Drag racing in the 1970s was a much simpler life. And when it came to sportsman drag racing, the options were limited on the national event scene. Take for instance, in the NHRA there was only one heads-up eliminator.

Every other class, from Stock to Competition Eliminator had regulations from classifying its competition based on a pounds per cubic inch basis to factory horsepower ratings.

The sportsman eliminators in the 1970s, long before there were drag racing schools and racers buying rides, an aspiring professional racer would work their way up the ranks. In this compilation of televised NHRA drag racing, you'll see some of the legends before they made their mark on the big stage.