The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) estimates he won 90 percent of his match races.

[1] While in high school, he joined the United States Navy which wiped out his many speeding tickets,[1] earned at the wheel of a twin-97-equipped 235 cu in (3,850 cc) Stovebolt-powered 1934 Chevy coupé (run without front fenders), which he (illegally) street raced; almost everyone else raced Fords.

[4] Nicholson began organized racing in jalopies on oval tracks in the late 1940s before quitting in 1949, because his friends were frequently killed.

[1] In 1961, Nally Chevrolet lured Nicholson to move his family to Georgia by giving him his own dyno shop and race car.

[1] In 1958, Nicholson acted as tuner for the Greth Brothers B/Fuel Dragster, based out of Monrovia, California.

[7] At Bakersfield on 3 August 1958, with Bill Crossley at the wheel, this car was the first West Coast dragster to record a 170 mph (270 km/h) pass; the small-block powered digger took the B/F title, beating Emory Cook for Top Eliminator, at that meet, too.

[6] The win helped his business in Southern California, and gave him access to factory-developed Chevrolets and special racing parts.

He received lucrative offers from promoters in the Southeastern United States, so moved to Atlanta to compete in match races.

[2] Chevrolet and the other American car manufacturers decided to drop their factory backing in 1963 and his vehicle became uncompetitive.

[2] That year he made the first 10-second pass in a doorslammer,[2] as well as being the first driver to lift the front wheels when he shifted gears.

[2] In 1965, Dodge and Plymouth teams moved their front and rear wheels forward, giving them greater traction.

That August, he converted his steel-bodied four-speed[6] car to ah A/FX, switching to nitromethane and fuel injection and moving the rear axle forward 12 in (30 cm).

[6] Several weeks later, he defeated the Ramcharger Dodge, the top Mopar entry, with a 9.30 second pass at 150 mph (240 km/h).

He won the Irwindale New Year's Day race, where he qualified number two with a 8.03[citation needed] and went on to set low e.t.

He did win the second annual Stardust National Open, beating Schartman in the final round, with a 7.83 pass,[citation needed] low e.t.

Chrysler already had backed out of Funny Car racing in 1967 when they had Sox & Martin and Landy start their Super Stock clinics.

"[2]Nicholson converted a Jerry Harvey 1966 A/FX Ford Mustang to Super Stock, and used the car to win Street in A/Modified Production at the 1969 Springnationals.

[2][clarification needed] Nicholson's Maverick earned Ford's first NHRA Pro Stock win at the Summernationals in 1971.

After starting the 1980 season by failing to qualify for the Winternationals and Cajun Nationals,[citation needed] Nicholson looked at IHRA Pro Stockers.

[citation needed] He returned to Pro Stock at Milan for IHRA's Northern Nationals and went on to win the event.

At the IHRA Summernationals at Bristol, Nicholson set top speed at 169.45 on the way to a runner-up finish.

Shortly after this, he sold his Pro Stock operation to Harold Denton, who retained Nicholson for the next few races to acquaint himself with the car.