NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

As part of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary celebration, an elite panel of Sportsman racing legends has collaborated to select the Top 50 Sportsman Racers from NHRA’s first 75 years.

The “Great Eight” Sportsman titans — Dan Fletcher, David Rampy, Peter Biondo, Luke Bogacki, Justin Lamb, Gary Stinnett, Jeff Taylor, and Austin Williams — who made the selections have combined for 411 NHRA national event victories and 35 world championships during their illustrious careers. Drawing from decades of competition and firsthand experience, the panel sifted through thousands of racers who have competed in NHRA Sportsman competition since the 1950s to assemble a list representing the very best from NHRA’s traditional Sportsman categories. (Top Alcohol competitors will be recognized separately in a future list.)

“The Top 50 Sportsman Racers program is a natural extension of the Top 75 Drivers list created earlier this year by a panel of drag racing experts,” said NHRA National Dragster Editor Phil Burgess. “While the Top 75 Drivers list included some Sportsman racers, it was understandably dominated by competitors from the Professional ranks, so we felt it was important to create a dedicated list focused exclusively on the achievements of Sportsman racers.

“And who better to evaluate the unique skills, accomplishments, and longevity required to succeed in Sportsman racing than a distinguished group of peers who have competed at the highest level and raced alongside many of these standout competitors? We’re grateful for the passion, thoughtfulness, and care each member of the panel brought to this project.”

The Top 50 Sportsman Racers list will be unveiled in groups of 10 over five consecutive Tuesdays beginning June 2.

Each racer named to the Top 50 Sportsman Racers list will receive a commemorative NHRA challenge coin recognizing their place among the most accomplished Sportsman competitors in NHRA history.