NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

This season, Ron Capps broke through and earned his much-awaited first championship, removing himself from a list most racers don’t really want to be on: most wins without a championship. Who remains on that list? We look at the five winningest drivers across all NHRA classes who have never finished No. 1.

No. 1: Doug Kalitta, 42 wins

A day after Ron Capps clinched his title, Top Fuel ace Kalitta picked up his 42nd victory, and in the Pomona pressroom, the fact that he still remains without a championship was brought up. Kalitta took the question in stride, saying with a laugh, “Yeah, I guess I’m still on that list. I’m sure I’ll hear about it all year again, too.” Not only is Kalitta on the list of winning drivers without a title, but he also leads it, moving to the No. 1 spot thanks to four wins in 2016. That helped lift Kalitta to a second-place finish in points, his fourth runner-up showing.

No. 2: Kurt Johnson, 40 wins

Like Doug Kalitta above him, Johnson, son of six-time world champ Warren, finished in the No. 2 spot four times while behind the wheel of a Pro Stocker. Though he hasn’t retired and still hopes to return one day if funding is found for his program, Johnson has been MIA from driving for a couple of years; however, he and Warren have been working behind the scenes, primarily on engines for Matt Hartford.

No. 3: Tommy Phillips, 38 wins

Widely considered one of the best Sportsman racers to ever climb behind the wheel of a car, Phillips has a long and illustrious résumé with only one omission: a season title. Phillips has been a part of several title battles throughout the years, finishing as high as second. He has earned 38 victories in four classes (Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, and Super Gas).

No. 4: Cory McClenathan, 34 wins

McClenathan, like Doug Kalitta and Kurt Johnson, is another driver who has four No. 2 points finishes, the most heartbreaking of which came in 1992 when he ended the season less than 100 points — the number then awarded for just showing up and making a pass at an event — behind after skipping the Montreal event. McClenathan’s 34 victories place him in the top eight on the all-time Top Fuel wins list.

No. 5: Dave Connolly, 30 wins

After a brief stint in Top Fuel, Connolly has returned to his Pro Stock roots, albeit behind the scenes, working for the Gray Motorsports team. It’s not hard to understand why Connolly would go back to the factory hot rods: The class has been very good to him through the years, with 26 of his 30 wins coming in Pro Stock, tying him with legend Lee Shepherd for 10th on the all-time wins list. Connolly’s best points finish in the class was third, a position he achieved four times. Connolly also finished in the top 10 nationally and earned a division title in Super Gas before shifting his focus to the Pro ranks.