NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Ron Capps never led the points until when it mattered the most, on the last day of the season, but he nonetheless enjoyed a thrilling and highlight-filled season in his first year as a Funny Car team owner. 

With a sixth Pro Stock Motorcycle championship, Matt Smith tied the late Dave Schultz and Andrew Hines as the only riders to have ever won as many titles. 

The list of drivers who have won five or more NHRA Pro Stock championships is short, but it includes some of the best racers the sport has ever produced, including Bob Glidden, Warren Johnson, Greg Anderson, Jeg Coughlin Jr., and now Erica Enders. 

It would be a fair assumption that few people outside of the hardcore Pro Mod fans knew Kris Thorne’s name before the 2022 season launched, but after scoring four 2022 wins and the championship, it’s a sure bet that his name won’t soon be forgotten.

In 2002, Joey Severance reclaimed his position as King of the Hill and earned the fifth NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster championship of his career in a category that is displaying increasing parity.

Think about being a prizefighter who gets knocked down in the middle rounds of the fight but gets back up and keeps punching and wins the bout. That’s Doug Gordon, your 2022 Top Alcohol Funny Car champion, who recovered from a nasty midseason crash to win the title.

Frustrated by his runner-up finish in the 2021 Constant Aviation NHRA Factory Stock Showdown, David Barton delivered an all-star performance in 2022 that included three wins and a season championship and a robust total of 712 points.

As a longtime crewmember for the Mountain View Performance team, Ryan Priddy had enjoyed success as a bracket, Top Sportsman, and Factory Stock racer, all of which provided the necessary experience to fuel his drive to the 2022 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Comp world title.

The old adage “In order to be the champ, you’ve got to beat the champ” is one of the most over-used clichés in sports, but it just happens to perfectly describe Pete D’Agnolo’s 2022 season and his drive to the NHRA Lucas Oil Series Super Stock world championship. 

It took nearly two decades, but Jimmy Hidalgo Jr. was finally able to check a mighty goal off his to-do list when he earned the 2022 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Stock eliminator world title. 

Jim Glenn wasn’t planning to run a full schedule in NHRA Super Comp competition, but after some early success, he wisely reconfigured his take on the season and, ultimately, earned his first NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Comp championship. 

It was a longshot, but it was one that Bob Locke had to take. In the end, it paid off, and as he stood in the shadows awaiting the bright lights of the winner’s circle at the Auto Club NHRA Finals, the only thing sparkling more than Locke’s glistening new set of trophies was a gigantic, insuppressible grin. 

Lance Abbott came out swinging with two wins and a runner-up in his first three races. By the time it was over, he’d outlasted an extremely competitive field to win his first championship. 

Although drag racing is very much a one-on-one sport, Jeremy Hancock learned firsthand how much of a team it takes to win a championship.

With a fourth championship in five years, Matt Smith joined Pro Stock Motorcycle royalty by becoming just the third rider to win six championships in the class.

A determined Erica Enders meant a dominant Erica Enders during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, as the standout turned in one of the most dominant seasons in recent Pro Stock history.

The road to a second world championship in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series included a little bit of everything for Top Fuel star Brittany Force. From clutch performances to record-breaking runs, Force was spectacular from start to finish during her memorable 2022 campaign.