NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about missing my 30th high school reunion to be at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event in Dallas, and noted that, all things considered, I'd rather be at the drags than at…

Another week, another zillion ghost-track requests. … I'm slowly working my way through your latest batch of submissions and stories and will present them sometime next week. It takes time to track them down, research a little history, pinpoint…

Like a scary sequel to your favorite horror flick, we're back with another edition of ghost tracks. Every serious drag fan, of course, had a favorite haunt in his or her formative years, and many of them have passed away, leading to the sport that's…

Bill Pryor tried on Don Garlits' car, the first step toward Top Fuel. Friday's ghost-tracks column inspired a lot of mail and a little bit of sadness from those who had…

I spent some enjoyable time with Billy Meyer at Texas Motorplex during the O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec, listening to him spin tales about his career that I was all set to share with you here today,…

Yesterday was a travel day home from Dallas, so I spent some time finishing this entry. During the weekend, I not only covered the big event but also did my darnedest to catch up on some correspondence I reckon I owe y'all (maybe I was in…

It's Friday morning at Texas Motorplex, and it's good to see the old gal again. I haven’t been here in a few years, and even then it was to attend the Division 4 NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals and not an NHRA national…

Voted most likely to become a drag racing editor? We didn't have a drag racing team, so I had to settle for volleyball. That's me, number 5.…

The man, the myth, the legend: "Wild Bill" Shrewsberry Shrewsberry, second from left, drove more than wheelstanders. He's pictured with crewmember Dee Catton,…

"T.V. Tommy" Ivo has always been a great self-promoter – witness his television career, four-engine Showboat, glass-sided trailer ... heck, the guy even unabashedly signs his correspondence "your hero and mine, TV Tom" – and…

When ND published a story in 1984 about the great 1964 Lions Drag Strip match race of Stone, Woods & Cook versus "Big John" Mazmanian, we also arranged a reunion of sorts. (Above) Leonard Woods Jr.…

Final results for Favorite Race Car Ever Stone, Woods & Cook Willys 2088 (17.40%) Winged Express 1598 (13.31%) “Jungle Jim” Liberman Vega…

Final results for Favorite Race Car Ever Stone, Woods & Cook Willys 2088 (17.40%) Winged Express 1598 (13.31%) “Jungle Jim” Liberman Vega 1115…

  Long before John Force ever saddled up in his first Funny Car, drag racing had another gregarious character that we all called “Superman,” a tough-as-nails nitro jockey who piloted fuel dragsters and Funny Cars in a 20…

Seeing drag racing legend Shirley Muldowney in the photos from John Force’s induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Novi, Mich., last Wednesday reminded me that I haven’t run a Mondays with Murray column in…

Even as our Favorite Race Car Ever poll heads toward the final rounds, I’m still getting e-mails asking how I could possibly have forgotten to include this particular car or that car in the polls. The perceived slights run…

Joe Pisano/Mike Dunn Olds Funny Car Don Garlits Swamp Rat XXX Top Fueler Gary Ormsby Castrol GTX streamliner Top Fueler Joe Amato TRW Top Fueler…

While watching the numbers on our '70s Top Fueler poll inch slowly toward the cutoff point (as opposed to the ‘70s Funny Car poll, which is skyrocketing toward that number; there's still time to vote in both if you scroll…

“Jungle Jim” Liberman Vega Don Prudhomme Hot Wheels ‘Cuda Don Prudhomme Army Monza Tom McEwen Hot Wheels Duster Raymond Beadle Blue Max Mustang II Ed McCulloch Revellution Dodge Barry Setzer/Pat Foster Vega…

Veteran fans recognize this masked man. "I never used the full-faced helmet," said Moody. "With both rear-engined cars, I used the old Tony Nancy leather face mask. I guess it was less confining, and I…

Don Garlits Swamp Rat 14 Don Garlits Swamp Rat 22 Beck & Peets Export A Warren-Coburn-Miller Rain for Rent Don…

  I’m putting the finishing touches on all the research-doing, photo-grabbing, and poll-making for the next step in our Favorite Race Car Ever poll, which will cover 1970s Top Fuelers -- look for it Monday, and, in the…

Sachs & Sons/Chrisman Mercury Comet Jim Liberman’s Chevy II Gas Ronda’s Ford Mustangs Arnie Beswick's Tameless Tiger GTO…

Final results for all-time favorite exhibition car! "Winged Express" fuel altered 1394 (36.53%) "Little Red Wagon" wheelstander 1109 (29.06%) " L.A. Dart"…

The Glass Slipper The Speed Sport Roadster Arfons Bros. Green Monster Don Garlits' Swamp Rat I Don Garlits' Swamp Rat…

Sox & Martin Barracuda Bill Jenkins '68 Camaro Don Carlton Motown Missile Stone, Woods and Cook Willys “Ohio George…

Bill Shrewsberry's L.A. Dart wheelstander Sammy Miller's Oxygen rocket dragster Jack McClure's rocket-powered go-kart Doug Rose's Green Mamba jet…

Buster Couch looks over as the Funny Car approaches the staging beams and winks at the new arrival, a tousle-haired kid with a lead foot whom he has known since the lad was in diapers. Scott Kalitta moves forward as longtime…

That daring young man on his flying machine. Here’s a little something different on this star-spangled weekend, prompted by a letter from regular reader/e-mailer Mark Watkins, who first wanted to…

Former U.S. President Calvin Coolidge once said, "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education…