NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Sean Bellemeur clinched his third straight and sixth overall NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car world championship and was officially crowned at the Texas NHRA FallNationals during Friday qualifying.

Bellemeur, in a car owned by former world champion Tony Bartone and tuned by International Drag Racing Hall of Fame inductee Steve Boggs, has already scored six wins this season, including the U.S. Nationals, and a pair of regional wins to lock up the title.

Bellemeur earlier had won championships in 2018, ’19, and ’21 before his current three-peat, riding the consistent Boggs horsepower and Bartone ownership that led to the team being branded as “the Killer Bs.”

“You know, it seems like the better you do, the harder everybody comes for you, and we knew that new teams were coming and people were building new cars and they were shooting hard for us, but the Killer Bs stayed focused and didn’t get too far ahead of ourselves," said Bellemeur.

“We had a really great start to the season and had some adversity, but the team did what they do, and we just kept our heads down and stayed focused on the goal, and we did it together.

“Steve Boggs at 82 years old, and he's still so far ahead on the technology and what these cars want. It's been a special year with Steve getting inducted into the into the Hall of Fame, and me being named to the Top 75 Drivers, which still is unbelievable to me, and then to cap it off with the 75th anniversary world championship. It’s a dream season for sure."

Although he’ll again wear the big No. 1 next year, the competition was tough.

“Doug Gordon's always tough, but Shane Westerfield and that team built a new car this year, and it has been super fast, and they've been beating up on us too. There's a lot of really good cars out there. [Bob] McCosh’s car is fast, and Chris Foster's fast, and it's just a lot of good cars out there, and you can't take any of them for granted.

“I also know that in the blink of an eye, it can all be gone, and my dad gave me really good advice, which is, when they hand you a Wally or if they hand you a Wally, party like the first one you've ever gotten, but respect it like the last one you've ever get.”

"I remember being on the other side of this, thinking that I may never get to hold one of these Wallys, and I think about that a lot, and it makes me that much more appreciative of Tony Bartone and Steve and the whole team.”