NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

NHRA continues its countdown of the Top 75 Moments in its history with the unveiling of Nos. 36 through 45, celebrating historic moments, performance and technological breakthroughs, and high drama.

An online fan ballot that resulted in more than 42,000 individual votes helped create the list of the Top 75 Moments in NHRA history that are being unveiled in a series of rolling announcements as part of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary celebration.

The reveals will take place each Wednesday through Feb. 18 in 10-moment increments, and the final five will be unveiled the week of Feb. 23 as a lead-in to the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 5-8.

Without further ado, here are NHRA’s Top 75 Moments, Nos. 36-45:

36. John Force suffers terrible top-end crash (2024)

Sixteen-time NHRA Funny Car world champion John Force suffered major injuries in a top-end crash after a winning first-round race at the Virginia NHRA Nationals in June. Force suffered a traumatic brain injury but overcame big odds to return to the track as a spectator later that year to root on his teams, then announced his retirement from driving in November 2025.

37. Kurt Johnson makes first six-second Pro Stock run (1994)

On May 20, 1994, Kurt Johnson made NHRA history by recording the first six-second pass in Pro Stock drag racing. During night qualifying for the NHRA Mopar Parts Nationals at Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J., Johnson piloted his Oldsmobile Cutlass to a 6.988-second, earning $25,000 as the inaugural member of the Holley 6-Second Pro Stock Club.

38. Clay Millican scores emotional first Top Fuel win (2017)

In 2017, at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn., Clay Millican achieved an emotional milestone by securing his first Top Fuel victory after 254 starts, defeating Leah Pritchett with a 3.825-second pass at 316.38 mph on Father's Day, a poignant moment following the loss of his son, Dalton.

39. Winston signs breakthrough sponsorship partnership with NHRA (1975)

R.J. Reynolds’ Winston brand signed on as the first title sponsor of NHRA’s premier series. The partnership boasted $20,000 points fund prizes for each of the Pro categories plus Sportsman bonus money to 35 division champions and world champs. Don Garlits (Top Fuel), Don Prudhomme (Funny Car), and Bob Glidden (Pro Stock) were the season champions.

40. Antron Brown first Black Professional world champion (2012)

In 2012, Antron Brown made history by becoming the first African-American to win a major U.S. auto racing championship, clinching the NHRA Top Fuel world title in a dramatic season finale in Pomona. Entering the final event with a 65-point lead over seven-time champion Tony Schumacher, Brown faced a tense first-round matchup against Spencer Massey. Despite a first-round loss, Brown's points lead held, securing his groundbreaking championship by a narrow seven-point margin.

41. Don Garlits unveils streamlined Swamp Rat XXX (1986)

Don Garlits introduced the Swamp Rat XXX, a groundbreaking streamlined Top Fuel dragster designed with a slick, aerodynamic nose and a cockpit canopy, at the NHRA Gatornationals. The radical machine shattered the 270-mph barrier in the semifinals, clocking an eye-popping 272.56 mph, and went on to win the event and, ultimately, the world championship. Swamp Rat XXX earned it a place in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in October 1987.

42. Gary Scelzi wins championship for Johnson family, late Blaine Johnson (1997)

Gary Scelzi stepped into the Top Fuel dragster seat for the Johnson family — replacing the late Blaine Johnson, who died in a qualifying accident the previous year in Indianapolis— and delivered a storybook season: winning the championship in his rookie year with Blaine’s brother and crew chief, Alan Johnson, highlighted by six event victories in the second half of the year, including a record-setting 326-mph run in Houston, making his title not only a professional triumph but an emotional tribute to Blaine's legacy.

43. First NHRA Nationals (1955)

NHRA held its first-ever Nationals in Great Bend, Kan., establishing the blueprint for organized national drag racing competition. The event was a huge hit, as entries poured in from coast to coast and major automobile industries dispatched engineering, sales, production, and public relations experts to the event. Press clippings covering the event were received from as far away as Hong Kong. Calvin Rice won Top Eliminator and thus NHRA’s national championship.

44. Shirley Muldowney beats Connie Kalitta in Indy Top Fuel final (1982)

Shirley Muldowney achieved a career-defining victory by defeating her former crew chief and longtime rival Connie Kalitta, in the Top Fuel final. Muldowney, who had earned the No. 1 qualifying spot, won the NHRA U.S. Nationals for the first time after first runner-upping to Don Garlits at the Big Go in 1975.

45. Ron Capps wins long-awaited first Funny Car world championship (2016)

In 2016, Ron Capps clinched his long-awaited first NHRA Funny Car world championship at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, securing the title during qualifying with a 92-point lead over Matt Hagan. This victory ended years of near-misses for Capps, who had previously been the winningest driver without a championship, amassing 50 career wins prior to this breakthrough. His dominant season included multiple victories and consistent performances, solidifying his status as one of the sport's elite drivers.

Review all of the Top 75 Moments so far on the Top 75 Moments homepage