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

2003

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2003 FUNNY CAR WORLD CHAMPION TONY PEDREGON

  • Ended his team owner John Force’s 10-year championship streak
  • Was points leader 19 times in 22 events
  • Scored eight wins in as many final rounds
  • Qualified No. 1 seven times
  • Compiled a 46-14 win-loss record

Top Fuel world champion
Larry Dixon

Funny Car world champion
Tony Pedregon

Pro Stock world champion
Greg Anderson

Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion
Geno Scali

Top Alcohol Dragster world champion
Allan Bradshaw

Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion
Frank Manzo

Comp eliminator world champion
Dean Carter

Super Stock world champion
Peter Biondo

Stock eliminator world champion
Kevin Helms

Super Comp world champion
Jack Beckman

Super Gas world champion
Bryan Robinson

2003

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

DIXON DOES IT AGAIN

Driving for NHRA legend and team owner Don “the Snake” Prudhomme, Larry Dixon became just the fifth driver in NHRA history to win consecutive Top Fuel world championships.

BROTHERS IN ARMS

2003 Funny Car champ Tony Pedregon and brother Cruz, who won the championship in 1992, became the only brothers in NHRA history to each have won an NHRA Professional world championship.

NHRA TABBED ‘TOP VALUE’

NHRA ranked first in “value for the money” in an independent survey conducted by Sports Business Journal that rated sponsor satisfaction with 16 major sports franchises, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NASCAR.

NHRA LEGEND RETIRES

Barrier-breaking three-time Top Fuel world champion Shirley Muldowney retired from NHRA competition after 30 sensational years, ending one of the most legendary careers in motorsports.

2003

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

2003 rookie

Brandon Bernstein

The son of multitime world champ Kenny Bernstein was named top rookie despite being sidelined after winning three of the season’s first eight races following a crash in Englishtown, N.J., that hospitalized him and left in a back brace for four months. When Brandon was injured, his father stepped back into the car and won four of the last five events of the season.

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