NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Doug Kalitta, Matt Hagan, Jason Line, Eddie Krawiec, and Sean Bellemeur are the newest additions to NHRA’s Top 75 Drivers list, which is part of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary season. The five drivers join Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown, Ron Capps, Robert Hight, Greg Anderson, Erica Enders, Andrew Hines, Matt Smith, Dan Fletcher, and Peter Biondo, who were previously announced. Ten more drivers will be announced in the coming weeks to complete the list, which is comprised of the original Top 50 Drivers from NHRA’s 50th Anniversary season in 2001 and 25 drivers from the modern era.

After early success in midgets and sprint cars, Kalitta came to NHRA to race in Top Fuel for his uncle, NHRA legend Connie Kalitta, in 1998 and won the Road to the Future award as a top rookie. He has captured world championships in 2023 and 2025, and his 59 wins rank fourth in Top Fuel wins.

“It's a privilege and an honor for sure," said Kalitta. "I've obviously been following the list announcements and was kind of hoping that at some point I would end up getting a call like this. I've been watching this sport for a lot of years and was around to see my uncle Connie and Shirley Muldowney race. I'm just really proud of the history of the sport, and it's definitely very cool to be part of that history and the Top 75 Drivers list. When I started drag racing, I absolutely wouldn't have thought I would accomplish all that I have, but thanks to Connie's support in giving me the opportunity to drive for him, and the help of my teammates over the years, I've had a great career."

Hagan is a four-time NHRA Funny Car world champion and a perennial championship threat. He joined Don Schumacher Racing’s Funny Car team in 2009 and earned his first race win in 2011, the same year he made the sport’s first three-second Funny Car run. Now part of Tony Stewart Racing, his 55 victories rank fourth all-time in class wins.

“This is just awesome,” Hagan said. “Man, it gives me chillbumps. It really does. I'm just blown away. I'm honored to even have my name in the same category as the other drivers on the list. I've been paying attention to the list, and it’s really cool and super special for me to be on it. I'm very, very honored. I never set out to drive one of these things for a living; it was just right place, right time, and I had the right people around me. It's wild how things evolve, and you get so focused on something, and you try to be good at it, and when you have good people around you, it happens.

“My pops, he's gonna be over the moon because he's been asking Chat GPT if I was going to get in. He doesn't even know who Chat GPT is, but he's all in. He’s going to be so happy.”

Line’s racing journey evolved from Sportsman success to Pro Stock dominance. After a Stock eliminator world championship, he joined KB Racing, debuting in Pro Stock in 2003 and earning NHRA Rookie of the Year in 2004. Line won three Pro Stock championships and 51 races, set a Bonneville speed record, and now leads JLine Performance with his son.

“This is a great, great honor,” said Line. “I'm not sure I belong there, but I'm glad that somebody thinks that I do. I never considered myself great by any stretch of the imagination. I had good days and bad days, like everybody, but I did the best I could, and it was a great part of my life, and I'll never forget it. Even though I’m not running Pro Stock anymore, drag racing is still a huge part of my life.

“My son is going to be very excited; I can tell you that. I never, ever relished the limelight in any way, so it’s super cool that someday, my kids will say ‘old dad’ was kind of cool.”

Krawiec’s career transformed after joining Vance & Hines in 2007. From winless rookie to four-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion, he amassed 49 national event victories, including three at the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals. After retiring as a rider in 2022, Krawiec transitioned to crew chief, guiding the next generation of championship-winning Vance & Hines racers.

“First things first: Being on this list is flattering,” said Krawiec. “When I started my Pro Stock Motorcycle journey, none of this was on my list. My whole career far exceeded my expectations. To be in the same conversation with Dave Schultz, John Myers, Matt Smith, Terry Vance, and Andrew Hines is amazing. To be a part of that is a mind-blowing deal.

“When I started, I had a goal to win one race and hopefully contend for a championship, and four championships later, we’re still going. I have no expectations of ever coming back. If I did, it would be purely just to have fun and to say I did it. I started off having big hopes and big dreams, and all these years later, I still enjoy the class. I love Pro Stock Motorcycle with all my heart. That feeling is still there.”

In just 10 years and eight full-time seasons, Bellemeur has become one of Top Alcohol Funny Car racing’s all-time greats. Driving for Tony Bartone, the second-generation racer has earned 48 national event victories, third all-time in class history, and five world championships, surpassed only by Frank Manzo. Only five alcohol-class drivers have five or more season titles.

“The only word I can come up with is overwhelming,” Bellemeur said. “I'm completely overwhelmed by this honor. I'm still a bigger fan of the sport than I am a participant in the sport, and the names that are on the list, many of them are my heroes that I stood at the fence and watched as a kid. When Frank Manzo or Bob Newberry came out west of Pomona, I was in awe, and to even speak to those gentlemen, and then now be on a list with them, again, it’s overwhelming.

“I'm a huge fan of this sport, and it is the utmost honor, and that's an understatement. It's something special, and the team who helped me get there is something special, too.”

The original Top 50 Drivers remain a foundational part of the new Top 75 Drivers list, with historical figures such as Don Garlits, John Force, Don Prudhomme, and Shirley Muldowney celebrated alongside current stars. The full list showcases NHRA’s best across all eras.

The 25 new additions were selected for their excellence over the last 25 years and include the best from NHRA’s Professional and Sportsman classes.

When the list is completely revealed, fans can purchase a commemorative book saluting the Top 75 Drivers, a keepsake packed with photos and profiles of each of the 75 drivers.

Top 75 Drivers home page