NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Steve Torrence, Larry Dixon Jr., Del Worsham, and brothers Cruz and Tony Pedregon have been added to the NHRA’s Top 75 Drivers list. The five drivers join 20 previously announced drivers 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, as part of NHRA's 75th Anniversary season.

Torrence overcame teenage Hodgkin’s lymphoma to become one of NHRA Top Fuel’s most dominant champions and a 60-time national event winner. The former Top Alcohol Dragster champ led the family-owned Capco Top Fuel team to four consecutive world titles from 2018–2021, highlighted by a perfect Countdown to the Championship sweep in 2018 and other dominant seasons.

“That's extremely cool,” said Torrence. “Especially because it’s the top 75 drivers of the sport all time, all classes. That's not just the 75 Top Fuel drivers. I greatly appreciate this; It’s a real honor. I have dedicated a large portion of my life to that sport, and to be recognized like this is truly an accomplishment for me.

“I’ve had a great career, but I surely didn't get there without the help of the Good Lord, the help and support of my family, and some really good crew guys.”

Dixon turned a childhood steeped in drag racing into a Hall of Fame-caliber career, winning 62 Top Fuel events and three NHRA world championships. Rising from crewmember to champion, Dixon won two championships with Don Prudhomme’s team, later added another title with Al-Anabi Racing, and remains one of Top Fuel’s most accomplished drivers.

“I'm flattered and honored,” said Dixon. “I remember when the Top 50 Drivers were announced 25 years ago, and it was really exciting every week to see who was on there, and it was all the heroes in drag racing, and so to be on a list with them is way more than I ever dreamed of. They were my idols growing up, and I’m not sure I belong on the same list with them. I remember watching Garlits and Shirley and ‘Snake’ and ‘Goose' and Roland and all those people who did this for a living, and I just thought that if I could ever do that, that would be the neatest thing in the world.

“Being on this list is a reflection of the teams that I got to drive for: great cars, great crew chiefs, great team owners, great sponsors. I’ve been very blessed.”

Worsham grew up surrounded by Funny Car racing. Licensed at 20, he became NHRA Rookie of the Year, won in both Funny Car and Top Fuel, and is one of just three drivers to claim championships in both. With 39 wins, Worsham later thrived as a crew chief while remaining a formidable driver and mentor figure.

“I grew up watching a lot of the guys in the original Top 50, the Don Prudhommes and Tom McEwens, and I still have this little notebook from when I was a kid running around the pits in the late 1970s just filled with autographs of people like Prudhomme and Ed McCulloch, so to be on the same list as them is very flattering.

“I’ve received a lot of great honors over the years, but this is one of the bigger ones I’ve received. I really appreciate it. There are some great, great drivers on the list in all categories, and to be listed with the Top 75 is an honor.”

Cruz Pedregon’s career defines longevity in NHRA nitro racing. Now in his fifth decade, the Funny Car owner-driver holds 705 starts, tops among active competitors. Son of pioneer “Flamin’ Frank” and a former Top Alcohol racer, Pedregon is a two-time world champion, 44-time winner, successful team owner, and still competitive, most recently winning the 2025 Reading, Pa., event.

“This is very humbling,” said Pedregon. “I tell people that I never got into drag racing for any fame or signing autographs — that just all came with it — but when somebody recognizes what you’ve done and all the work you’ve put into it, it’s really an honor and humbling, and it really means a lot. Most of us just started out wanting to drive, maybe make a career out of it, but you never know from one year to the next if you're going to be racing, but, man, I've been very fortunate to have met and worked with some great people over the years.

“When I'm done with my career, these are the kinds of things that will matter most. Wins and losses and championships, they come and go, but something like this will last forever.”
 

Tony Pedregon parlayed a competitive family upbringing into a standout NHRA Funny Car career, earning two world championships, 43 wins, and 76 finals as a driver and team owner. After success with John Force and later his own team, Pedregon transitioned seamlessly into broadcasting, becoming a candid and insightful NHRA TV color commentator.

“This is a little emotional for me when I look at all of the other great drivers on this list because Cruz and I were just a couple of kids who were obsessed with drag racing,” he said. “We were watching guys like Don Prudhomme and Raymond Beadle and Tom McEwen. One of my idols was John Lombardo, and we were just really lucky that we somehow managed to hang out with the right people — especially guys like Joe Pisano — who had the right influence, and that's important in anything you do. Cruz and I would bug our dad so much to take us to the races that he would call guys like Dale Armstrong or Frank Rupert or Billy Williams and beg them to take us to a race, and those guys tolerated us punk kids.

“Then I started driving, and I’m not really supposed to be able beat a guy like John Force, but we just got so good as a team, first with John Medlen and then when Dickie [Venables] came along, that really changed everything. We went from being a good team to a great team. All of these people had such a big influence on my life and my career.”

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.

Fans soon will be able to purchase a commemorative book saluting the Top 75 Drivers, a keepsake packed with photos and profiles of each of the 75 drivers.

To view the Top 75 Drivers list, visit the Top 75 Drivers homepage.