NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

NHRA will salute the members of its prestigious Top 75 Drivers list by presenting diamond-shaped commemorative awards to living members at NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series events throughout its 75th anniversary season in 2026.

The three-inch by two-inch optical diamond memento, created by Crown Awards, features intricately cut facets surrounding a raised area upon which the NHRA 75th Anniversary logo is laser-etched along with the name of each of the Top 75 drivers, and will be presented in a blue satin-lined gift box.

NHRA legends Joe Amato, Kenny Bernstein, Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Don Prudhomme, Darrell Gwynn, and Frank Hawley will be presented with their keepsakes at the upcoming season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

The Top 75 Drivers list is a roll call of legends whose achievements have defined and elevated the sport. In 2001, as the NHRA marked its 50th anniversary, a panel of experts gathered to select the 50 greatest drivers in the organization’s early history. This original Top 50 highlighted pioneers, barrier-breakers, record-setters, and world champions whose contributions stretched from NHRA’s founding days through the turn of the millennium. The names on that original list are synonymous with drag racing excellence and formed the foundation for the list.

For its 75th anniversary, NHRA recognized that the last quarter-century had produced a new wave of superstar drivers. From 2000 to 2025, the sport evolved in many ways that differentiate it from its first 50 years, so another select group of NHRA experts was convened to expand the original list, carefully evaluating achievements, championships, records, and the impact each driver had on the sport.

After rigorous debate and analysis, 25 drivers were chosen to join the original 50, thus creating the Top 75 list. The original Top 50 remained intact, and the new additions reflect the sport’s explosive growth and the remarkable talents who have fueled the sport over the last 25 years.

The Top 75 NHRA Drivers list is a living tribute to the drivers who have propelled the sport forward and honors the legends of the past and the heroes of the present.