Celebrating 75 years of speed, power, and the world's fastest motorsport

1983

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1983 TOP FUEL WORLD CHAMPION GARY BECK

  • Won second career championship (1974)
  • Scored four wins in 12 events
  • Made 16 of the 17 quickest runs of the season
  • Won the NHRA U.S. Nationals for the third time in his career
  • Compiled 22-8 win-loss record

Top Fuel world champion
Gary Beck

Funny Car world champion
Frank Hawley

Pro Stock world champion
Lee Shepherd

Top Alcohol Dragster world champion
Darrell Gwynn

Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion
Fred Mandoline

Comp eliminator world champion
Coleman Roddy

Super Stock world champion
Keith Lynch

Stock eliminator world champion
Jim Hughes

Super Gas world champion
Dan DiVita

1983

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

BECK FIRST IN THE 5.30s

At the NHRA Golden Gate Nationals, the season’s penultimate event, Gary Beck drove Larry Minor’s dragster to the first 5.3-second Top Fuel pass in class history, a 5.39, then duplicated it two weeks later at the NHRA World Finals.

MULDOWNEY BIOPIC DEBUTS

Heart Like a Wheel, a major Hollywood film telling of the life and career of Shirley Muldowney starring Bonnie Bedelia as the three-time world champ, premiered to rave reviews.

BERNSTEIN SWEEPS BIG BUD, INDY WINS

Kenny Bernstein won the high-dollar Big Bud Shootout on Sunday and followed a day later with his first NHRA U.S. Nationals victory, making for a weekend haul of approximately $80,000.

OCIR CLOSES ITS DOORS

Fabled Orange County International Raceway, the first supertrack when it was built in 1967, closed its doors Oct. 29 with The Last Drag Race, which was won by Gary Beck (Top Fuel) and Kenny Bernstein (Funny Car).

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