 Ford	14.58	94.83	Theodore, MS
E/S	Richard Haughton	'65 Ford	15.31	88.84	Keesler, MS
F/S	Jerry C. Trawick	'66 Chevy	16.34	89.19	Mobile, AL
G/S	Steve Breaux	'64 Chevy	15.69	86.28	Lockport, LA
H/S	James Taylor	'65 Ford	16.67	80	Gulfport, MS
I/S	Chester Terry	'56 Chevy	17.06	81.66	Ocean. Springs, MS
J/S	Young & Newman	'55 Chevy	16.27	83.64	Pascagoula, MS
K/S	Jerry Compervich	N/A	16.25	79.57	Gulfport, MS
M/S	Billy Dufrene	'66 Chevy	18.83	63.00	Lockport, LA
N/S	Carl F. Baird	'50 Ford	19.27	68.80	Metairie, LA
BB/S	Tedd Taylor	'65 GTO	13.91	100.00	Columbia, MS
CC/S	James Stevenson	'66 Chevelle	14.60	97.19	Starkville, MS
A/SS	Cyril Trosclair	'66 Chevy	14.85	95.44	Chalmette, LA
B/SS	Marron Bond	'66 GTO	14.70	97.77	Moss Point, MS
C/SS	George Simon, Jr.	'65 Chevy	15.18	94.63	New Orleans, LA
D/SS	Curtis Newman	'57 Chevy	15.44	88.49	Gulfport, MS
E/SS	Ashton Flautt	'66 Pont.	16.02	78.37	St. Bernard, LA
F/SS	James McAllister	'66 Chevy	15.24	91.00	Lacombe, LA
I/SS	George Dickerson	'63 Falcon	18.39	74.88	Pass Christian, MS
J/SS	Bobby J. Bourg	'65 Chevy	17.32	77.51	Kenner, LA
L/SS	Julius Marelo	'65 Falcon	17.20	66.37	New Orleans, LA
M/SS	David H. Smith	'66 Ford	18.37	67.98	Lacombe, LA
BB/SS	Kenneth Hernabdez	'66 GTO	14.71	97.71	Westwego, LA
CC/SA	Donald V. Stout	'66 Ford	15.92	85.94	New Orleans, LA
D/SA	Henry A. Cadaro	'60 Pont.	13.89	97.19	New Orleans, LA
G/SA	Percy Babineuax	'66 Ford	15.71	84.74	New Orleans, LA
H/SA	Clinton Plummer	'64 Ford	18.02	76.64	Gulfport, MS
I/SA	Ermis Ezell	'56 Chevy	18.87	77.73	Slidell, LA
J/SA	Floyd Russo	'66 Chevy	18.48	73.62	Paincourtville, LA
K/SA	Glen F. Pastugue	'59 Chevy	18.15	78.18	New Orleans, LA
B/SSA	Gary Hansen	'64 GTO	17.90	73	Eglin, FL
C/SSA	Peyton Sandez III	'66 Ford	15.90	87.87	Kenner, LA
D/SSA	Paul Goldschmidt	'62 Chevy	16.47	83.64	Biloxi, MS
E/SSA	William P. Ballow	'66 Mustang	15.15	87.04	Lucedale, MS
FF/SSA	Kirby O'Connor	'65 Comet	16.01	82.41	New Orleans, LA
G/SSA	James Thompson	'65 Comet	17.71	64.46	Covington, LA
I/SSA	Curtis Buchanan, Jr.	'59 Ford	18.95	65.33	Gulfport, MS
K/SSA	James Bennett	'62 Chevy	19.06	N/A	Slidell, LA
M/SSA	Jimmy Wells	'64 Comet	19.89	68.49	Kreole, MS
N/SSA	Robert Cooper, Jr.	'53 Chevy	21.67	60.97	Keesler AFB, MS
F/SSA	Dennis Patrolia	'66 Chevy	17.02	81.30	Chalmette, LA
B/G	Nick Carriere	N/A	11.44	111.38	Amite, LA
C/G	Henwood & Kennard	'55 Chevy	14.13	90.00	New Orleans, LA
E/G	Wallace Casse	'55 Ford	14.90	83.96	Braithwaite, LA
H/G	Bobby Kriner	'66 Corvair	16.09	82.50	Saraland, AL
A/MP	Jack Connelly	'57 Ford	14.63	90.90	Kenner, LA
B/MP	Alvin Ashe	'57 Chevy	11.87	111.66	Gulfport, MS
C/MP	H. Goff	'56 Chevy	13.46	99.33	Kreole, MS
D/MP	Gerald Peeler	'57 Ford	17.53	77.72	Keesler, MS
F/MP	Don Boudreaux	'65 Corvair	N/A	N/A	Marrero, LA
B/A	Joseph C. Hiena, Jr.	'55 Chevy	13.36	N/A	New Orleans, LA
D/A	Joseph Wessing	'55 Chevy	21.83	62.63	New Orleans, LA
B/GS	Lonnies A. Mayeux	'55 Chevy	N/A	84.99	Chalmette, LA

Event Photos

Notes

Bridges is the first woman to win a National Hot Road Association national event. (Feb. '66)

Her win received extensive exposure nationally for the sport, as it was a centerpiece to ABC television’s “Wide World of Sports” Winternationals event coverage.

During her career, Shirley was behind the wheel of a series of “Drag-On-Lady” themed Mopar cars tuned by her then husband, H.L. Shahan.

Shirley retired from active drag racing in 1972. In 1997, Shirley was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame. In 2005 she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from NHRA.

To this day, she remains a coveted speaker and guest at Hall of Fame ceremony and reunion events.