NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

 

 

 

 

2012: Jack Beckman edges Ron Capps by just two points on dramatic final day

It’s hard to believe that a full season of Funny Car racing can come down to just two points, but that’s what happened in 2012 when Jack Beckman eked out his first Funny Car championship by denying Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps his first.
10 Nov 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
NHRA's Closest Championship Finishes (2007-21)
Jack Beckman
It’s hard to believe that a full season of Funny Car racing can come down to just two points, but that’s what happened in 2012 when Jack Beckman eked out his first Funny Car championship by denying Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps his first…
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2009: Tony Schumacher holds on to win Top Fuel championship by just two points

Perennial Top Fuel powerhouse Tony Schumacher won his sixth straight and seventh overall Top Fuel championship in 2009 by just two points, the closest finish in Top Fuel history.
09 Nov 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
NHRA's Closest Championship Finishes (2007-21)
Tony Schumacher
Tony Schumacher knows drama. And Tony Schumacher knows how to win championships. The perennial Top Fuel powerhouse won his sixth straight and seventh overall Top Fuel crown in 2009 by just two points, and while it wasn’t as dramatic as “The Run”…
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2019: Steve Torrence holds off Kalitta by three points for second straight title

After an unprecedented victory sweep of all six playoff events en route to a runaway first Top Fuel world championship — winning by an unheard-off 304 points — Steve Torrence found the sledding tougher en route to a second straight title.
09 Nov 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
NHRA's Closest Championship Finishes (2007-21)
2019: Steve Torrence
After an unprecedented victory sweep of all six playoff events en route to a runaway first Top Fuel world championship — winning by an unheard-off 304 points — Steve Torrence found the sledding tougher en route to a second straight title. After…
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2009: Hector Arana Sr. claims first world championship by just two points

Hector Arana Sr.’s long pursuit of a Pro Stock Motorcycle championship finally reached the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow with a thrilling, narrow points conquest at the end of the 2009 season.
08 Nov 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
NHRA's Closest Championship Finishes (2007-21)
Hector Arana Sr.
Hector Arana Sr.’s long pursuit of a Pro Stock Motorcycle championship finally reached the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow with a thrilling, narrow points conquest at the end of the 2009 season. Arana entered the season finale 58 points…
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2016: Jason Line outduels teammate Greg Anderson by three points for first EFI title

Jason Line earned the distinction of being crowned the first Pro Stock champion of the electronic fuel injection era after a season-long battle with teammate Greg Anderson that came down to the semifinals of the season finale and a three-point margin.
04 Nov 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
NHRA's Closest Championship Finishes (2007-21)
Jason Line
Jason Line earned the distinction of being crowned the first Pro Stock champion of the electronic fuel injection era, which began in 2016 with a whole lot of learning for everyone. Prior to the season, the running joke among teams was that any…
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2010: Rookie rider L.E. Tonglet ekes out Pro Stock Motorcycle title by four points

L.E. Tonglet became just the third rookie to win an NHRA Pro championship after coming from behind to steal the Pro Stock Motorcycle title from Andrew Hines, who surprisingly fouled in the first round.
03 Nov 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
NHRA's Closest Championship Finishes (2007-21)
L.E. Tonglet
For the third time in four years, the NHRA world championship in Pro Stock Motorcycle was decided by a single-digit margin when rookie rider L.E. Tonglet won the championship by just four points over Andrew Hines, who had lost the 2007 title by just…
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2008: Eddie Krawiec wins championship from behind by just five points

Eddie Krawiec became just the second NHRA world champion to win the title without a race win, and he did it from behind, knocking off reigning champ Matt Smith to collect the title.
02 Nov 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
NHRA's Closest Championship Finishes (2007-21)
Eddie Krawiec
A year after edging Andrew Hines by six points for the 2007 Pro Stock Motorcycle championship, Matt Smith was attempting to hold off Hines’ Harley teammate, second-place Eddie Krawiec, and third-place Chris Rivas to win his second straight…
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2007: Matt Smith victorious in winner-take-all final to earn title by just six points

Following a semifinal loss at the season’s penultimate race in Las Vegas, Matt Smith was prepared to concede the 2007 Pro Stock Motorcycle title to Andrew Hines, then a funny thing happened, and before he knew it, Smith was in a winner-take-all final-round battle with Chip Ellis for the title.
26 Oct 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
NHRA's Closest Championship Finishes (2007-21)
Matt Smith
Following a semifinal loss at the season’s penultimate race in Las Vegas, Matt Smith was prepared to concede the 2007 Pro Stock Motorcycle title to Andrew Hines, who entered the final event in Pomona with a 39-point cushion in the standings.…
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2017: Bo Butner goes from zero to hero with narrow seven-point title decision

Bo Butner came into the 2017 season without a win but exited the year as the world champion after his fourth and final win of the year — over future champ Tanner Gray in a weird final round — allowed him to eke past teammate Greg Anderson for the championship. Second in a series
25 Oct 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
NHRA's Closest Championship Finishes (2007-21)
Bo Butner
Coming into the 2017 season, Bo Butner had won exactly zero Pro Stock races, but after a strong regular season that featured wins in Houston, Atlanta, and Norwalk, he entered the Countdown to the Championship as the No. 1 seed with KB Racing…
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2012: Antron Brown hangs on to win Top Fuel championship by seven points

Antron Brown made history as the first African-American to win a major motorsports championship when he won the 2012 NHRA Top Fuel championship, but it sure didn’t come easy. First in a series.
18 Oct 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
NHRA's Closest Championship Finishes (2007-21)
Antron Brown
Antron Brown made history as the first African-American to win a major motorsports championship when he won the 2012 NHRA Top Fuel championship, but it sure didn’t come easy. Brown came into the season final in Pomona leading then-seven-time…
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