NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

In the early days of drag racing there were lots of cars, lots of would-be racers, and lots of open land. The one thing in short supply was the structure needed to bring early hot rodders together to turn them into drag racers. Wally Parks, and his vision of a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), promised to do just that.

In Episode 9 of Hot Rod History with Jack Beckman—Jack tells us how drag racing entered its 10th year as a successful sport, NHRA was bullish on car clubs (in Los Angeles there were more than 800), and the NHRA U.S. Nationals moved to Detroit. Plus, we see the origins of the Famoso March Meet take form with Don Garlits as the main attraction, the “Standard 1320” record was established, Swamp Rat got a supercharger, Don Prudhomme grabs his first Top Eliminator win, Chris Karamesines wins a race after grenading his engine (and is only able to run on seven cylinders), and Wally Parks and Don Garlits both weigh-in on the benefits of eighth-mile drag racing.

Watch Episode 1 of Hot Rod History with Jack Beckman—From Hot Rod Magazine to National Dragster

Watch Episode 2 of Hot Rod History with Jack Beckman—How NHRA Created Sanctioned Drag Racing

Watch Episode 3 of Hot Rod History with Jack Beckman—How Pomona Became Drag Racing's Hallowed Ground

Watch Episode 4 of Hot Rod History with Jack Beckman—The Drag Safari—the precursor to the NHRA Safety Safari

Watch Episode 5 of Hot Rod History with Jack Beckman—The 1955 explosion of drag racing performance, and media coverage

Watch Episode 6 of Hot Rod History with Jack Beckman—Top speed records and the challenges to drag racing in 1956

Watch Episode 7 of Hot Rod History with Jack Beckman—In 1957, the world of drag racing banned nitromethane

Watch Episode 8 of Hot rod history with Jack Beckman—In 1958, drag racing innovation booms!

Watch Episode 9 of Hot rod history with Jack Beckman— A quintessential year in drag racing begins: 1959

Future installments will be hosted on DodgeGarage.com, NHRA.com, and Jack Beckman's Facebook page. All episodes will ultimately  be indexed on all three platforms for your reference and enjoyment.

What is Hot Rod History with Jack Beckman: A Quarter-Mile at a Time?

This is a master’s class in drag racing, taught by a 300-mph professor. Jack Beckman offers a unique perspective on our sport, as one of the few active NHRA racers who’s also student of the sport’s technology, history, records, and exceptional moments. We are joining Jack on this journey, and partnering with Jack and Dodge Garage to share the experience.