NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Five-time and reigning NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion Sean Bellemeur became the 26th and most recent driver in NHRA history to reach the 50-win national event milestone with his victory at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

Bellemeur finished ahead of Phil Esz, Bob McCosh Jr., and Chris Foster in the four-wide finale. The Killer Bs team (owner Tony Bartone, tuner Steve Boggs, and Bellemeur) has won the last 10 of 12 races at zMAX and was runner-up at the other two.

Bellemeur, a four-time NHRA U.S. Nationals winner who recently was named to the Top 75 Drivers list from NHRA’s first 75 years, is only the third driver, behind Frank Manzo and Pat Austin, to collect 50 Top Alcohol Funny Car national event victories. Manzo finished his career with 104 wins in the class (plus one in Pro Comp), while Austin collected 70 in the class, plus five wins in Top Fuel. Pro Stock icon Bob Glidden was the first racer in NHRA history to reach 50 wins, accomplishing it at Texas Motorplex in the fall of 1986.

The Motorplex was the site of Bellemeur’s first two wins, scored back-to-back in 2015 and 2016 after joining the Bartone team. He has scored at least two wins every season since (save for the COVID-shortened 2020 season). He has scored a career high of seven wins in three different seasons (2018, 2019, and 2024), all of which led to championships, and also won the season title in 2021 and 2025, where he scored six and five wins, respectively.

“I remember the first win like it was yesterday, and it seems like the more you win, the harder they're coming for you, but the way it went down this year in Charlotte, running low e.t. in the final, that's the cherry on top,” he said of the car’s blistering 5.38 pass.

“This team was very, very good, but long before I got there, and just the fact that I've been able to be along for the ride the past few years has been a lucky-me moment. The one thing that has really stuck with me all these years is how every person on this team is still striving to get better and always looking for ways to improve with personnel and equipment. Tony is just the greatest owner, making sure we have everything we need, and Steve just keeps working hard; he’s 82 years old and never stops.

“I continuously go back to being a little boy around the Alcohol Funny Car that my dad was partner in, and looking in the side window and seeing a roll cage and steering wheel and wondering what it would be like to get to sit in one, let alone drive one, let alone have the success that we've had. That's what keeps me coming back, and that's the part that keeps me hungry. I still get excited about driving, and I love to do it, and I love the people around it."