Dallas Gardner became just the second president in the history of the National Hot Rod Association. Gardner, formerly the organization's executive vice president and general manager, had been handling the day-to-day operation of the company, working closely with a division directors and track owner/operators, even before the announcement was made in January 1984. In a related move, Wally Parks, NHRA founder and its initial president, was named Chairman of the Board.
Gardner targeted facility development, which led to many of today's top venues for the sport, NHRA ownership of select tracks, introducing new sponsors to the sport, and expanded television coverage as his key initiatives.
