Garlits edges Force for top spot on
final NHRA Top 50 Drivers list
In a pre-race ceremony at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, the last event of NHRA's 50th Anniversary season, Don Garlits was honored as the top driver of the sport's first 50 years, narrowly edging out John Force for the honor. By any measure, Garlits belongs at the top of the list: Scores of wins, numerous championships, technological breakthroughs, popularity, innovations, and contributions to the growth of NHRA? That's "Big Daddy" Don Garlits.

Force is the most prolific driver in Professional drag racing history and is entering the season-ending Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway having won a record 11 Winston championships and an unprecedented 98 national events.

50th Anniversary News and Features
May 19, 2013
NHRA's Greatest Races: 1975 World Finals
An onoing feature of NHRA's 50th Anniversary salute of NHRA.com will be a look back at memorable NHRA national events of the last five decades. Now playing: the 1975 World Finals.
NHRA Great Race: '83 Winston World Finals
An onoing feature of NHRA's 50th Anniversary salute of NHRA.com will be a look back at memorable NHRA national events of the last five decades. Now playing: the '83 Winston World Finals.
Introducing Driver No. 2: John Force
John Force is the most prolific driver in NHRA drag racing history, having won a record 11 Winston championships and an unprecedented 98 national events. Force owns a bevy of NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series records, including most final rounds in a season, most wins in a season, most round-wins in a season, most career final rounds, most career round-wins, and most rounds run (1,006).
Top 50 NHRA Drivers: No. 3, Don Prudhomme
It takes years for even the most gifted of individuals to achieve legendary status in a chosen field, but Don Prudhomme already was a larger-than-life figure in drag racing when he was barely out of his teens, and his reputation only got bigger.
NHRA's Great Race: 1983 Golden Gate Nats
An ongoing feature of NHRA's 50th Anniversary salute of NHRA.com will be a look back at memorable NHRA national events of the last five decades. Now playing: the 1983 Golden Gate Nats.

Top 50 NHRA Drivers: No. 4, Bob Glidden

NHRA's Greatest Races: 1992 Chief Auto Nats

Top 50 NHRA Drivers: No. 5, Shirley Muldowney

NHRA's Greatest Races: 1986 Chief Nationals

News Archive

50 Years
of Power
Welcome to the NHRA 50th Anniversary section of NHRA.com, saluting 50 years of championship drag racing. From its humble, grassroots beginning in 1951 to its powerhouse status in 2001, the National Hot Rod Association has a history rich in tradition, innovation, and performance, populated by the bravest drivers and most talented mechanics in all of motorsports.

From this portal page, which will feature the latest 50th Anniversary news, both for this site and from NHRA's anniversary season, you can take a virtual ride down NHRA's memory lane. Each week, we will present two ongoing features: NHRA's Top 50 Drivers and NHRA's Most Memorable Races. Already in place is an exhaustive year-by-year feature, highlighting the top stories of each of NHRA's 50 years and a photo gallery of great drivers and race cars. On each of the 50 individual year pages, you will find a link to national event race results spanning 1955-2000.

Navigation for all of these features can be found at far left.