There have been many great, memorable final rounds over the course of NHRA’s history, from racers earning season titles on the final shot of the year, to first-time winners pulling out an upset, to tire-smoking, wall-slapping affairs. But one of the most exciting final rounds in recent memory involves just one of the two cars making it to the half track marker with the shiny side up. Eliminations at the 1996 Gatornationals were plagued by rain, pushing the schedule back and setting the stage for an always-exciting under-the-lights finale. And unlike the tape-delayed coverage seen today, Steve Evans. Ralph Sheheen, Bob Frey, and the TNN crew were there late into the evening to bring us the coverage on live television.

The Top Fuel final round featured two of the budding stars of the sport as Blaine Johnson and his Travers Tools-backed mount faced off against second-generation racer Scott Kalitta in the American International Airways dragster. Sadly, this final has an even more memorable touch to it, as Johnson was killed later in the ’96 season at Indianapolis, while Kalitta lost his life in a fiery crash in 2008.

Johnson and Kalitta were the top two qualifiers going into eliminations, where Johnson reached the final by virtue of defeating Pat Dakin, Joe Amato, and Connie Kalitta, while Scott did likewise with defeats of Bruce Sarver, Eddie Hill, and Kenny Bernstein. Ad they rolled into the staging beams on national television, there was a feeling in the air that somehow, someway, this was going to be an exciting final. and it didn’t take long. As the tree flashed green, Kalitta’s car carried the front wheels and began to climb, pointing straight to the sky by the 330′ clocks. Johnson, who smoked the tires just off the starting line, witnessed the entire thing and carefully snuck by in the other lane to get out of harm’s way as Kalitta’s car turned on it’s side and spun around before coming to a stop right side up. Kalitta walked away without injury, but clearly dejected with the situation.