NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

 

 

 

 

Dazzling performances, career-best season earn Force second Top Fuel crown

30 Dec 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
2022 NHRA world champion
Brittany Force
No one at John Force Racing ever envisioned it as a five-year plan for Brittany Force to win a second NHRA Top Fuel world championship, but that’s what it ultimately took for someone to finally unseat Steve Torrence after a four-year reign atop the…
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New team ownership, Indy win highlight Capps’ third championship title season

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. 
29 Dec 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
2022 NHRA world champion
Ron Capps
Ron Capps had been to the NHRA U.S. Nationals dozens of times, seeking the most prestigious victory in the sport, but had always walked away empty-handed no matter how he tried to approach the event. This year, in his 27th attempt, he finally…
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With sixth Pro Stock Motorcycle title, Smith ties the greatest of all time

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. 
27 Dec 2022
Kelly Wade
2022 NHRA world champion
Matt Smith
Matt Smith had some major goals for the 2022 season of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. To begin with, he and wife Angie started the season targeting a No. 1 and No. 2 finish in the Pro Stock Motorcycle points, and they nearly pulled it…
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Most dominant season of Enders' career leads to fifth Pro Stock championship

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. 
26 Dec 2022
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
2022 NHRA world champion
Erica Enders
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.…
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After dominating four-win season, Thorne becomes a force to be reckoned with

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.
24 Dec 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
2022 NHRA world champion
Kris Thorne
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 wins and outdueling one of the class’ all-time greats to win the world championship…
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Severance returns to championship form in competitive Top Alcohol Dragster class

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.
22 Dec 2022
Kelly Wade
2022 NHRA world champion
Joey Severance
Not long ago, Joey Severance put forth a dominant performance that resulted in four consecutive championships; but from 2019 to 2021, the driver of the J&A Services supercharged Top Alcohol Dragster found himself displaced from the top spot.…
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Gordon overcomes midseason crash to win a second Alcohol Funny Car title

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.
21 Dec 2022
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
2022 NHRA world champion
Doug Gordon
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. Or a hockey player, bruised and battered and sent to the locker room in the second period only to…
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Barton makes strong comeback to claim Constant Aviation Factory Stock 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.
21 Dec 2022
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
2022 NHRA world champion
David Barton
Frustrated by his runner-up finish in the 2021 Constant Aviation NHRA Factory Stock Showdown, David Barton went into the 2022 season determined to have a better outcome, and he delivered an all-star performance that included three wins and a season…
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From crew chief to driver, Priddy shows off championship form for Comp title

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.
19 Dec 2022
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
2022 NHRA world champion
Ryan Priddy
As a longtime crewmember for the Mountain View Performance team, Ryan Priddy certainly knows his way around a race car, but prior to this season, he hadn’t had many opportunities to showcase his skills as a driver, at least on a national stage.…
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D’Agnolo takes on the best of the best to win Super Stock championship

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. 
18 Dec 2022
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
2022 NHRA world champion
Pete D’Agnolo
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 Drag Racing Series Super…
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Midseason victory launches Stock championship charge for Hidalgo

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. 
16 Dec 2022
Kelly Wade
2022 NHRA world champion
Jimmy Hidalgo Jr.
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.  “I just love the challenge and the mental…
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Super Comp title rounds out an overall exceptional year of racing for Glenn

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. 
16 Dec 2022
Kelly Wade
2022 NHRA world champion
Jim Glenn
Jim Glenn wasn’t planning to run a full schedule in NHRA Super Comp competition, but after winning the season-opening Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals and then securing a runner-up at the NHRA Arizona Nationals in Phoenix one week later, plans changed…
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Implausible scenario transforms into victory for Super Gas champion Locke

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. 
15 Dec 2022
Kelly Wade
2022 NHRA world champion
Bob Locke
It was a longshot, but it was one that Whiteland, Ind., Super Gas racer 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…
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Abbott’s hot start and fast finish leads to first Top Sportsman championship

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. 
14 Dec 2022
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
2022 NHRA world champion
Lance Abbott
Lance Abbott acknowledged that his racing program turned the corner last year after he refined the setup on his six-second Chevy S-10, but his first divisional win in Dallas and a Top 10 finish in the competitive South Central Division provided only…
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Fellow racers come in clutch in Hancock’s drive for the Top Dragster 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.
13 Dec 2022
Kelly Wade
2022 NHRA world champion
Jeremy Hancock
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. On the way to his first NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Dragster championship, Hancock was given a mighty…
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Matt Smith reaches hallowed ground after sixth Pro Stock Motorcycle world title

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.
23 Nov 2022
Posted by NHRA.com staff
2022 NHRA world champion
Matt Smith
With three championships in four years entering the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, Matt Smith had already put together an impressive recent run in Pro Stock Motorcycle.   But the veteran standout had even more history on…
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Drive For Five: Erica Enders’ dominant year finishes with fifth Pro Stock world title

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.
21 Nov 2022
Posted by NHRA.com staff
2022 NHRA world champion
Erica Enders
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. Enders rolled to her fifth world title…
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Brittany Force’s championship season was filled with highlights and records

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.
17 Nov 2022
Posted by NHRA.com staff
2022 NHRA world champion
Brittany Force
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 a hot start to memorable victories, record-breaking runs at nearly every stop on the tour…
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