1984 Mopar Nationals

[Imperial One]

I remember Miss Direct Connection, the tarmac melting in the swap meet car park, chipmunks on the golf course inside the race track, a ride in nasty dark grey 70 hemi Road runner, a beautiful F8 Daytona with a hood tach and buying my 69 Coronet R/T roller for 600 bucks (which I still have) . Oh, and accidentally taking a trip around the 'bad' part of town in the ramcharger, oops.

"Claudia" - Miss Direct Connection 1984. I remember owning this poster. It looks like you can still buy this poster at Mancini Racing!

 

[qkcuda]

What year was it held at the Chrysler proving grounds?

 

[Imperial One]

What year was it held at the Chrysler proving grounds?

1981.

I was there. Not sure where my photos are. When I find them I will post them.

 

[qkcuda]

I distinctly remember sitting in a long lineup outside the gate waiting to get in and starting to overheat. Both me and the car.

 

[gkent]

I think it was at the Proving Grounds (again) in '85 (I could go and look on the shirt !!)

 

[Imperial One]

I think it was at the Proving Grounds (again) in '85 (I could go and look on the shirt !!)

You are right.

1981-Chelsea, Michigan, Chrysler Proving Grounds/Milan Dragway: 500 cars, 1,500 participants, and seven vendors-five of which are still with us today. The event was closed to the public because of its location. It was the first event of its kind, with Mopar car clubs across the country invited to attend. Since it was a gathering of Mopar car clubs, it came to be known as the Chrysler Car Club Convention. Direct Connection served as the sponsor. Car judging and drag racing were the highlights of the event, along with individual car clubs and certain car lines posing for pictures on the high-bank oval.

1982-St. Louis, Missouri, Mid-America Race Track: 500 cars, 1,000 attendees. The Scat Pack Club, National Hemi Owners, and SIAC clubs combine efforts to produce the event. The car show and small swap meet were held in the hotel parking lot, with the racing activities held at Mid-America Raceway.

1983 - Chelsea, Michigan, Chrysler Proving Grounds/Milan Dragway: 1,200 cars, 1,500 participants. For the first time, the drag racing portion of the event is open to the public, and the show debuts the name Mopar Nationals. Carrol Shelby is the guest speaker, along with the original members of the RamChargers and designers of the NASCAR Wing cars. Debut of the Shelby Charger 2.2., track tours, autocross, and drag racing are the event activities, plus an organized photo session on the high-bank oval featuring same body/models shot at one time: AAR/T/As, Daytona- Superbirds, Hemi power, B-Bodies, and A-Bodies. Twenty-seven car clubs participate. The Dodge Daytona and Chrysler Laser debut.

1984-Indianapolis, Indiana, Indy 500 Track: 1,500 cars, 4,000 participants. Produced by the newly formed Chrysler Car Club Council. Midway and swap meet grow in size and are located across from the track, while parade laps and show and shine are held inside the infield of the Indy 500 Track. Miss Direct Connection and Chrysler concept cars are in attendance. They had a showing of the Shirley Muldowney movie, Heart like a Wheel, and a Herb McCandless seminar. This was the only year drag racing was not held in conjunction with the event. We learned our lesson, drag racing had to be a part of the Nats.

1985-Chelsea, Michigan, Chrysler Proving Grounds/Milan Dragway: 1,850 cars, 9,000 participants. The Nats debuts the Grand Prize give-away car-a '69 Plymouth Road Runner-night cruising, exclusive Mopar-only drive-in with the movie Christine showing.

Information extracted from this article chronicling 25 years of the Mopar National:

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp-0508-2005-mopar-nationals/

 

[qkcuda]

I also remember the first time in Columbus, driving into the motel parking lot and there were three guys sitting in lawn chairs holding up score cards like the olympics, as the cars idled by.

 

[Voetom]

Here she is by my car and my wife Debbie! I still have both.

View attachment 1060564

"Claudia" - Miss Direct Connection 1984. I remember owning this poster. It looks like you can still buy this poster at Mancini Racing!

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

This is my '69 R/T at the '84 Nationals.........

 

[TiMopar]

This is my '69 R/T at the '84 Nationals.........

View attachment 1060834

I remember taking a picture of of it, sadly long since lost!

 

[Richard Cranium]

I attended Chelsea in 1981 & either 83 or 85, I can't remember which.

 

[moparedtn]

View attachment 1060564

"Claudia" - Miss Direct Connection 1984. I remember owning this poster. It looks like you can still buy this poster at Mancini Racing!

Oh man, I remember that Nats - and her!
Vividly remember her in that little tent signing stuff on a hot day, sitting in one of those foldy-up chairs...
Shades on, ridiculously tight shorts on (that split a seam!) and that exact shirt from the poster on - braless.
As I waited my turn to get a poster signed, I sort of was in line standing behind her....
Oofa. Burned into my memory.... what a FRAME that girl had!

 

[moparedtn]

What year was it at the Proving Grounds that some folks *cough I might have been one*
got in trouble for jumping up on the oval and running a few laps, disregarding the Chrysler
folks in the minivan we errrr "they" were supposed to stay behind?

 

[The Rebel]

Love the look on your wife's face! Looks like you were telling her to keep moving to the left till she was out of the picture

Here she is by my car and my wife Debbie! I still have both.
View attachment 1060797

 

[mrhemi]

What year was it at the Proving Grounds that some folks *cough I might have been one*
got in trouble for jumping up on the oval and running a few laps, disregarding the Chrysler
folks in the minivan we errrr "they" were supposed to stay behind?

1981. My '67 GTX may have passed the "Pace" van as well.

 

[Imperial One]

1981. My '67 GTX may have passed the "Pace" van as well.

I was a good boy and didn't pass the pace van. I can't remember for sure what I drove to the Nationals in 1981. Superbird or Hemi Satellite? I think the Satellite, but that's 40 years ago to attempt to remember.

I DO remember Len Weiler in the 4 door Hemi Coronet (factory hemi car) banging his oil pan pretty hard at the bottom of the 32% grade hill on the Proving Grounds. He had decided to take the hill at "higher than the recommended speed".

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

.... what a FRAME that girl had!

And still does.....(IMHO). Here's Claudia at the Nats in 2014...

and again at the Nats in 2019....

 

[Richard Cranium]

Here's a picture of the Proving Grounds I snapped on a flight almost 5 years ago...

 

[Imperial One]

I found more of Claudia Abel, (Miss Direct Connection 1984) over on Allpar. These photos are from 2014 as well, one from the Mopar Nats, and the other from Michigan International Speedway (I am not the lucky guy with Claudia).

 

[moparedtn]

I think she may have actually gotten MORE attractive over the years!
EDIT: Current name is Claudia Abel Passalacqua - and I'm gonna stop
right there before I get to creepin'.