There was one thing you could always count on when it came to racing at National Trail Raceway located outside of Columbus, Ohio. More times than not it would rain on your high horsepower parade.

The NHRA recognized the true meaning of sideways rain during the 1981 event which was rained out and returned the following weekend where it rained more through severe thunderstorms. While today's drag racing coverage is accustomed to video at night. Back then, producer Diamond P, did the best they could with the resources available.

Mike Dunn is a decorated veteran of nitromethane drag racing. However, these accolades didn't mean he didn't take a scary ride or two. The 1983 season, Dunn's third behind the wheel of Roland Leong's Hawaiian Punch Mopar Funny Car , was nearly his undoing.

Dunn had two severe crashes during the season, both of which were no fault of his. However, this didn't mean he didn't take a couple of sporty rides. The worst by far was his top end crash at a distance-challenged National Trail Raceway. Dunn walked away without as much as a scratch in an incident which could have taken his life if not for the forethought of then NHRA Race Director Steve Gibbs' decision to put in a second catch net.

Hear, in Dunn's words, about the moves he made to walk away from a crash which should have taken his life.

If you are a fan of the classic nitro, you are absolutely going to be in heaven with this five-part presentation. From Bill Huseth video productions, comes this classic home video from Great Lakes Dragaway and the 1981 Olympics of Drag Racing. You'll see the Snake, Goose, Shirley, Burgin and more. 

A video series from the makers of the Legends: The Series, CompetitionPlusTV presents the best stories of drag racing as told by the legends themselves.

In this episode, Gary Densham tells the story about the day he was at one of the Funny Car shows in Canada, promoted by a gentleman who carried a "big ole .45" on the front of his belt.

During the event, Densham was approached by rocket car exhibitionist Fred Goeske with the belief he'd hit someone during his run. Sit back and enjoy the humorous tale, as Densham spares no detail.

Travel back in time for the final season of the IHRA's Winston sponsorship.

The IHRA was founded in 1971 by Larry Carrier and Carl Moore, and grew into a worthy opponent for the long established NHRA, and the AHRA. The then Bristol, Tenn.-based sanctioning body was known for thinking outside of the box with its procedures, many of which were adopted by the NHRA and remain in existence today.

This episode is epic. You will see all kinds of veterans such as Kenny Bernstein, Mark Oswald, Ed "The Ace" McCulloch and Scott Kalitta. The Pro Stock field is loaded down with the veterans such as Bob Gldden, Bruce Allen, Roy Hill and Frank Iaconio. You'll also see an up and coming Darrell Alderman as well as teenage drag racing sensation Tommy Johnson, Jr., working his way from the alcohol ranks to nitro. 

Buddy Martin has been there, done that and has the t-shirt.

The famed & Martin portion of the legendary Sox & Martin duo has stepped up on the stage to tell one of his finest moments in the early 1960s when a cracked windshield was enough to get their car torn down in class eliminations at an AHRA event.

Hear the story in the words of a doorslammer drag racing icon when a cracked windshield from a towing incident was deemed a performance advantage.

Mark Oswald’s drag racing career has literally been a step-by-step ascent to the top like none other.

As a teen, the Cincinnati native hitchhiked his way to local drag races and became hooked for life. He fibbed his way into a job in a machine shop to spend more time around cars and learn what made them tick.

He began racing a ‘68 Camaro and climbed the rungs until he and friends Tom Kattelman and Ross Thomas built a Top Fuel car that they massaged into a national event-winning ride. Their performance, including a runner-up showing for the IHRA csrown, earned him a slot in the legendary Candies & Hughes cars. It was a powerhouse team, as Oswald powered to six championships, half of which came in one year when he swept the NHRA, IHRA and AHRA crowns.

For the past 15 years, he put his mechanical expertise to work full-time as a crew chief, and his skillset helped make it possible for Antron Brown to capture three NHRA Top Fuel titles. Brown has lauded Oswald as “one of the best drivers, innovators and crew chiefs that our sport has ever seen.”

Learn more about this Hall of Fame competitor in the latest installment of “Legends.”

Travel back in time to the inaugural NHRA Southern Nationals in Commerce, Ga., just outside of Atlanta. This event was the first sanctioned after the facility made the switch from IHRA sanction to NHRA. The quality is a little rough but good enough to appreciate this blast from the past. In addition to the great racing, there's a glimpse of the nighttime qualifying from the original April 1981 event.

Take a trip back in time when NHRA appeared on NBC's Sportsworld, a sports variety show aimed to do battle with ABC's Wide World of Sports. The race coverage was broken down into two episodes with one focusing on Top Fuel and the other on Funny Car and Pro Stock. This video focuses on the historic three-driver championship battle eventually won by Shirley Muldowney at the final race hosted by Ontario Motor Speedway.