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1996

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1996 PRO STOCK WORLD CHAMPION JIM YATES

  • Won the first of two straight championships
  • Led points from season start to finish
  • Scored nine national event wins in 12 finals
  • Won three straight races to start season
  • Won four straight races in the fall

Top Fuel world champion
Kenny Bernstein

Funny Car world champion
John Force

Pro Stock world champion
Jim Yates

Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion
Dave Schultz

Top Alcohol Dragster world champion
Bobby Taylor

Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion
Tony Bartone

Comp eliminator world champion
Bo Nickens

Super Stock world champion
Peter Biondo

Stock eliminator world champion
Scotty Richardson

Super Comp world champion
Matt Driskell

Super Gas world champion
John Vineyard

1996

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

FORCE NAMED DRIVER OF THE YEAR

NHRA Funny Car champion John Force was named the 1996 Driver of the Year Dec. 9, becoming the first drag racer to receive the prestigious annual motorsports award in its 30-year history.

SIBLINGS DOUBLE IN SEATTLE

Shelly Anderson and her brother, Randy, became the first sister-brother tandem to win eliminator titles at the same event, Shelly in Top Fuel and Randy in Top Alcohol Funny Car, at the NHRA Northwest Nationals.

SPORTSMAN RACING SPONSOR

In what was hailed as one of the more significant sponsorships in the history of the NHRA, it was announced that Federal-Mogul would become the sponsor of all NHRA Sportsman competition beginning in 1997.

A YEAR OF LOSSES

Four-time Top Alcohol Dragster world champ Blaine Johnson and Top Fuel Motorcycle rider Elmer Trett died in accidents at the NHRA U.S. Nationals, and longtime NHRA Photo Editor Leslie Lovett passed away of a heart attack July 2.

1996

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1996 rookie 1

Mike Edwards and Matt Hines

Former Modified eliminator standout turned Pro Stock racer Mike Edwards and second-generation Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Matt Hines shared NHRA Rookie of the Year honors. Edwards collected three wins and Hines two as both scored respective third-place finishes.

Road to the Future award: Tony Pedregon

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