Top NHRA drivers of all time
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Top NHRA drivers of all time
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is best known for its Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, featuring Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Bike divisions. There have been many drivers over the years who have dominated the competition in various divisions – here’s a look at a few of the best.
Don Prudhomme – “The Snake” won the Funny Car title four times in his 35-year career (1975-1978) and was the first Funny car driver to exceed 250 mph. A member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Prudhomme retired in 1994 as a driver and 2010 as an owner.
Bob Glidden – a Ford driver through and through, Glidden won 85 national events and ten championships in the Pro Stock ranks. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2005 after retiring as a driver in 1997.
Don Garlits – “the father of drag racing,” Garlits was also known as “Big Daddy” in the Top Fuel dragster class. A three-time Top Fuel champ, Garlits was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1997.
Shirley Muldowney – a three-time Top Fuel champion, Muldowney was a trailblazer for women in motorsports. A winner of 18 national events, she was elected to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2004.
Kenny Bernstein – Bernstein was synonymous with Budweiser in the NHRA, having the beer brand as a sponsor for over 20 years. Bernstein won four Funny Car championships before switching to Top Fuel and winning two more titles.
John Force – Force is the 14-time Funny Car champ and 16-time championship team owner. Force has dominated the Funny Car division since 1990, and continues to add to his more than 125 wins – first overall in NHRA history.
Tony Schumacher – the seven-time Top Fuel champion is a second-generation driver with over 50 national event wins to his credit – the most in the history of the Top Fuel class.