Celebrating 75 years of speed, power, and the world's fastest motorsport
NHRA MILESTONES
1951
NHRA founded by Wally Parks
1952
NHRA sanctions Pomona Dragstrip at Los Angeles County Fairgrounds under auspices of Pomona (Calif.) Police Chief Ralph Parker
1953
NHRA holds first sanctioned drag race April 11-12 in Pomona, Calif.
1954
NHRA creates Safety Safari, a team of drag racing ambassadors and officials who tour the country to introduce the sport to new audiences
1955
First NHRA national event held in Great Bend, Kan.
Calvin Rice wins Top Eliminator at first NHRA national event
1956
NHRA Nationals moves to Kansas City, Mo.
NHRA publishes first comprehensive rulebook for drag racing
1957
NHRA Nationals moves to Oklahoma City
1959
Parachute braking device is first used and soon is made mandatory for all cars exceeding 150 mph
NHRA Nationals moves to Detroit
1960
National DRAGSTER, NHRA’s official publication, first published
Buddy Garner crowned first NHRA champion
1961
NHRA U.S. Nationals moves to Indianapolis; NHRA Winternationals added to schedule in Pomona, Calif.
1963
Top Fuel introduced as Professional category
NHRA U.S. Nationals becomes first nationally televised event
Christmas Tree replaces flag start
1964
Don Garlits records first 200-mph run
NHRA sends drag racing team to Europe that includes Don Garlits, Tommy Ivo, Tony Nancy, George Montgomery, K.S. Pittman, Ronnie Sox, Buddy Martin, Bill Jenkins, and Dave Strickler
1965
NHRA schedule increases to four national events with addition of NHRA Springnationals in Bristol, Tenn., and NHRA World Finals in Tulsa, Okla.
1966
Shirley Shahan becomes first woman to win an NHRA national event in Super Stock
1969
NHRA Finals moves to Dallas
NHRA unveils first national event trophy
1970
Pro Stock introduced as Professional category
Three events added for seven-race “Super Season”
1971
NHRA Finals moves to Amarillo, Texas
Don Garlits scores first rear-engine dragster victory in Pomona
1972
Mike Snively makes first five-second run
Jim Dunn is first winner in a rear-engine Funny Car
1973
Don Prudhomme becomes first driver to win NHRA national events in both Top Fuel and Funny Car
Shirley Muldowney becomes first woman to be licensed in Top Fuel
Pro Comp Eliminator is introduced as development class for Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers
1974
NHRA Finals moves to Ontario, Calif.
NHRA crowns Gary Beck, Shirl Greer, and Bob Glidden as first points-based series champions
J. Reynolds Tobacco announces sponsorship of NHRA National Drag Racing Series, to begin in 1975
1975
Winston Drag Racing Series posts $100,000 points fund
Don Prudhomme becomes first Funny Car driver to break six-second barrier
Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, and Bob Glidden become first NHRA Winston champions
NHRA national event schedule increases to eight events
1976
Shirley Muldowney becomes first woman to win a national event title in a Pro category
1977
Shirley Muldowney becomes first woman to win Top Fuel championship
1978
Bob Glidden becomes first and only driver in any category to reach the final at every event in the series (nine)
1979
Amy Faulk becomes second woman to win NHRA championship (Super Stock)
1980
Shirley Muldowney becomes first driver to repeat as Top Fuel champion
1981
NHRA Drag Racing Series increases schedule to 11 events
NHRA Finals moves to Irvine, Calif.
Win light on a finish-line scoreboard first used
1982
Shirley Muldowney and Lucille Lee face off in first all-female Pro final
Don Prudhomme breaks 250-mph barrier in Funny Car
Special bonus race for Funny Cars first contested at NHRA U.S. Nationals
1983
Winston increases total points fund to $325,000
1984
Dallas Gardner named second president in NHRA history
NHRA Finals moves to Pomona, Calif.
1986
NHRA Drag Racing Series increases schedule to 15 events
1987
Pro Stock Motorcycle introduced as Professional category
John Force wins for first time in his career
Dave Schultz becomes first NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion
1988
Winston points fund eclipses $1 million mark
Timing lights at 330 and 660 feet used for first time
Gene Snow clocks first four-second run in NHRA history
1992
Kenny Bernstein records first 300-mph run
NHRA introduces Jr. Drag Racing League
1993
NHRA recognized by the FIA World Motorsports Council
Jim Epler records first 300-mph pass in Funny Car
Chuck Etchells becomes first Funny Car driver to make four-second pass
1994
Kurt Johnson clocks first Pro Stock run quicker than seven seconds
1995
Winston points fund more than doubles to $2.2 million
NHRA first major auto racing sanctioning body to create website
1996
Kenny Bernstein becomes first driver to win championships in Top Fuel and Funny Car
John Force becomes first drag racer to be named Driver of the Year by motorsports journalists
1997
Warren Johnson records first 200-mph Pro Stock pass in Dinwiddie, Va.
1998
Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum opens in Pomona, Calif.
1999
Top Fuel racer Tony Schumacher becomes first driver to break 330-mph barrier
John Force wins inaugural Winston Showdown, featuring Top Fuel dragsters vs. Funny Cars in eliminations
2000
John Force overtakes Bob Glidden as all-time NHRA win leader
Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Angelle Sampey becomes second woman to win a Pro championship
NHRA introduces 90% nitro rule for Top Fuel and Funny Car categories
Tom Compton becomes third president in NHRA history
2001
Angelle Sampey becomes winningest female competitor in NHRA history
Don Garlits named No. 1 driver in NHRA history as part of NHRA’s 50th Anniversary celebration
Coca-Cola’s POWERade brand becomes title sponsor of NHRA Championship Drag Racing Series
2002
John Force earns 100th victory
Kenny Bernstein retires from driving
2003
Larry Dixon becomes fifth driver to win consecutive Top Fuel championships
Tony Pedregon and brother Cruz (1992) became only brothers in NHRA history to win a series championship
NHRA ranked first in “value for the money” by SportsBusiness Journal
Shirley Muldowney retires from NHRA competition
2004
Greg Anderson becomes second NHRA driver to be named Driver of the Year
Gary Scelzi becomes first Funny Car driver in NHRA history to eclipse 330-mph barrier
2005
Erica Enders becomes first woman to advance to a Pro Stock final round
Funny Car champ Gary Scelzi becomes only second driver in NHRA history to win world championship titles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car
Coca-Cola’s POWERade brand extends its title sponsorship through 2011
2006
John Force clinches NHRA-record 14th Funny Car world championship
J.R. Todd becomes the first Black driver to win a Top Fuel race
2007
NHRA founder Wally Parks dies at age 94
Peggy Llewellyn (Pro Stock Motorcycle) becomes first Black woman to win an NHRA national event
NHRA world champions crowned under new Countdown to the Championship format
Tony Schumacher becomes first Top Fuel driver to win four straight championships
2008
NHRA changes the race distance for Top Fuel and Funny Car categories to 1,000 feet
Ashley Force Hood becomes first woman to win in Funny Car competition
Tony Schumacher passes Joe Amato as the all-time NHRA Top Fuel wins leader
Melanie Troxel becomes first woman to earn victories in both nitro categories
2009
Full Throttle energy drink replaces POWERade as series sponsor
NHRA enters the social networking arena with pages on Facebook and Twitter
NHRA representatives ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange
Ford Motor Company is named the Official Car and Truck of NHRA in August
Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars competed in four- wide exhibition races in Charlotte, N.C.
2010
NHRA announces formation of NHRA Worldwide Network
Don Prudhomme announces his retirement from drag racing
The inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals takes place at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, N.C., in March
2011
NHRA celebrates 60 years of NHRA Drag Racing
John Force’s comeback championship after his 2007 accident is named the greatest moment in NHRA history
Matt Hagan posts the first three-second run in Funny Car history
Kenny Bernstein announces his retirement as a team owner
2012
Erica Enders becomes the first woman to win a Pro Stock race
Courtney Force and Erica Enders become the first women in NHRA history to win at the same event (Seattle)
Top Fuel driver Antron Brown becomes the first Black driver to win a major auto racing championship in the United States
2013
John Force clinches NHRA-record 16th world championship in Funny Car and becomes the oldest world champion at 64
Coca-Cola’s Mello Yello brand takes over as title sponsor of the NHRA’s premier touring series
NHRA hosts a national event at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H., for the first time
Matt Smith in Pro Stock Motorcycle and father Rickie Smith in Pro Mod become first father and son to win NHRA championships in the same season
2014
Courtney Force earns the 100th victory by a female Pro driver in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
Erica Enders becomes the first woman to win an NHRA Pro Stock world championship
2015
Peter Clifford is named the fourth president in NHRA history
NHRA returns to awarding points and a half at the NHRA U.S. Nationals
NHRA unveils #BaptismByNitro marketing campaign to welcome new fans
FOX Sports is named the new TV partner; NHRA takes TV production in-house
2016
Pro Stock class switches to electronic fuel injection
Five events over the season feature sellout crowds
In the first year on FOX, NHRA saw 14 million more viewers than in 2015 and TV ratings for Sunday shows were up 24%
Leah Pruett and Brittany Force compete infirst all-female final round since 1982
2017
Brittany Force became the first woman since Shirley Muldowney in 1982 to win a Top Fuel championship
Robert Hight became the first Funny Car racer in the 3.7-second range
Tanner Gray became the youngest Pro Stock winner at 17 years, 11 months old
2018
Steve Torrence sweeps the six-race Countdown to the Championship
Tanner Gray becomes youngest champion in NHRA history at 19 years, 6 months
Hector Arana Jr. became the first rider in Pro Stock Motorcycle history to break the 200-mph barrier
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway became the second facility on the NHRA tour to host a four-wide style event
2019
In Houston, John and Brittany Force became the first father and child duo to claim both nitro No. 1 qualifier positions
John Force wins his 150th career Funny Car title in Seattle
At the fall event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Pro Stock driver Erica Enders earned the 150th Professional win for women
2020
After the global shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NHRA returned to racing in July after a four-month hiatus
Aaron Stanfield earned his first career Pro Stock win on the same day he picked up his first championship in Factory Stock Showdown
The Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car teams won all events of the shortened 2020 season
2021
The 2021 season started in Gainesville for the first time in NHRA history
With his 98th win, Greg Anderson became the winningest Pro Stock driver in NHRA history
Steve Torrence won his fourth consecutive Top Fuel championship
2022
Greg Anderson collected his 100th career win at the NHRA U.S. Nationals
Erica Enders and Karen Stoffer posted national records in Gainesville
For the first time, two female champs were crowned in Brittany Force and Erica Enders
2023
Motorsports legend and NHRA team owner Tony Stewart claimed his first NHRA victory in the Top Alcohol Dragster division
Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Gaige Herrera dominated the season and swept the Western Swing
Erica Enders became the winningest woman across all of motorsports with 47 wins
Longtime Top Fuel competitor Doug Kalitta secured his first championship in a winner-take-all final round at the NHRA Finals
2024
Mission Foods was named new title sponsor of the Professional series
Pro Stock Motorcycle star Gaige Herrera broke the record for most consecutive wins with10 straight
Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Maddi Gordon became the 100th different woman to win an NHRA national event
Funny Car’s Austin Prock made the sport’s first 340-mph pass at the NHRA Finals
