NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The first all-female Top Fuel final, the formation of the NHRA Safety Safari, Don Prudhomme's first win, and Steve Torrence's six-race sweep of the 2018 Countdown to the Championship playoffs are among 10 new additions to the list of Top 75 Moments in NHRA history.

The list is the result of an online fan ballot that resulted in more than 42,000 individual votes and is being unveiled in a series of rolling announcements as part of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary celebration.

Fans were presented with a list of 100 handpicked iconic moments from the sport’s first 75 years and were allowed to select their favorites from that list.

The reveals will take place each Wednesday from Jan. 7 through Feb. 18 in 10-moment increments, with moments 56 through 65 added today, and the final five will be unveiled the week of Feb. 23 as a lead-in to the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals, March 5-8.

56. Doug Kalitta beats Leah Pruett in winner-take-all championship finale (2023)

Doug Kalitta defeated Leah Pruett in a winner-take-all Top Fuel final round at the NHRA Finals to win the Top Fuel world championship, ending one of the most notorious streaks of frustration in the sport’s history. The victory finally gave the six-time championship runner-up a label that can never be removed: NHRA Top Fuel world champion.

57. Greg Anderson has record-breaking 15-win Pro Stock season (2004)

Greg Anderson dominated the 2004 NHRA Pro Stock season, racking up a record 15 victories, clinching the championship with races to spare, and earning Speed Channel’s Driver of the Year honor. Anderson reached the final round in 19 races of the 23-event season, recorded 16 No. 1 qualifying efforts, and finished with a remarkable 76-8 win-loss record.

58. Shirley Muldowney defeats Lucille Lee in first all-female Top Fuel final round (1982)

In a landmark moment for women in drag racing, Shirley Muldowney beat Lucille Lee in the Top Fuel final of the 1982 NHRA Springnationals. Muldowney, then a two-time world champion and the first woman to win in Top Fuel, had been upset by newcomer Lee at the March Meet in Bakersfield, Calif., but Muldowney got even in a big way.

59. NHRA Safety Safari’s Cross-Country Tour (1954-56)

Formed by NHRA founder Wally Parks, the four-man Safety Safari traveled the country for three years, instructing car clubs how to organize and run drag racing events, from safety inspection through trophy presentations. They brought with them not only a trailer loaded with timing and announcing equipment but the expertise on how to use it.

60. John Force suffers career-threatening crash (2007)

At the NHRA FallNationals, Funny Car champion John Force suffered a severe crash, resulting in injuries to both legs and hands. He underwent reconstructive surgery at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and began a lengthy rehabilitation process. Despite the severity of his injuries, Force made a remarkable recovery and returned to competition in the 2008 season.

61. Jim Liberman's track-length wheelstand in E-Town Funny Car final (1974)

“Jungle Jim” Liberman, one of Funny Car’s most popular personalities in the 1960s and ‘70s, electrified fans at the 1974 NHRA Summernationals with a long wheelstand in the final, showcasing his daring style and showmanship. Although he lost the round to Al Segrini, fans walked away stunned by the performance of Liberman, who would win the race the following year.

62. Don Prudhomme's first win (1965)

The legendary Don “the Snake” Prudhomme claimed his first of what would become 49 NHRA national event wins at the 1965 NHRA Winternationals, marking the rise of a future drag racing legend. Driving the famed Hawaiian dragster of lifelong friend Roland Leong, Prudhomme defeated Bill Alexander in the final round; the team also went on to win the NHRA Nationals that year.

63. NHRA Nationals moves to Indy (1961)

After previously being staged in Great Bend, Kan. (1955), Kansas City, Mo. (1957), Oklahoma City (1958), and Detroit (1959-60), NHRA’s oldest and most prestigious event moved to brand-new Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1961. An initial three-year pact with the track became a lifelong association with an event that has continued without fail for more than 60 years.

64. Pat Austin doubles in Top Fuel and Top Alcohol Funny Car (1991)

In Topeka, Kan., Pat Austin achieved a historic milestone in NHRA Drag Racing by becoming the first driver to win in two classes at a single national event. Austin first secured the Top Alcohol Funny Car victory by defeating Chuck Cheeseman and moments later bested three-time champion Joe Amato to add the Top Fuel crown.

65. Steve Torrence has perfect Countdown playoff (2018)

Steve Torrence made NHRA history by becoming the first driver to sweep all six Countdown to the Championship playoff races, culminating in his first Top Fuel world championship to cap an 11-win season. Torrence, who previously won the Top Alcohol Dragster championship in 2005, would go on to consecutively win three more Top Fuel titles 2019-21.

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