National Hot Rod Association | |
---|---|
Venue | Great Bend Municipal Airport (1955) Kansas City Missouri (1956) Oklahoma State Fairgrounds (1957–1958) Detroit Dragway (1959–1960) Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (1961–present) |
Location | Brownsburg, Indiana, U.S. 39°48′46″N86°20′27″W / 39.81278°N 86.34083°W |
Corporate sponsor | Toyota |
First race | 1955 |
Previous names | U.S. Nationals |
The Toyota U.S. Nationals (commonly The Big Go) is an NHRA-sanctioned drag racing event, generally considered to be the most prestigious drag racing event in the world due to its history, size, and purse, held annually at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Brownsburg, Indiana. [1]
Traditionally a Labor Day weekend event, the eliminations are usually held on Monday, but moved to Sunday in 2020 and 2021 because of logistics as a result of the coronavirus pandemic compacted the NHRA schedule and for live television purposes (the final round airs live on Fox), and is the longest-running Labor Day motorsports event in the United States, a distinction it earned in 2004. The U.S. Nationals air on the Fox broadcast network under the current broadcast contract.
The first edition of the NHRA Nationals was held at the Great Bend Municipal Airport in Great Bend, Kansas in 1955. The event moved first to [2] Oklahoma City's Oklahoma State Fairgrounds for the "4th annual National Championship Drag Races Sponsored by the National Hot Rod Association" in 1958, then moved to Detroit Dragway in Detroit, Michigan for 1959-1960 before moving to Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1961, and has remained there ever since, after a verbal deal was made between NHRA founder and Board Chairman Wally Parks and the then-owners of the track. In 1979, the NHRA bought the entire complex. In 2006, it was renamed O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, after auto parts supplier O'Reilly Auto Parts purchased naming rights. In 2011, Lucas Oil purchased the rights, renaming the venue Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis but then in 2022 it was renamed Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Year | Top Fuel Dragster (TF/D) | Top Fuel Funny Car (TF/FC) | Pro Stock | Pro Stock Motorcycle |
---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | Pete Robinson (Top Eliminator) [3] | |||
1962 | Jack Chrisman (Top Eliminator) [4] | |||
1963 | Robert Vodnik [5] | |||
1964 | Don "Big Daddy" Garlits | |||
1965 | Don "The Snake" Prudhomme | |||
1966 | Mike Snively [6] | |||
1967 | Don Garlits | Doug Thorley [7] | Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins [8] | |
1968 | Don Garlits | |||
1969 | Don Prudhomme | Danny Ongais | ||
1970 | Don Prudhomme | Don Schumacher | Herb McCandless | |
1971 | Steve Carbone | Ed "The Ace" McCulloch | Ronnie Sox | |
1972 | Gary Beck | Ed McCulloch | Ray Allen | |
1973 | Gary Beck | Don Prudhomme | Bob Glidden | |
1974 | Marvin Graham | Don Prudhomme | Bob Glidden | |
1975 | Don Garlits | Raymond Beadle | Wayne Gapp | |
1976 | Richard Tharp | Gary Burgin | Wally Booth | |
1977 | Dennis Baca | Don Prudhomme | "Dyno Don" Nicholson | |
1978 | Don Garlits | Tom "Mongoo$e" McEwen | Bob Glidden | |
1979 | Kelly Brown | Gordie Bonin | Bob Glidden | Terry Vance |
1980 | Terry Capp | Ed McCulloch | Lee Shepherd | |
1981 | Johnny Abbot | Raymond Beadle | Lee Shepherd | |
1982 | Shirley Muldowney | Billy Meyer | Frank Iaconio | |
1983 | Gary Beck | Kenny Bernstein | Bob Glidden | |
1984 | Don Garlits | Jim Head | Warren Johnson | |
1985 | Don Garlits | John Lombardo | Bob Glidden | Terry Vance |
1986 | Don Garlits | Mike Dunn | Bob Glidden | Terry Vance |
1987 | Joe Amato | Kenny Bernstein | Bob Glidden | Dave Schultz |
1988 | Joe Amato | Ed McCulloch | Bob Glidden | |
1989 | Darrell Gwynn | Don Prudhomme | Larry Morgan | John Myers |
1990 | Joe Amato | Ed McCulloch | Jerry Eckman | Dave Schultz |
1991 | Kenny Bernstein | Jim White | Darrel Aldermann | Jim Bernard |
1992 | Ed McCulloch | Cruz Pedregon | Warren Johnson | Dave Schultz |
1993 | Pat Austin | John Force | Warren Johnson | Dave Schultz |
1994 | Connie Kalitta | Cruz Pedregon | Warren Johnson | Dave Schultz |
1995 | Larry Dixon | Cruz Pedregon | Warren Johnson | Rick Ward |
1996 | Cory McClenathan | John Force | Kurt Johnson | John Myers |
1997 | Jim Head | Whit Bazemore | Kurt Johnson | John Myers |
1998 | Gary Scelzi | John Force | Mike Edwards | Matt Hines |
1999 | Cory McClenathan | Frank Pedregon | Warren Johnson | Matt Hines |
2000 | Tony Schumacher | Jim Epler | Jeg Coughlin Jr. | Antron Brown |
2001 | Larry Dixon | Whit Bazemore | Greg Anderson | Angelle Seeling |
2002 | Tony Schumacher | John Force | Jeg Coughlin Jr. | Angelle Savoie |
2003 | Tony Schumacher | Tim Wilkerson | Greg Anderson | Reggie Showers |
2004 | Tony Schumacher | Gary Densham | Greg Anderson | Antron Brown |
2005 | Larry Dixon | Del Worsham | Greg Anderson | Steve Johnson |
2006 | Tony Schumacher | Robert Hight | Greg Anderson | Matt Smith |
2007 | Tony Schumacher | Mike Ashley | Dave Connolly | Craig Treble |
2008 | Tony Schumacher | Robert Hight | Dave Connolly | Steve Johnson |
2009 | Tony Schumacher | Ashley Force Hood | Jeg Coughlin Jr. | Hector Arana |
2010 | Larry Dixon | Ashley Force Hood | Greg Stanfield | L.E. Tonglet |
2011 | Antron Brown | Mike Neff | Greg Anderson | L.E. Tonglet |
2012 | Tony Schumacher | Mike Neff | Dave Connolly | Andrew Hines |
2013 | Shawn Langdon | Robert Hight | Mike Edwards | John Hall |
2014 | Richie Crampton | Alexis DeJoria | Shane Gray | Eddie Krawiec |
2015 | Morgan Lucas | Jack Beckman | Erica Enders-Stevens | Jerry Savoie |
2016 | Tony Schumacher | Matt Hagan | Chris McGaha | Andrew Hines |
2017 | Steve Torrence | J.R. Todd | Drew Skillman | Eddie Krawiec |
2018 | Terry McMillen | J.R. Todd | Tanner Gray | LE Tonglet |
2019 | Doug Kalitta | John Force | Alex Laughlin | Jerry Savoie |
2020 | Shawn Langdon | Jack Beckman | Erica Enders | Scotty Pollacheck |
2021 | Steve Torrence | Tim Wilkerson | Erica Enders | Eddie Krawiec |
2022 | Antron Brown | Ron Capps | Greg Anderson | Matt Smith |
2023 | Antron Brown | Ron Capps | Matt Hartford | Matt Smith |
2024 | Clay Millican | Austin Prock | Aaron Stanfield | Gaige Herrera |
Year | Top Gas (Dragster {TG/D}, Funny Car {TG/FC}, Eliminator {TGE}) |
---|---|
1959 | "Ohio George" Montgomery [9] |
1960 | George Montgomery |
1961 | George Montgomery |
1962 | |
1963 | "Ohio George" Montgomery |
1964 | |
1965 | |
1966 | |
1967 | |
1968 | George Montgomery [10] |
1969 | George Montgomery [11] |
1970 | |
1971 | George Montgomery [12] |
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a governing body which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorsport sanctioning body in the world.
Donald Glenn Garlits is an American race car driver and automotive engineer. Considered the father of drag racing, he is known as "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. A pioneer in the field of drag racing, he perfected the rear-engine Top Fuel dragster, an innovation motivated by the loss of part of his foot in a dragster accident. This design was notably safer since it put most of the fuel processing and rotating parts of the dragster behind the driver. The driver was placed in front of nearly all the mechanical components, thus protecting him and allowing him to activate a variety of safety equipment in the event of catastrophic mechanical failure or a fire. Garlits was an early promoter of the full-body, fire-resistant Nomex driving suit, complete with socks, gloves, and balaclava.
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is an auto racing facility in Brownsburg, Indiana, about 10 miles (16 km) northwest of downtown Indianapolis. It includes a 0.686 mi (1.104 km) oval track, a 2.500 mi (4.023 km) road course, and a 4,400-foot (1,300 m) drag strip which is among the premier drag racing venues in the world. The complex receives about 500,000 visitors annually.
Memphis International Raceway was an auto racing park located near the Loosahatchie River in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, approximately ten miles south of Millington, and a few miles north of the city of Memphis.
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Summit Motorsports Park, formerly Norwalk Raceway Park and Norwalk Dragway, is a drag racing facility located at 1300 State Route 18 near Norwalk, Ohio. It has been a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) sanctioned facility since 2007 and annually hosts the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals an NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Event and the Cavalcade of Stars, an NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Regional Event. As well as the national events, the facility holds regular local competition throughout the season.
The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, located in Fair plex, Los Angeles County, houses a collection of memorabilia, automobiles, and motorcycles related to the sport of hot-rodding.
Summit Racing Equipment is an automotive parts retailer with four retail stores and distribution centers located in Tallmadge, Ohio; Sparks, Nevada; McDonough, Georgia; and Arlington, Texas. Summit Racing Equipment is also involved in motorsports and other events as a sponsor.
The Wally is the trophy awarded to winners of an NHRA national event. They have been handed out at national events starting with the 1969 NHRA race season. With an antique brass plating over a standard metal mix and a solid walnut base, the "Wally" is 18 inches tall and weighs 12 pounds. Contrary to popular belief, the Wally trophy does not feature Parks himself, but is rather modeled after Top Gas racer Jack Jones. According to the June 30, 1995 edition of National Dragster, in early 1969 Jack Jones was at his day job, and got a call from Wally Parks. Parks asked him if he would be willing to pose for pictures for a trophy at Pomona Raceway. Pomona is a 16 minute ride from Glendora where the NHRA is based. Jack agreed and a number of pictures were snapped, including the now iconic photo of him with his safety equipment and a tire. Later that year, the famous Wally trophy was introduced. It is the same design as in 1969.
The state of Indiana is home to two major professional sport franchises, and a number of college sports teams. Indiana is also prominent in auto racing.
Doug “Cookie" Cook was an American drag racer.
The NHRA Summernationals, hosted by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), was an annual drag racing event held from 1970 to 1992, 2002 to 2017 and again in 2020, mostly at the Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey.
The 2020 NHRA Drag Racing Series was announced on May 14, 2019.
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