Comparing great seasons: Force vs. Anderson vs. Schumacher vs. Herrera vs. 'Snake'
Gaige Herrera's championship-winning season in Pro Stock Motorcycle was the best in class history, but how does it stack up against the other by-class greats, including Don Prudhomme's amazing 1976 Funny Car season? Let's find out.
Newly crowned Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Gaige Herrera had a season for the ages, scoring 11 times in 15 events to set a new class record and also set another record for most No. 1 qualifying efforts (14 of 15) that will go in the…
A look back at some thrilling winner-take-all championship-winning final rounds
Just five times in NHRA Professional-class racing has the final round of the season finale been a winner-take-all for the championship, including Top Fuel at last weekend's In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals. Here's a look back at those five nailbiters.
Drag racing, by its very nature, is a series of single-elimination contests. Win and move on to the next round; lose and go home. But what about when there is no next round, when the final round is the final round of the season, and the two…
A tale of two Walts
When it comes to famous Walts in the world, movie lovers have Walt Disney, bookworms have Walt Whitman, and basketball fans have Walt Frazier. Drag racing recently lost two of its favorite Walts, Walt Austin and Walt Stevens, within a month over September and October.
When it comes to famous Walts in the world, movie lovers have Walt Disney, bookworms have Walt Whitman, and basketball fans have Walt Frazier. Drag racing recently lost two of its favorite Walts, Walt Austin and Walt Stevens, within a month over…
Blast From the Past: More fire burnouts
If the volume of email is any indicator, fire burnouts, which were made illegal decades ago, are still very much a hot topic among race fans of yore who witnessed the planned pyrotechnics on dragstrips across the nation.
If the volume of email is any indicator, fire burnouts are still very much a hot topic among race fans of yore who witnessed the planned pyrotechnics on dragstrips across the nation.
Following up on my…
Flaming hot magazine covers, cooked to order, sometimes overcooked
And as long as there have been photographers submitting photos to publications, they’re all in pursuit of the Holy Grail known as the elusive “cover shot," and for drag racing magazines, that meant a fire burnout (back when they were still legal). Here's the story of one that went amusingly wrong.
As long as there have been drag racing magazines, there have been photographers itching to illustrate their pages with the photos of far-away dragstrips you may never visit and cars that you may never see at your local track doing things that you…
500 races and counting: A short history of NHRA's Pro Stock Motorcycle class
The Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals marked the 500th Pro Stock Motorcycle race of the modern era, which began in 1987 with the crowning of the first world champion, Dave Schultz. Here's a quick history of the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class from 1987 to present.
The Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals marked the 500th Pro Stock Motorcycle race of the modern era, which began in 1987 with the crowning of the first world champion, Dave Schultz.
(Prior to 1986, the class was contested only sporadically,…
It was just another case of Indy magic, courtesy of Ron Capps and 'the Snake'
Ron Capps' Funny Car victory at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals brought a tear to the eye of many — Capps included — as well as the thousands of Don Prudhomme fans around the globe.
In 41 straight years of attending the NHRA U.S. Nationals, I’ve stockpiled a ton of memories from the Big Go, far too many to detail here, but Ron Capps’ win in his Don Prudhomme/Hot Wheels tribute car at this year’s event probably easily cracks my…
When it comes to 300 mph, I feel The Need: The Need To Talk about Speed
The old saying, "Speed is not just about going fast; it's about going faster than anyone else” certainly applies to drag racing. As we sit on the cusp of the first 300-mph eighth-mile pass, here’s a look back at the history of speed in drag racing.
At last year’s Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, Brittany Force’s David Grubnic-tuned Monster Energy Top Fueler reached a speed of 299.73 after covering just 660 feet of racetrack, falling just shy of the magic and lucrative 300-mph speed.…
Drag books, drag movies, drag nicknames, and heroes that we’ve lost
In this week's Dragster Insider, we get a first look at a new Funny Car book and the proposed "Big Daddy" Don Garlits movie, take a look at drag racing nicknames, and offer remembrances of a trio of nitro racers who recently left us.
The Western Swing is history, and my bags are unpacked for a couple of weeks, allowing me to play a little catchup. A lot has happened since my last column three weeks ago, so here we go.
Steve Reyes’ newest drag racing history book arrived…
Girl power! The big list of female firsts in NHRA Drag Racing history
In no other motorsport have women accomplished as much as they have in NHRA Drag Racing. The female drivers of the NHRA have racked up scores of firsts in the sport that place them head and shoulders above their peers in other motorsports. Here's a look at some of those firsts.
Lauren Freer earned a piece of NHRA history at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk when she became the first woman to win in two classes at an NHRA national event. Freer, who previously had collected four wins, scored first in…
The Dual-Fuel Club: 18 drivers who have won in both Top Fuel and Funny Car
Eighteen Funny Car drivers have done something that even the great John Force never has (and likely never will) do: Win in both Funny Car and Top Fuel. With his Funny Car win at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Blake Alexander became the latest driver to win in both classes at an NHRA national event.
Eighteen Funny Car drivers have done something that even the great John Force never has (and likely never will) do: Win in both Funny Car and Top Fuel. With his Funny Car win at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Blake Alexander became the…
The 10: Don Garlits
Drag racing legend Don Garlits will be the grand marshal at this weekend's inaugural Wally Parks NHRA Nostalgia Nationals in Bowling Green, Ky. Here's a look at 10 magical moments from the career of "Big Daddy."
In 2001, as part of its 50th-anniversary celebration, NHRA created a list of the Top 50 Drivers of its first 50 years, with a panel of experts weighing in based on criteria that included on…
Getting off a fast start: A historic look at early-season dominators
Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Gaige Herrera has won the first three events of the 2023 campaign, marking only the 13th time in NHRA history that a driver won three or more events to start a season. Here's a historical look back at other fast starts to seasons.
The NHRA world is abuzz this season with the fast start of second-year Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Gaige Herrera,…
John Jodauga's illustrations, words, and spirit were part of the NHRA for 50 years
John Jodauga, the talented motorsport artist, longtime former member of the NHRA National Dragster staff, and the man with the most mispronounced last name in motorsports, passed away May 11, and he and his artwork are remembered by his friends and colleagues.
John Jodauga, the talented motorsport artist, longtime former member of the NHRA National Dragster staff, and the man with the most mispronounced last name in motorsports, left us last week, passing away May 11 at age 77 after a…
From Half Day to Route 66, from 'the Greek' to 'Wilk,' an Illinois drag racing primer
Next weekend, the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will take its official return to Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., to continue the state’s 70-year love affair with drag racing.
Next weekend, the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will take its official return to Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., to continue the state’s 70-year love affair with drag racing.
According to Mel Bayshore’s encyclopedic…
From Sweden with love: An artistic salute to Funny Cars of the 1970s and '80s
Swedish artist Lars “Loors” Svensson has created a very cool 1970s Funny Car poster that faithfully shows the flanks and noses of 24 recognizable floppers. It's his tribute to those colorful and memorable cars of the era.
A few years ago, I wrote a Dragster Insider column about drag racing fans who collected shards of shattered Funny Car body parts to adorn their man caves. Funny Cars were much more…
Remembering Bill Mullins
Veteran racer Bill Mullins, the only driver in NHRA history to win in Top Gas, Top Alcohol Dragster, and Top Fuel, passed away April 10 at age 88, and his story and life are remembered here.
Over the course of 40-plus years on the job, you meet a lot of racers. The overwhelming majority of them are nice, friendly, and open and accommodating of our probing and sometimes difficult questions. And then there was Bill Mullins, Southern…
The Magnificent 11: The short list of non-U.S. born racers to qualify No. 1
At the recent NHRA Arizona Nationals, Cristian Cuadra became the first Mexican-born racer to qualify No. 1 in a Pro class at an NHRA national event. Only 10 other non-U.S.-born racers have accomplished the feat. These are their stories.
The Insider is back in the saddle after back-to-back weekends in Phoenix and Pomona, and it was Phoenix and the final NHRA Arizona Nationals that provided the genesis for today’s column. Before we get there, let me tip my hat to the history of…
Remembering Doug Kerhulas and Dave Hough
It’s been a sad parade of losses in the sport here lately, but two recent ones struck deep nerves as we lost 1980s Top Fuel star Doug Kerhulas and Fuel Altered icon Dave Hough in the span of 10 days.
It’s been a sad parade of losses in the sport here lately, but two recent ones struck deep nerves with me as we lost 1980s Top Fuel star Doug Kerhulas and Fuel Altered icon Dave Hough in the span of 10 days.
As a young fan in the 1970s in…
Remembering Walt Rhoades
Walt Rhoades, who had a successful NHRA career in nitro-, alcohol-, and gas-burning dragsters, passed away earlier this week, bringing to a close an amazingly diverse career.
Whether you love your dragsters with nitro in the tank, alcohol flowing through the fuel lines, or gasoline combusting in the cylinder, Walt Rhoades was probably your kind of guy. Rhoades, who had a successful NHRA career in nitro-, alcohol-,…
More early-1970s Funny Cars
The Funny Cars of the early 1970s were a wild breed, with everything from Volkswagen Beetles to Ford Mavericks and Pintos to GTOs and topless Corvettes rolling down the highway to match races near and far.
Last week’s roundup of East Coast Funny Car heroes of the early 1970s stampeding across their home turf included a promise to showcase the out-of-town competition, too, the…
East Coast Funny Cars of the 1970s
The West Coast may have been Ground Zero for the Funny Car population explosion of the late 1960s and early 1970s, but the East Coast also had its share of memorable early floppers. Here's a look back at some of those wild rides.
Funny Car icon Bruce Larson: NHRA's original triple-threat Pro driver
When Alex Laughlin, the new driver of Jim Dunn’s Funny Car, races at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, he’ll become just the second driver in NHRA history to have competed in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock at an NHRA national event. Meet Bruce Larson, who did it 30 years before.
When Alex Laughlin, the new driver of Jim Dunn’s Funny Car, takes the green light for his class debut in qualifying at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, he’ll become just the second driver in NHRA history to have competed in…
Frank Mancuso: Some good trips and some bad ones for the 'Travel Agent' driver
For every Don Prudhomme and John Force, there's a Funny Car guy who never quite made it to the top, but nevertheless was part of the fabric of the sport. Meet Frank Mancuso, whose Travel Agent Funny Car experienced the ups and downs of the sport.
When it comes to 1970s and ‘80s Funny Cars, especially the privateers and “low-buck” cars, I know I have a “West Coast bias.” Guilty as charged. I grew up at Irwindale Raceway and OCIR, so you can’t blame me, but I know that for every…
NHRA history: Is it real or Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial intelligence has come a long way and plays a role in our daily lives, but what does it know about NHRA Drag Racing history? Let's find out!
Whether you like it or not, the robots are here. They have been for years, assembling everything from your cars to your cupcakes faster and probably more precisely than any human. You probably got your first real taste of processor power with…
Fifty years ago: A look back at the highlights from the 1973 NHRA season
Fifty years ago may seem like a long time ago to some, but for many loyal followers of this column, it’s either about the time you started getting hooked on the sport of, for our less-senior members of the Insider Nation, it’s that wonderful place to dream of having been.
Fifty years ago may seem like a long time ago to some, but for many loyal followers of this column, it’s either about the time you started getting hooked on the sport of, for our less-senior members of the Insider Nation, it’s that wonderful place…
All the world was a colorful Circus when Bob Gerdes painted race cars
When it came to painting race cars, Bob Gerdes was the East Coast's Rembrandt, especially in the 1970s heyday of Funny Car. We lost Gerdes Jan. 2, but offer a fond look back at his history and the magic captured at his shop, Circus Custom Paints.
Although today's performances and packed fields might make an argument otherwise, for many (including most readers of this column, I’d surmise), the glory days of the Funny Car class were the early- to mid-1970s. It wasn't just the sheer number of…
A Little Christmas Miracle
Now that all the drama has died down and the worry beads have mostly been put away, I'd like to share my little Christmas miracle with you.
Over the last 15 years in this column, I've had the honor of eulogizing a lot of drag racers…
Top Fuel dynasties: Torrence, Schumacher, Dixon, Garlits, Amato, Shirley, Beck
Brittany Force’s 2022 championship season brought to an end one of the most dominating eras in Top Fuel drag racing as Steve Torrence’s four-year reign as world champion was finally ended. But how does Torrence's streak compare to some of the other great Top Fuel domination in history?
Brittany Force’s 2022 championship season brought to an end one of the most dominating eras in Top Fuel drag racing as Steve Torrence’s four-year reign as world champion was finally ended.
In his 2018 through 2021 championship seasons, Torrence…
Some top-shelf books that every drag racing history fan should check out
Looking for ways to learn more about the history of the sport you love so much? Here are four new books covering a good chunk of drag racing history that would go nicely on your bookshelf or make a fine holiday present.
Great American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “A man is known by the books he reads,” and if that’s true, you know me as a lover of drag racing history and people. Well, if you’ve been around this library very long, you probably already…