Inaugural NHRA National Dragster All-Star Team honored at PRI trade show
The inaugural NHRA National Dragster All-Star Team was unveiled over the weekend at the Performance Racing Industry trade show in Indianapolis, with a live global audience watching the coronations on the NHRA stage. The program, created by the staff of NHRA's official magazine, was a huge hit. The roster is the result of more than 12,000 fan votes cast on NHRA.com in the weeks leading up to the show.
Newly crowned Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta was saluted as Pro Driver of the Year, while his Mac Tools team crew chiefs, Alan Johnson and Brian Husen, were named Pro Tuners of the Year.
Tony Stewart also walked out with a pair of the stylish acrylic All-Star trophies after first being named Top Alcohol Driver of the Year and later being honored as Person of the Year for his efforts to help promote NHRA throughout the motorsports community.
Sixteen-time NHRA Funny Car champ John Force was named Fan Favorite, while popular Top Fuel star Clay Millican’s wide-reaching online presence helped him win Best Social Media Account.
Mike Castellana (Pro Mod), Aaron Stanfield (Factory Stock), and Bruno Massel Jr. (Sportsman driver) were also named the tops of their fields by voters. 2023 Pro Stock Motorcycle world champ Gaige Herrera, who was not eligible for NHRA Rookie of the Year honors this season, nonetheless received the fan vote as Best New Pro Talent of the past four seasons.
Jerry Bickel Race Cars was named Racecar Builder of the Year, while reinvigorated Maple Grove Raceway was voted Track of the Year.
"We're so proud of the acceptance, recognition, and excitement that the NHRA National Dragster All-Star Team generated in its first year," said National Dragster Editor Phil Burgess. "The fans did an amazing job of turning out and voting and the sheer number of votes cast and wrote-in ballots submitted proved to us that being a member of the team was a coveted and sought-after honor.
"We're already looking for helping create the 2024 team and building upon the lessons and buzz that the inaugural team selection created. Thanks to all of the teams who helped amplify the voting through their social media channels and, again, to the fans, for turning out in hige numbers to help us select a team of which we can all be proud."
Below is the complete roster, with links to individual stories and acceptance speeches linked within.