National Hot Rod Association


The National Hot Rod Association is a governing body which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorsport sanctioning body in the world.
The association was founded by Wally Parks in 1951 in California to provide a governing body to organize and promote the sport of drag racing. NHRA's first Nationals was held in 1955, in Great Bend, Kansas. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, the national event series which comprises 24 races each year, is the premier series in drag racing that brings together the best drag racers from across North America and the world. The NHRA U.S. Nationals are now held at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Indiana and are officially called the U.S. Nationals. Winners of national events are awarded a trophy statue in honor of founder Wally Parks. The trophy is commonly referred to by its nickname, "The Wally".

History

Wally Parks, editor of Hot Rod magazine and a dry lakes racer himself, began the National Hot Rod Association to promote "safety, sportsmanship, and fellowship" among hot rodders. The association gained about 25,000 members in its first year; within six years, it had more than 57,000 members.
Hot Rod magazine and NHRA worked together to convince the general public and especially the police that there was a difference between hot-rodders and reckless street racers, sometimes known as "shot rodders". They encouraged the involvement of adults, such as auto shop teachers and garage owners. The NHRA's efforts to defend the image of the hot-rodder included a series of short films such as The Cool Hot Rod in which a delinquent teen learns that "a reckless kid in an old junker is not a hot-rodder at all. He's a square."
NHRA initiated the 1954 "Drag Safari", a nationwide tour to encourage organized drag racing with an emphasis on safety. Sponsored by Mobil Oil, the Safari crew would meet with law enforcement and local city officials at each stop to explain their program, involve local car clubs, set up sites, and run drag races. Drag Safari would lead to the 1955 US Nationals for drag racing.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, the NHRA cancelled its 2020 and 2021 editions of the Drag Racing Series at the Virginia Motorsports Park. Regular scheduling resumed in 2022, with the events taking place in May of that year.
Currently, there are two headquarters offices, one in San Dimas, California, and the other in Brownsburg, Indiana at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The Mission Foods Drag Racing Series offices are held in Brownsburg.

Series

NHRA Championship Drag Racing Series

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is the top division of the NHRA. It consists of four professional classes:
  • Top Fuel Dragster
  • Funny Car
  • Pro Stock
  • Pro Stock Motorcycle

    Champions

  • List of NHRA champions

    NHRA Sportsman Drag Racing Series

There are more than a dozen Sportsman Classes. The classes contested at NHRA Divisional races include Snowmobile, Motorcycle Classes, Super Street, Super Gas, Stock Eliminator, Super Stock, Competition Eliminator, Super Comp, Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and Top Alcohol Dragster. All classes except Snowmobile and some Sportsman motorcycle classes are regularly contested at NHRA national events.
NHRA promotes mainly the Professional classes at national events; however, the majority of its participants are Sportsman Racers. Sportsman-class racers must be dues-paying members of NHRA before they are allowed to enter and participate in any NHRA event.
Included in these sportsman events are the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the Summit Racing Equipment Racing Series and the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League.
The NHRA Sportsman Drag Racing Series originally consisted of seven divisions: Northeast, Southeast, North Central, South Central, West Central, Northwest, and Pacific. Starting in 2012, the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes competed in four regions: East, North Central, Central and West.

Champions

YearTop Alcohol Dragster
1981Brian Raymer
1982Don Woosley
1983Darrell Gwynn
1984Bill Walsh
1985Bill Walsh
1986Bill Walsh
1987Denny Lucas
1988Mike Troxel
1989Tom Conway
1990Blaine Johnson
1991Blaine Johnson
1992Blaine Johnson
1993Blaine Johnson
1994Tom Conway
1995Jay Payne
1996Bobby Taylor
1997Rick Santos
1998Rick Santos
1999Rick Santos
2000Rick Santos
2001Rick Santos
2002Arthur Gallant
2003Alan Bradshaw
2004Mitch Myers
2005Steve Torrence
2006Bill Reichert
2007Bill Reichert
2008Bill Reichert
2009Bill Reichert
2010Bill Reichert
2011Duane Shields
2012Jim Whiteley
2013Jim Whiteley
2014Chris Demke
2015Joey Severance
2016Joey Severance
2017Joey Severance
2018Joey Severance
2019Megan Meyer
2020Megan Meyer
2021Rachel Meyer
2022Joey Severance
2023Julie Nataas
2024Shawn Cowie

YearTop Alcohol Funny Car
1981Frank Manzo
1982Bob Gottschalk
1983Fred Mandoline
1984Brad Anderson
1985Brad Anderson
1986Frank Manzo
1987Pat Austin
1988Pat Austin
1989Brad Anderson
1990Pat Austin
1991Pat Austin
1992Bob Newberry
1993Randy Anderson
1994Randy Anderson
1995Joe Pendland
1996Tony Bartone
1997Frank Manzo
1998Frank Manzo
1999Frank Manzo
2000Frank Manzo
2001Frank Manzo
2002Frank Manzo
2003Frank Manzo
2004Cy Chesterman
2005Bob Newberry
2006Frank Manzo
2007Frank Manzo
2008Frank Manzo
2009Frank Manzo
2010Frank Manzo
2011Frank Manzo
2012Frank Manzo
2013Frank Manzo
2014Steve Harker
2015Jonnie Lindberg
2016Jonnie Lindberg
2017Shane Westerfield
2018Sean Bellemeur
2019Sean Bellemeur
2020Doug Gordon
2021Sean Bellemeur
2022Doug Gordon
2023Doug Gordon
2024Sean Bellemeur

YearComp Eliminator
1981Jeff Cunningham
1982Norwin Palmer
1983Coleman Roddy
1984Coleman Roddy
1985Bill Maropulos
1986Vinny Barone
1987Bill Maropulos
1988Garley Daniels
1989Bob Kaiser
1990David Rampy
1991David Nickens
1992Steve Johns
1993Bill Maropulos
1994Jeff Krug
1995Sal Biondo
1996Bo Nickens
1997Andy Manna Jr.
1998Bob Andrews
1999Andy Manna Jr.
2000Jerry Arnold
2001Don Stratton
2002Mike Saye
2003Dean Carter
2004Dean Carter
2005Jeff Taylor
2006Bo Butner
2007Frank Aragona Jr.
2008Dan Fletcher
2009Bruno Massel
2010Al Ackerman
2011Lou Ficco
2012Bruno Massel
2013Alan Ellis
2014David Rampy
2015Craig Bourgeois
2016Doug Doll Jr.
2017David Rampy
2018Frank Aragona Jr.
2019Frank Aragona Jr.
2020Craig Bourgeois
2021Bruno Massel
2022Ryan Priddy

YearSuper-Stock
1981Charlie Taylor
1982Keith Lynch
1983Keith Lynch
1984Chuck Gallagher
1985Dave Boertman
1986Delmer Wood
1987Jim Boburka
1988Jeff Taylor
1989Jim Boburka
1990Greg Stanfield
1991Jeff Taylor
1992Greg Stanfield
1993Greg Stanfield
1994Greg Stanfield
1995Mike Saye
1996Peter Biondo
1997Jimmy DeFrank
1998Dan Fletcher
1999Jimmy DeFrank
2000Peter Biondo
2001Dan Fletcher
2002Anthony Bertozzi
2003Peter Biondo
2004Larry Stewart
2005Hugh Meeks
2006Peter Biondo
2007Darren Smith
2008Ricky Decker
2009Jimmy DeFrank
2010Ryan McClanahan
2011Jackie Alley
2012Jimmy DeFrank
2013Byron Worner
2014Peter Biondo
2015Justin Lamb
2016Jimmy DeFrank
2017Justin Lamb
2018Justin Lamb
2019Vic Penrod
2020Bryan Worner
2021Greg Stanfield
2022Peter D`Agnolo

YearStock
1981Jeff Taylor
1982Tex Miller
1983Jim Hughes
1984Alan Peters
1985Tim Ekstrand
1986Al Corda
1987Jim Waldo
1988Sammy Pizzolato
1989Jim Hughes
1990Don Keen
1991John Calvert
1992Chad Guilford
1993Jason Line
1994Harvey Emmons III
1995Chuck Rayburn
1996Scotty Richardson
1997Al Corda
1998Jeff Hefler
1999Don Little
2000Edmond Richardson
2001Kevin Helms
2002Kevin Helms
2003Kevin Helms
2004Lee Zane
2005Peter Biondo
2006Randy Wilkes
2007Michael Iacono
2008Lee Zane
2009Edmond Richardson
2010Brad Burton
2011Joseph Santangelo
2012Brad Burton
2013Justin Lamb
2014Austin Williams
2015Kevin Helms
2016Jeff Strickland
2017Justin Lamb
2018Brian McClanahan
2019Allison Doll
2020Jody Lang
2021Jerry Emmons
2022Jimmy Hidalgo Jr

Sportsman racers with multiple championships
Sportsman racers who have won multiple world championships, with the date of their most recent championship.
Top Alcohol Dragster
  • 5: Rick Santos, Bill Reichert, Joey Severance
  • 4: Blaine Johnson
  • 3: Bill Walsh
  • 2: Jim Whiteley, Megan Meyer
Alcohol Funny Car
  • 17: Frank Manzo
  • 4: Pat Austin
  • 3: Brad Anderson, Sean Bellemeur, Doug Gordon
  • 2: Randy Anderson, Bob Newberry, Jonnie Lindberg
Competition Eliminator
  • 3: Bill Maropulos, David Rampy, Frank Aragona Jr., Bruno Massel
  • 2: Coleman Roddy, Andy Manna, Jr, Dean Carter
Super Stock
  • 5: Peter Biondo
  • 4: Jimmy DeFrank, Greg Stanfield
  • 3: Justin Lamb
  • 2: Keith Lynch, Jim Boburka, Jeff Taylor, Dan Fletcher
Stock
  • 4: Kevin Helms
  • 2: Jim Hughes, Al Corda, Lee Zane, Edmond Richardson, Brad Burton, Justin Lamb