NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The thrilling final round between Leah Pritchett and Brittany Force at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals brought up the subject of rivalries and gives us a chance to look back at the battles from past and present that gave everyone in the grandstands more reason to stand on their feet.

In terms of what constitutes a rivalry, the on-track competition over time and in signature moments are the most important factors. Once that is established, rivalries are colored by comparisons between drivers, personalities and the clashes therein, and affiliations with rivaling sponsors and organizations.

Bad blood can certainly heat a rivalry to its boiling point, though it doesn’t seem to be a necessity among some of the great rivalries in the sport. Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon had a great rivalry based on two of the best drivers in the Top Fuel division battling during the peak years of their success, and the two drivers were always respectful to one another. In contrast, Dixon’s rivalry to Kenny and Brandon Bernstein during the “beer wars” was amplified by the pressure of respective sponsors Miller and Budweiser for each team to get the upper hand.

In the case of Pritchett and Force, no bad blood exists. They both acknowledge the excitement of the first all-female final round since Shirley Muldowney defeated Lucille Lee at the 1982 NHRA Springnationals in Columbus. The level of competitiveness that both teams have elevated to this season may foster more battles of the like.

“Brittany is a beautiful person inside and out,” said Pritchett. “The way the final went down couldn’t have been scripted better. I’m just happy to get the win for my team.”

"An all-female final round is huge and is something we both have wanted since we started our Top Fuel careers in 2013,” said Force. “I don't have one rival that I'm always going after. That's how you lose focus on doing your job and end up making mistakes. Every driver in the lane next to me on Sunday is my rival. Leah and I both wanted that Phoenix win, and we both went after it. I believe the real excitement is that the only two females in the class competed in a final at the second race of the season. I think that definitely foreshadows how our season could end up this year."

Below are some of the most storied rivalries of the past, most established ongoing rivalries, and battles that we predict might capture the hearts and minds of drag racing fans for years to come.

Top Fuel

Past: Don Garlits vs. Shirley Muldowney
Whether they were racing for all the marbles in the final round of a national event or they were in a two-out-of-three match race at a booked-in show, these two drag racing legends took winning and losing very seriously. Muldowney broke gender barriers while becoming a three-time world champion, and “Big Daddy” was the established star of the category when she began racing.

Present: Tony Schumacher vs. Doug Kalitta
Both drivers started their Professional careers in the late 1990s and have become some of the winningest drivers in class history. They will both be forever linked to one of the greatest moments in drag racing history when Schumacher made “The Run,” a national record e.t. in the final round of the final event of the 2006 season that awarded him the championship in favor of Kalitta, a champion in sprint car ranks who still seeks his first NHRA world title.

Future: Brittany Force vs. Leah Pritchett
Many comparisons are drawn to the two young female competitors who were raised in Southern California and recently staged an outstanding final at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Force belongs to a racing dynasty backed by Monster Energy with technical support from Alan Johnson, possibly the greatest tuner in the history of the class, and she is looking to establish herself with her first win. Pritchett is in her first season of competing on the whole series, though she has raced since she was 8 years old and has been a winner on every level — Jr. Dragsters, Nostalgia Funny Car, Pro Mod, and Top Fuel. Pritchett has a 4-2 advantage in head-to-head races against Force thus far.

Funny Car

Past: Don Prudhomme vs. Tom McEwen
It’s “the Snake” and “the Mongoose.” Toy manufacturing juggernaut Mattel got behind this rivalry that traveled around the country racing each other in the 1970s. Prudhomme is one of the most successful drivers in the history of the sport and particularly the Funny Car class. Though the on-track part of the rivalry was one-sided in Prudhomme’s favor, McEwen had the signature moment when he upset “the Snake” in the final round of the 1978 U.S. Nationals only 10 days after losing son Jamie to leukemia. Someone should make a movie about this.

Present: John Force vs. Cruz Pedregon
Pedregon started his Funny Car career as the pesky kid in the McDonald’s car who derailed Force’s 1992 title bid, the only driver between 1990 and 2002 to dethrone the 16-time champ. There is a different dynamic now that they are both in veteran status, and it is always fun to watch these two in action.

Future: John Force vs. Matt Hagan
Though Del Worsham and the Kalitta camp outplayed everyone in the Funny Car class last year, the biggest rivalry is still the John Force Racing organization against Don Schumacher Racing, and nowhere is that more represented than the battle between drivers Force and Hagan. During each of their last two championship runs, they battled each other to the very end.

Pro Stock

Past: Bob Glidden vs. Lee Shepherd
The Ford vs. Chevy rivalry pitted fans on different sides of this classic rivalry. The late Shepherd and the Texas-based Reher-Morrison team represented the bowtie brand against Ford-backed Glidden. “Mad Dog” was the first NHRA driver to get to 80 wins and 10 world championships, and nowhere was he more challenged during that span than during Shepherd’s four-title reign in the early 1980s.

Present: Erica Enders vs. Greg Anderson
Anderson was Enders’ biggest roadblock on her way to her first win, and teammate Jason Line took her down to the wire during her first championship season. Two of the most competitive, driven individuals in the class seem to bring it to another level when they face one another.

Future: Greg Anderson vs. Vincent Nobile
Nobile switched from KB Racing power and moved to the rival Elite Motorsports folder. Nobile is 10-8 against Anderson, often using his sharp skills on the starting line to frustrate the four-time Mello Yello champion.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

Past: Dave Schultz vs. John Myers
Given that the late Myers (pictured, right) was universally well-liked, the heat in this rivalry was between Schultz and Star Racing owner George Bryce. These two teams dominated an era of two-wheel racing in the early-to-mid 1990s.

Present: Harley-Davidson vs. Buell vs. Suzuki vs. Victory
This class has been defined by brand over the past decade. Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec have brought Harley-Davidson a whopping eight titles in the past 12 years. Their biggest rivals have been the riders with the strongest bikes with a V-Twin combination in recent years, whether it has been Matt Smith or Hector Arana Sr.

Future: Andrew Hines vs. Jerry Savoie
Savoie has been realizing the oft-toted big potential of the Suzuki combination. The Louisiana alligator farmer may be in position to give the Vance & Hines juggernaut a run for its money.