This trophy came from the 1968 Wintenational Drag Races in Pomona, California.
I was a little surprised to see it appear on eBay. My first reaction, was "Is this real ??"
First, a little history lesson might be in order. During the late 1960's, Ford Motor Company placed importance on racing the cars they sold. Many people consider the 1968 Winternationals as the introduction of the high performance, 428 engine called the "Cobra Jet".
Ford's specially prepared 428 Cobra Jet Mustangs dominated the competition. Collectively these cars are commonly reffered to as the "135" cars or lightweights. [Note: Not all the Mustangs that actually raced were "135" series cars] Only 50 of the special competition (drag) Mustangs were built.
So, how did this piece of automotive history end up on eBay? The first thing I did was try to verify its authenticity. I called a friend that has some drag racing experience and lives in southern California. He was very confident the trophy was original. I also questioned the seller. I later found out the seller was actually a close friend of the 1960s drag racing legend, Bruce Larson.
Bruce confirmed the trophy came from the 1968 Winternationals. However, there was no way to identify exactly who was given this specific trophy. The trophy says "Class Winner" and there were several class winners. Bruce was doing a little spring cleaning at his museum. He says the trophy was a donation.
After a little more digging, I found this great picture online. That's Carroll Shelby with one of the greatest drag racers of all time, Don Prudhomme. Prudhomme also raced the "Shelby Super Snake" drag car at the event. If you look over Prudhomme's left shoulder you will see two identical trophies.
I have always said history of these vehicles is important. Knowing a little history can be very helpful, if you know what to look for.