NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

BUY TICKETS

Keeping NHRA Fans Up to Date

Follow our coverage through our newly designed news and videos sections. Don't forget to follow our social media posts.

Can I get a Whit-ness?

The life and times of Whit Bazemore
04 Feb 2008
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
The CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals begin in three days and, for the first time since man invented the wheel, Whit Bazemore will not be participating in the season opener. Okay, so it's "only" been since 1994 that…
View More

The return of Five Fabulous Favorite Fotos

National Dragster photographer Marc Gewertz shares his favorite images
01 Feb 2008
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
I'm proud to introduce the second in a series of Five Fabulous Favorite Fotos, works of art captured by the drag racing photographers who prowl the sidelines of our sport and capture, for all eternity, the moments that makes…
View More

Pioneering in Pomona

John Collins and the Pioneer Express Datsun Funny Cars
30 Jan 2008
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
In case you haven't heard or have forgotten (yeah, right), the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals starts a week from tomorrow, the beginning to another glorious season of NHRA POWERade Drag Racing and the kickoff of…
View More

The good ol' days of magazines

Dick Wells tells Hot Rod stories; reader Don Nickles recalls shooting photos at Lions; 
23 Jan 2008
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
There probably isn't a week that we work here at National DRAGSTER that doesn't cause us to do some research from previous issues that date back 10, 15, 20, or more years, where we often come across the names of those who…
View More

Growing up boy, the sequel …

Readers share their childhood memories 
21 Jan 2008
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
I mentioned on Friday that y'all were hellraisers as kids, sharing all tales of boyhood shenanigans, and I seem to have hit on a common trait among drag fans. One of my best e-mail pals, Howard Hull, who grew up hawking…
View More

Growing up boy

Hot Wheels, model cars, fireworks, and more. Growing up as a boy was cool
16 Jan 2008
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
I still have the first cars I ever owned. Let's see, there's that 1967 sleek Corvette and an immaculate '57 T-Bird convertible. A pretty cool late '30s Cord. Yes, friends, those were some pretty hot wheels for a 9-year-old to own. And, of course,…
View More

Five Fabulous Favorite Fotos: Jerry Foss

National Dragster photographer Jerry Foss shares his favorite images
11 Jan 2008
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Even though I'm known as a writer, I consider myself a pretty fair photographer as well. Self-taught in my pre-NHRA days with decent results, I found out when I got here that I really didn't know as much as I…
View More

Top 10 lists, the one that got away ... and a white-knuckle SIMO

A Winternationals Top 10 list that almost got me fired; Don Ewald's tough Winternationals loss; Stuff in my Office: Riding a rollercoaster with John Force
09 Jan 2008
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Monday's entry about the Don Prudhomme/David Letterman Top 10 list brought back a painful memory from 1989, when the DRAGSTER staff concocted a story for the Winternationals souvenir issue that was a series of Top 10 lists…
View More

Snake's Top 10 ...and the return of SIMO

Top 10 reasons why Don Prudhomme retired; more Stuff in my Office: commemorative booze
07 Jan 2008
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Memories of Don Prudhomme's Final Strike season of 1994 keep rolling in, the latest from Bill Holland, the former National DRAGSTER Editor and successful advertising and marketing businessman who some of you may remember…
View More

Photo Follies Follow up

Reaction to Dec. 31, 2007 photos, including some Stone-Woods-Cook trivia; a look at the National Dragster photo archives
04 Jan 2008
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Response to Monday's "Photo Follies" entry was heart-warming and informative. Seems like a lot of you really dig seeing photos of old cars and, as noted by CSK bloggisimo Bob Wilber, there's something a little more "real" about seeing fan shots than…
View More

Phil's Photo Follies

My fan photos; New Years Eve with Bill Bader and the Mazis
31 Dec 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
My entry last Thursday showing the destruction of the Pomona tower mentioned another tower, located at the rear of the track, that some readers said they'd never seen, so I dug out this photo I took at the 1980…
View More

The Name Dropper

Pat Galvin, the "other" Ron Capps, and more Christmas Tree tales
29 Dec 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
I'm continually surprised by who drops by The Little Blog With The Deceptive Title, as old pals are coming out of the woodwork, including a couple of guys for whom I hold the utmost respect and to whom I still owe a great deal of thanks…
View More

Spreading Christmas cheer ... and more SIMO

Looking back at Christmas gifts past; Stuff in my office: Piece of the old Pomona tower
28 Dec 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
It's the day after the day after Christmas, when eyes get refocused on work for a couple of days before we ring in a new year and begin the countdown to the start of another season of racing. Christmas was pretty low-key this year. Every other…
View More

Twas the blog before Christmas

Putting a National Dragster spin on the classic "Twas the night before Christmas"
24 Dec 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Twas truly the night before Christmas, and between entertaining family and friends, wrapping gifts for the grandkids, and last-minute rushing around, I almost -- note almost -- forgot my Monday deadline. So I sat down, while the family went about…
View More

More Tree tales, the Mazi model, and Stuff In My Office

Gary Cagle knocks down the Tree (with a crowbar!); Fran Mazi Opel model; Stuff in my office: Don Prudhomme retirement toasting goblet
21 Dec 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Wednesday's Christmas (Tree) Story was a big hit and elicited a number of interesting comments from those who remember those early days, but none more interesting than the submission from Troy Cagle, whose father, Gary, was…
View More

A Christmas (Tree) Story

The story behind the drag racing's Chirstmas Tree, and the improvements since
19 Dec 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
(Top) Acrobatic flag starters were entertaining but human, and gave way at the 1963 Nationals to the Countdown Starter. (Above) Pictured at that event are Ed Eaton, left, NHRA’s national…
View More

Party time, NHRA-style

Holiday hijinks at the NHRA Holiday Party
14 Dec 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
It wouldn't be hard for long-time fans to reel off the list of differences between the NHRA of 1982 and the NHRA of today, but, as proved on Wednesday, as much as some things change, they remain the same. Wednesday was NHRA's annual holiday party…
View More

Hail to the King!

Reaction to the surprising retirement announcement by Kenny Bernstein
05 Dec 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
You'd think that I've been here long enough that nothing surprises me anymore, but I'm happy to say that's not the case, and yesterday's unexpected announcement from Kenny Bernstein that he was stepping out of the cockpit…
View More

“The Good Old Days?”

Former National Dragster editor Bill Holland looks back at how the publication was assembled back in the 1960s
03 Dec 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Bill Holland When I first slipped into the editor's chair at National DRAGSTER some 21 years ago, the hard work was already done. The 14 gentlemen who had preceded me at the top of the…
View More

Statistically speaking ...

Why stats are so important in drag racing; a look at the printing presses that produce National Dragster
28 Nov 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Let's face it: Numbers rule our lives. Pretty much every electronic device you own is programmed with a code based on two numbers (1 and 0) and let's not even get into having to memorize phone, PIN, driver's license, and…
View More

See you in the glue, friend

Longtime National Dragster staffer Todd Veney leaves the team to concentrate on his racing career.
13 Nov 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Todd Veney would never, ever write about himself. He'd rather, as he so eloquently stated, "jump off the Empire State building." So I guess I'm going to have to. Sorry Todd. Hey, this isn't going to be any easier for me…
View More

One nation, united for Wally

A celebration of the life of NHRA founder Wally Parks at the Auto Club NHRA Finals.
07 Nov 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Lined up just behind the starting line at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona were some of the biggest names in drag racing, past and present. Kenny Bernstein, Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins, Joe Amato, Dale…
View More

Tricks and treats

Prepping for the World Finals; remembering L.A. Times sports writer Shav Glick;
31 Oct 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
The pumpkin has been carved, the kids' and grandkids' costumes laid out, and a trip to the store is in order to replenish the candy we bought two weeks ago that somehow disappeared before the trick-or-treaters could get to…
View More

Writing made infinitely easier

The creative writing process is built on countless choices among infinite options.
22 Oct 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
(I lifted this drawing from the website of author Esther A. Lombardi, who has some great tips to beat writer's block here.)…
View More

What's your legacy?

05 Oct 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Before I begin today's column, please allow me to say … She bit hard and hiked the front end and was hookin' and bookin' for the other end, but kicked 'em loose, smoked the hoops, and got crossed up. I pedaled it and she stayed glued and hiked…
View More

"Now he belongs to the ages"

Reflecting on the passing of NHRA founder Wally Parks
03 Oct 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
I can't believe it's been five days since we lost Wally Parks. Then again, a part of me still can't believe that we have. Not to overstate the drama, but Wally's passing is going to be one of the memories where I say, "I…
View More

Travel Agent woes and more Force fan feedback

Funny Car racer Frank Mancuso talks about two memorable crashes in his Travel Agent flopper
28 Sep 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
This is supposed to be a column about National DRAGSTER and a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on to produce drag racing's only news weekly, but lately I'm finding that that one topic alone isn’t going to dominate this column. I've shared quite a…
View More

The healing power of words

Fan reactions to John Force's crash
25 Sep 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Well, I guess y'all sure do like John Force about as much as I do. After seeing what you did to help Ashley win the AOL Hottest Athlete poll, I reckon between us we could probably get John nominated for president, if not…
View More

Hurry back, Superman

Reacting to the news of John Force's near-career-ending crash at the 2007 Dallas event
23 Sep 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
It's Sunday night and I'm parked by the computer, cell phone inches from my hand, trying to stay on top of The John Force Situation. I've done all I can do for now. The Web site is updated with the latest information we have…
View More

Rumble Doll channels Cha-Cha

Singer/songwriter Patti Scialfa (wife of Bruce Springsteen) writes a song about Shirley Muldowney
15 Sep 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
I've been a Patti Scialfa fan since she married my all-time favorite rocker Bruce Springsteen, at first mostly because she was a Jersey girl of his own after the breakup of his head-scratching marriage to actress Julianne…
View More