Dreams become reality as Julie Nataas claims first TAD world championship
Talented 26-year-old phenom Julie Nataas blazed a trail to her first world championship in Top Alcohol Dragster on the strength of national and regional wins in her Oslo Tapet & Gulvelegg-backed dragster.
Julie Nataas has always had some big shoes to fill and some big dreams to fulfill. Her father, Thomas, followed his own father, Albin, into the drag racing world and became a two-time FIA European Top Fuel champion. She started early in Jr.…
Doug Gordon retires from driving after third TAFC championship in four years
Not many athletes get to end their careers at the top of their game, winning a championship before removing their gear for the last time, and it routinely doesn’t happen in drag racing. Then there’s Doug Gordon.
Not many athletes get to end their careers at the top of their game, winning a championship before removing their gear for the last time, and it routinely doesn’t happen in drag racing, where more than one driver has kept the belts buckled long…
Mike Castellana overcomes early-season adversity to clinch Pro Mod title
A crash during an early-season test session turned a season that started with an optimistic semifinal finish in Gainesville suddenly seemed like a lost cause, but somehow, Mike Castellana and his crew dug deep and found a way to rally to win the championship.
On April 26, 2023, the thought of winning the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series championship was the furthest thing from Mike Castellana’s mind. On that date, Castellana crashed his Western Beef/AAP Camaro during a test session at Virginia…
Top 5 moments of Matt Hagan's championship-winning 2023 season
In 2023, Matt Hagan became just the fourth driver in NHRA history to win four Funny Car world championships. Here's a look back at five big moments from his title-winning season.
Bruno Massel Jr. makes history as first Comp driver to win four championships
NHRA has been crowning world champions in Comp eliminator since 1964, and of the 46 drivers whose names have been etched in the history books as class world champions, Bruno Massel Jr. now stands above the rest as the eliminator’s only four-time world champion.
NHRA has been crowning world champions in Competition eliminator since 1964, and of the 46 drivers whose names have been etched in the history books as class world champion, only nine have won it more than once, and one name – Bruno Massel Jr. – now…
Aaron Stanfield claims third Flexjet Factory Stock championship in four years
Aaron Stanfield has already won races in Top Dragster, Super Stock, and Pro Stock, but he does some of his best work in the Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown class, where he’s now won three championships in the last four years.
If Aaron Stanfield isn’t the most versatile driver in all of NHRA racing, he’s got to be darned close to the top of anyone’s list. Just 28, the third-generation racer has already won races in Top Dragster, Super Stock, and Pro Stock, but he does…
Late-season surge leads Wyatt Wagner to first Super Stock championship
As MLB Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once famously noted, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over,” and for newly crowned NHRA Super Stock world champion Wyatt Wagner, it wasn’t over until the final race of the 2023 NHRA season at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
As MLB Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once famously noted, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over,” and for newly crowned NHRA Super Stock world champion Wyatt Wagner, it wasn’t over until the final race of the 2023 NHRA season at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip…
A carefully executed plan helped produce Kyle Rizzoli’s first world championship
2023 Stock world champ Kyle Rizzoli knew ahead of the 2023 season that he was going to need a plan to find a balance between being present for his family and somehow still racing for trophies and championships.
Kyle Rizzoli knew ahead of the 2023 season that he was going to need a plan. Wife Julia was pregnant with their first child, and with the due date landing mid-summer, Rizzoli had to find balance between being present for his family and somehow still…
Trevor Larson made up ground quickly to secure first Super Gas championship
Trevor Larson blasted onto the scene in a friend’s new Super Gas roadster in July and made quick and impressive progress to earn his first NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Gas world title.
When farming has been part of your family’s livelihood for multiple generations but a passion for drag racing courses through your veins, a certain balance is generally necessary. For Super-class racer Trevor Larson, his success during the 2023…
Vince Musolino takes advantage of hot start to claim first Top Dragster title
Typically, Vince Musolino chooses to race close to his New York home and doesn’t race in many national events. That changed dramatically this year when he woke up at midseason and suddenly realized that he was a legit contender for the world title.
Vince Musolino’s drive to the 2023 Right Trailers Top Dragster world championship is a classic story of answering the call when opportunity knocked. Typically, Musolino chooses to race close to his New York home and doesn’t race in many national…
Top 5 moments of Gaige Herrera's 2023 championship-winning 2023 season
Gaige Herrera did it all in winning the 2023 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championship. From a stunning win-loss score to national records and a Western Swing sweep, it was truly amazing. Here's a look back at the top five moments of his season.
Brandon Miller claims first championship in Right Trailers Top Sportsman class
Brandon Miller admits that he tried to make his dad cry in his championship speech. He may or may not have been successful at that, but it is reasonable to expect that a few tears may have been shed as he stood on stage after securing the 2023 Right Trailers Top Sportsman world title.
Brandon Miller admits that he tried to make his dad cry in his championship speech. The Northeast Division standout may or may not have been successful at that, but it is reasonable to expect that a few tears may have been shed by Dave and Becki…
John Labbous posts four wins in five finals to claim second NHRA title
Most racers don’t go into a season planning to win a championship, but John Labbous Jr. isn’t like most racers. Labbous is a hired gun who races for a living, so when it comes to championships, he almost feels obligated to win, if not for himself,…
Top Fuel champ Doug Kalitta's top 5 runs from the 2023 season
Doug Kalitta's long wait for a Top Fuel championship came to an end in 2023 with a dramatic season of competition. Here's a look at five pivotal moments from his championship-winning season.
Wire-to-wire dominance leads Gaige Herrera to record-breaking championship
NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Gaige Herrera simply dominated the field in the 2023 NHRA season. After winning a record-breaking 11 races, Herrera claimed his first world championship, finishing off one of the most incredible seasons in NHRA history.
NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Gaige Herrera simply dominated the field in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. After winning a record-breaking 11 races, Herrera claimed his first world championship at In-N-Out Burger Pomona…
Erica Enders overcame slow start to earn sixth NHRA Pro Stock championship
Throughout her six world championships in Pro Stock, Erica Enders has known that each of them has a decidedly different feel. Her 2023 NHRA season was a far cry from last year’s title run and was steeped in adversity and plenty of perseverance.
Over the course of winning her six championships in Pro Stock, Erica Enders has known that each of them has a decidedly different feel. From her first title to dominant runs in both 2015 and 2022, each one has had its own unique story.
That…
Matt Hagan joins elite company with fourth NHRA Funny Car title
In 2023, Matt Hagan joined an exclusive club when he won his fourth Camping World NHRA Funny Car championship in dramatic fashion at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals.
It wasn’t the exact way Matt Hagan had planned to win his fourth NHRA Funny Car world championship, but it was the final point that showed his championship was about an overall impressive body of work and not just one particular run.
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Clutch performances give Doug Kalitta his crowning achievement: a Top Fuel title
Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools/Toyota/Kalitta Motorsports team battled through adversity and got hot at the ideal time, winning three races in the Countdown to the Championship to secure his first world championship.
At long last, Doug Kalitta is an NHRA Top Fuel world champion, a moment that instantly entered the history books on Sunday at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip as one of the most memorable in NHRA history.
A championship runner-up six times in an…