It was no accident that the NHRA brought the U.S. Nationals to Detroit in 1959. The Big Three were engaged in a growing horsepower war, and hot rodders were enjoying the spoils of that war, turning Detroit's big-inch, multi-carbed mills into quarter-mile terrors. Wally Parks, who at the time was both the editor of Hot Rod magazine and president of the NHRA, felt that there would be no better way to demonstrate the popularity of drag racing to the members of the Motown establishment than to have this national meet in their backyard. [Read more]