NHRA and drag racing continued to boom in the final year of the 1950s. A final count of 1958 racing statistics revealed that NHRA tracks had staged 64,793 events and attendance ran into the millions; the Nationals alone had accounted for 70,000. Active tracks were in most of the 50 states, as well as in many foreign countries. NHRA added staff -- most notably Jack Merrill as NHRA’s Region Director in the Northwest -- joining Northwest Director Ed Eaton, Southeast Director Ernie Schorb, and Southwest Director Tex Smith aided by Regional and Area Advisors, and the addition of Jack Clark as Executive Manager, charged with directing many aspects of the NHRA, including Charter Clubs, area councils, the advisory staff, the Nationals, and the headquarters staff.

NHRA moved the Nationals to Detroit, a shrewd move that placed it on the doorstep of America's automobile factories. A new strip, Detroit Dragway, was built and new rules, classes, and eliminators added.

Rodney Singer claimed the 1959 National Championship in Detroit as Top Eliminator while the new Middle Eliminator trophy went to Otis Smith. Ohio's George Montgomery won the Smitty's Muffler Company Little Eliminator trophy and Harold Ramsey the DuPont Zerex Stock trophy.

Throughout its first nine years, NHRA had communicated news and event information with its members and the general automotive population through mailed bulletins and newsletters but announced in late 1959 a bigger and better publication "to satisfy the need for high-quality reporting on drag strips and their programs." That publication was National DRAGSTER, which debuted in 1960.