NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

BUY TICKETS

By The Numbers: Pro Stock readies for 900th event 'birthday' in Pomona

Pro Stock made its debut at the 1970 Winternationals and will celebrate its 900th competition event at this year’s Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com. Here's a look at some statistics from the first 899 events.
04 Feb 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Pro Stock
The popular Pro Stock class made its debut on Jan. 30, 1970 at the season-opening Winternationals and will celebrate its 900th competition event at this year’s NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season-opening Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals…
View More

That was then, this is now: A look back at the NHRA season 50 years ago

The 2022 NHRA season is already being hyped by racers and fans alike as a can’t-miss campaign, but let’s turn back the clock exactly 50 years and take a look back at the highlight-filled 1972 season.
28 Jan 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
1972
The 2022 NHRA season is already being hyped by racers and fans alike as a can’t-miss campaign, with new cars, sponsors, teams, and partnerships boosting car counts and intrigue to impressive levels. Because it’s what we do here at the Insider, let’s…
View More

90 for 90: Happy Birthday, Don Garlits

There’s never been another drag racer quite like Don Garlits, and there’s probably never going to ever be anyone like “Big Daddy.” The icon of our sport turned 90 years old Jan. 14, and we’re celebrating him with a massive 90-image photo gallery spanning his career.
14 Jan 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Swamp Rat I: Built on the framerails of a '31 Chevy passenger car that Garlits bought at a junkyard for $35 in 1956 90
Let’s admit it: There’s never been another drag racer quite like Don Garlits, and there’s probably never going to ever be anyone like “Big Daddy.” Heck, there’s probably no one else in the world exactly like Donald Glenn Garlits, who turns 90 years…
View More

Remembering the "other" Dick Venables and the "other" James Warren

Anyone who knows anything about drag racing knows the names of Dickie Venables and James Warren. But today we're going to acquaint you with the racing Dick Venables and James Warren that maybe you didn’t know, both of whom we lost in the last week of December. 
07 Jan 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Dick Venables
Anyone who knows anything about drag racing — and especially readers of this column — knows the names of Dickie Venables and James Warren. Venables is well known as a three-time (and counting) Funny Car world championship crew chief with Matt Hagan…
View More

Decembers to remember

Every December is a time to stop to reflect on the past 12 months: What went right, what went wrong, what we can do better in the next year. Or, if you're the author of a long-running column about drag racing history, a look back at some memorable December stories.
24 Dec 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Decembers to remember
It's late December, and we've all got a lot on our plates. Maybe you're thrashing on the hot rod in your garage before winter shuts you down for a few months, or maybe you're headed to a sunny beach somewhere to escape the cold. Or maybe you're…
View More

Don Garlits, Bob Taaffe, and the 72-hour car build that led to drag racing lore

Don Garlits' amazing win at the 1967 Nationals, so well remembered for his post-race starting-line beard shave, might not have been possible without Bob Taaffe, who helped "Big Daddy" build a new car in just 72 hours. Garlits remembers Taaffe after his recent passing.
17 Dec 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Don Garlits
“When the Godfather calls, you come running.” Fred Miller told me, joking about Don Prudhomme inviting him to come out from Florida to California for his…
View More

The Hot Rod Story

In 1952, hot rodding had a bad name. An NHRA pamphlet, the Hot Rod Story, set a blueprint for moving forward with a rallying call that reads almost like the Gettysburg Address of NHRA. You should read this to know from whence we came.
10 Dec 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
The Hot Rod Story
The 2021 NHRA season was a yearlong celebration of NHRA’s 70th anniversary, an opportunity for us to reflect on its humble beginnings and stand in awe of how big NHRA has grown from the seeds planted by a letter to Hot Rod magazine…
View More

More 'Lost' Photos found

More great photos from the National Dragster archives: Shirley Muldowney, Blaine Johnson, "Flash Gordon" Mineo, John Myers, Buster Couch, Al Hofmann, Richard Tharp, and many more!
03 Dec 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Dragster Insider
As the date of The Big Move approached in late October — timed horribly with our impending trip to Las Vegas — ND…
View More

Name That Funny Car

The annual Manufacturers Meet at Orange County Int'l Raceway in Southern California was a big deal back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, drawing the best of the best. But how many can you identify? We've got the answers!
26 Nov 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Name That Funny Car
Last week’s “lost photos” column inspired a ton of response from fans who remembered many of the subjects of the photos, but none drew more interest than the group photo of Funny Cars on the Orange County Int’l raceway track prior to the annual…
View More

Snakes, Mongooses, Rats, and Terrible Towels: Not just another photo collection

Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Tom McEwen, Roland Leong, Gary Beck, and more are part of an eclectic and interesting batch of rediscovered photos.
19 Nov 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Dragster Insider
Moving stinks. We all agree on that. But anyone who’s ever moved also knows that it’s a great way to find lost or forgotten things. Just look at the 1955 Nationals entry list…
View More

Finals Flashback: 1971 World Finals where upsets and breakage ruled the day

Take a 50-year trip back in history to relive the 1971 NHRA World Finals, where upsets winners and surprising breakage helped decide the world championships.
05 Nov 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
1971 World Finals
The 2021 season wraps up next weekend at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona with the Auto Club NHRA Finals, the 57th running of the race that’s colloquially best known as “the World Finals.”  From 1960 through 1964, NHRA’s world champions were…
View More

Found! 1955 Nationals entry list

On the eve of NHRA's historic 1,000th national event, a blast from the past: The official entry list for the 1955 National Championship Drags, NHRA's first national event, is like a time capsule for our sport, filled with legendary names from drag racing's early greats.
28 Oct 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
1955 Nationals entry list
I knew I had it somewhere, but where? Somewhere along the way, someone had given me a copy of the hand-typed official entry list for NHRA’s first national event, the 1955 National Championship Drags in Great bend, Kan., The Big One that got this…
View More

Of missing jackets, missing friends, missing columns, and moving on down the road

The return of the Dragster Insider includes the tale of the missing firesuit, memories of John "Tarzan" Austin and Dal Denton, and moving on from one NHRA home to another.
22 Oct 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Dragster Insider
Hello, Insider nation! Long time no see. Between running six national events in eight weeks, a bunch of travel, my “streamlined” staff, producing the biggest issue in NHRA National Dragster history (244 pages!), and the process of the big…
View More

From Calvin Rice to John Force, a look at the history of NHRA's all-time winners

One thing that likely will never change in our lifetimes is that John Force is the winningest driver in NHRA history (154 victories and counting), but he wasn't always the GOAT of winners. Here's a historical look back at NHRA's winningest drivers over the decades.
01 Oct 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
NHRA's Alltime winners
  A lot has happened since the last Dragster Insider column, including four straight weekends of national event racing (hence the column’s absence), but one thing that hasn’t changed, and likely will never change in our lifetimes, is…
View More

Indy 1971: 'The Great Burndown'

Staging battles are all the talk right now, but the most epic burndown in NHRA history happened in the Top Fuel final 50 years ago at the 1971 U.S. Nationals between Steve Carbone and "Big Daddy" Don Garlits.
27 Aug 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
The Great Burndown
Two weeks ago in Topeka, Pro Stock racers Bruno Massel and Mason McGaha set the internet ablaze with the controversy surrounding their three-and-a-half-minute starting-line staging duel, a battle that neither won after they were both disqualified…
View More

Can't beat the heat: Before Justin Ashley, there was the tale of Jim Harnsberger

A lot of people gasped when Justin Ashley had to withdraw from the Winternationals Top Fuel final due to heat exhaustion, but it wasn’t the first time that’s happened in NHRA Top Fuel history. Meet Jim Harnsberger, who had the same thing happen to him 50 years ago while preparing his car for the final.
06 Aug 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Jim Harnsberger
When Justin Ashley had to be pulled out of his car before the final round of Top Fuel at the summer Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals…
View More

A History of the Western Swing, 1989-2021

The NHRA Western Swing has been around since 1989, but this year, it has a new look and a shot at making some more history. Here's a detailed history of the Western Swing with a look back at those who have swept the Swing and those who have gotten close.
09 Jul 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Western Swing
When NHRA introduced the Western Swing in 1989 — a three-races-in-three-weekends test of technology and tenacity from the high-altitude climes of Denver to Northern California’s Sonoma Wine Country to Seattle in the Great Northwest — it was a real…
View More

Remembering Leslie Lovett

Twenty-five years ago, the NHRA world lost one of its finest people and greatest emissaries when National Dragster Photo Editor Leslie Lovett died of a heart attack, but his legacy and images continue to power and inspire the sport.
02 Jul 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Leslie Lovett 31
  Even 25 years later, I still want to cry.  On July 2, 1996 — a quarter-century ago today — the NHRA world lost one of its finest people and greatest emissaries when National Dragster Photo Editor Leslie Lovett died of…
View More

Shining the spotlight on Funny Car: 900 races, 92 winners, 23 champions

The Funny Car class hit its milestone 900th event last weekend in Epping. Here's a look back at the 92 winners, 23 champions, and interesting facts and trivia covering the class' history.
18 Jun 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Funny Car
It was less than two years ago — at the fall Las Vegas event in 2019 — that Top Fuel reached its 900-event milestone, and its nitro-burning little brother, Funny Car, reached the same…
View More

Book review: Drag Racing's Warren "the Professor" Johnson

A lot of people love Pro Stock. Kelly Wade LOVES Pro Stock. And she loves people, making her the perfect person to tackle the daunting task of chronicling the life and times of “the Professor,” Warren Johnson.
11 Jun 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Warren Johnson
  A lot of people love Pro Stock. Kelly Wade LOVES Pro Stock. The former NHRA National Dragster staffer turned drag racing public-relations pro began her passionate affair with the class early in her two-plus-year…
View More

More Tales From The Starting Line

When your dad loves both drag racing and photography, that's where you end up. Rick Bain shares his story of growing up shooting photos on the starting line of some iconic Southern California tracks. Plus: Autograph hunt!
04 Jun 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Dragster Insider
The tales about starting-line photography (mid)adventures from yours truly and others struck a nerve with many of you, some of who shared their stories. I really love these, because they resonate with a lot of us. Those heady early days at the…
View More

Winter is coming ... and so is another epic chapter of racing in Pomona

Winter is coming. That’s the watchword for Southern California fans as the fabled Winternationals is officially back on the schedule for the last weekend of July. Take a walk back through some other hot Pomona times from the past 60 years.
28 May 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Winter is coming
Winter is coming. That’s the watchword for Southern California fans as the fabled Winternationals is officially back on the schedule for the last weekend of July. I know … the Winternationals in the middle of summer? Weird, right? Then again,…
View More

Tales from the Finish Line

From flaming Funnies to flipping Pro Stockers, tumbling Top Fuelers, and acrobatic Alcohol Funny Cars, a fond look back at a career spent watching the drags from the finish line.
21 May 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Dragster Insider
As I mentioned in my last column, Tales From The Starting Line, I spent a lot of time shooting photos on the starting line at NHRA national events, backing up Leslie Lovett or Bill…
View More

Tales from the Starting Line

Access to the starting line at an NHRA national event for professional photographers is a coveted goal for many, offering a ringside seat to motorsports' most powerful experience. Here's the story of two ways to get there. (We recommend the first.)
07 May 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Starting line
The imminent closing of Atlanta Dragway after last weekend’s running of the final NHRA Southern Nationals brought back instant memories of the grief myself and my fellow Southern Californians went through with the closings of Lions Dragstrip,…
View More

They came from near and far to celebrate a legend and what he means to them

The friends of NHRA Drag Racing legend Don "the Snake" Prudhomme gathered recently to celebrate the nitro-racing icon on his 80th birthday.
23 Apr 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
A birthday cigar for "the Snake" 10
Richard Tharp flew in from Texas. Al Segrini made the trip from Massachusetts, stopping in Indy to pick up Tom Prock. “Waterbed Fred” Miller made the long trek from Florida. Ron Capps came from right around the corner. Dozens of longtime friends…
View More

The story of Swamp Rat 17: Don Garlits' most misunderstood Top Fueler

Don Garlits’ Swamp Rat 17, the Wynn’s Liner, had a very short life in 1973 and is roundly considered to be among the few disappointments of the more than 40 Swamp Rats he campaigned. Here's the story behind this most misunderstood car.
09 Apr 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Don Garlits
Earlier this year, I wrote a column about racecar experiments that didn’t come to fruition and cited, chief among them, Don Garlits’ Swamp Rat 17, the Wynn’s Liner, which had a…
View More

Remembering Ron Colson

If your association with drag racing goes back four decades, it’s a pretty good bet that you know who Ron Colson was, and a fairly good bet that your paths had crossed at one point. If you're newer to the sport, it's time you learned something about Colson, who passed away March 19.
26 Mar 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Dragster Insider
If your association with drag racing goes back four decades, it’s a pretty good bet that you know who Ron Colson was, and a fairly good bet that your paths had crossed at one point. Colson, who drove Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars for decades…
View More

Remembering Doug Thorley

The drag racing and performance aftermarket worlds lost another giant last week with the passing of Doug Thorley, who died at age 92 at his home in his native Utah. Here's a fond look back at his career.
19 Mar 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Doug Thorley
The drag racing and performance aftermarket worlds lost another giant last week with the passing of Doug Thorley, who died at age 92 at his home in his native Utah. Thorley not only created an aftermarket titan in Doug’s Headers in 1958 but also…
View More

NHRA and Hot Wheels: Together Again

Earlier this week, NHRA announced a partnership with Mattel’s Hot Wheels brand to bring NHRA-branded drag racing diecast cars to the mass market, the continuation of a relationship that began in 1970. Here's a look back at how it all got started.
05 Mar 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Hot Wheels
In case you missed it earlier this week, NHRA announced a partnership with Mattel’s Hot Wheels brand to bring NHRA-branded drag racing diecast cars to the mass market, a release that certainly…
View More

Fire and despair in the desert

It's one thing to lose a race car to fire on the dragstrip and another to lose it in a trailer fire on the way to the track. John Lombardo Jr. recounts the "surreal and unpleasant night" in 1984 when legendary Funny Car owner Joe Pisano's rig burned to the ground in the California desert.
26 Feb 2021
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Dragster Insider
  It's no secret that nitro Funny Car racing can be a perilous endeavor. Mechanical failures on nitromethane-burning engines have been around since the class' inception in the mid-1960s and are a foreseeable if not predictable result of…
View More