The salute continues: NHRA's Top 25 Alcohol Drivers, Part 4
NHRA’s 75th Anniversary salute to its racers continues with the next collection of great racers, a list of NHRA’s Top 25 Alcohol Drivers.
Much in the same way as the previously released Top 75 Drivers and Top 50 Sportsman Racers lists, the celebration of more than two dozen of the sport’s greatest Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car racers was created by a panel of racing experts from all walks of the sport, including journalists, historians, and former racers.
These amazing talents are being celebrated with a special medallion presented at future NHRA national events.
The list will be unveiled on five consecutive Tuesdays, continuing today, with five drivers added each time. Here's the fourth group, presented alphabetically.
BRAD ANDERSON
Brad Anderson’s record of 24 NHRA national event victories and three Top Alcohol Funny Car world championships only begins to measure his impact. Beyond his driving success, Anderson revolutionized the class through Brad Anderson Enterprises, whose cylinder heads powered many of the alcohol ranks’ top performers throughout the 1980s.
After beginning in Stock and Comp competition, Anderson transitioned to Alcohol Funny Car and won his first national event at the 1981 NHRA Winternationals. He quickly became the class standard, winning championships in 1984, 1985, and 1989. At his peak, “Bad Brad” posted a remarkable 23-2 record in 1984, won the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals three times, and reached 40 national finals. His final victory came at the 1990 NHRA Arizona Nationals.
Anderson’s influence continued through his family. Son Randy won two championships, while daughter Shelly advanced to Top Fuel. Today, grandchildren Madison and Toby Payne continue the Anderson family’s winning NHRA tradition.
TOM CONWAY
The 1989 and 1993 Top Alcohol Dragster world champion scored 19 national event wins in a decorated driving career and collected 36 divisional wins that led to eight Division 4 championships. When his driving career was over in the late 2000s, he ranked fourth on the all-time Top Alcohol Dragster win list.
The soft-spoken Oklahoman did most of his winning as a driver with a blown combination and put other drivers in the winner’s circle with an injected nitro tune-up. He became one of the great tuners and talent scouts in the sport, tuning drivers in his own car or in theirs, including the likes of Shelly Howard, Shawn Langdon, Morgan Lucas, Jay Meyer, Lee Callaway, Monroe Guest, Kate Harker, Nancy Matter, Kimmelyn Buff-Pesz, Rick Lewelling, Jason Cannon, Travis Nicholson, and his own son, Shane.
Most notably, Conway earned another championship with future Top Fuel star Steve Torrence behind the wheel in 2005.
CHRIS DEMKE
Valencia, Calif.-based software engineer Chris Demke began working as a crewmember for Peen Rite team owner Jerry Maddern in the early 1990s, and after earning his Super Comp license at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School, he got the opportunity to drive a five-second, 275-mph supercharged dragster and has since forged one of the most successful careers in the history of the class.
For Demke, the 2010s could easily be defined as a “decade of dominance,” as between 2010 and 2019, he claimed 20 NHRA national event wins in Top Alcohol Dragster, including an Indy victory and five Pomona titles. In addition to his 20 national event titles, Demke also has 28 regional wins, making him one of the more decorated drivers in the class.
The highlight of Demke’s career came during the 2014 season when he won five national event titles and was crowned the Top Alcohol Dragster world champion, ending the reign of back-to-back champ Jim Whiteley.
BILL REICHERT
The late Michigander is the most successful A/Fuel driver on this list, equaling Rick Santos’ mark almost a decade earlier by amassing five consecutive season titles between 2006 and 2010. He won nine Division 3 championships, including three straight (2009-11) and the 2012 North Central Region title.
Reichert remained a perennial championship contender during a span of more than 10 years, scoring 28 national event wins, 54 divisional/regional victories, and three NHRA U.S. Nationals wins (2006, 2008, and 2011).
The injected-on-nitromethane combination had historically been temperature-sensitive — yielding occasional eye-popping performances while plagued with inconsistency — and the talented tuner and engine builder was up to the task of honing his mastery of the combination for years of sustained success. Before capturing his first season title, Reichert was inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2002.
DUANE SHIELDS
Duane Shields began his career racing motorcycles and then sand drags, but where he really made his mark was on pavement as one of NHRA’s premier Top Alcohol Dragster racers.
After purchasing a dragster from David Busby, it took more than a year for Shields to win his first round, but he has since made up for lost time. Over the two decades, Shields, along with longtime crew chief Dana Hopewell, has earned 23 national event wins and 36 regional titles.
Shields was crowned the 2011 NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster world champion, holding off a stacked field of contenders, including fellow Top 25 Drivers Bill Reichert, Jim Whiteley, Joey Severance, and Chris Demke. A year later, Shields won NHRA’s crown jewel, the NHRA U.S. Nationals, defeating current Pro Mod contender Sidnei Frigo in the final round. Today, Shields is still racking up wins as a car owner, with up-and-coming third-generation racer Madison Payne.
Previously named
Group 1
Pat Austin
Bucky Austin
Doug Gordon
Blaine Johnson
Joey Severance
Group 2
Shawn Cowie
Cy Chesterman
Vern Moats
Bob Newberry
Shane Westerfield
Group 3
Tony Bartone
Sean Bellemeur
Frank Manzo
Ken Veney
Bill Walsh