A look at ѻƬ's all-time win streaks
Remembering Larry Dixon Sr.
An all-star turnout as friends and family celebrated the life of Roland Leong
The Chrisman family photo album
Florida's first ѻƬ 'national event' was the Winter Nationals? Yep (sorta)
Fifty years ago, Pro-class stars were also being made at divisional events
Gainesville Raceway through the years
‘Have helmet will travel’: The story of versatile wheelman Gary Southern
50 years ago: A look back at the highlights from the 1974 ѻƬ season
A fond farewell to Parks Tower
The big book of drivers who wheeled Roland Leong’s Hawaiian entries
A final 'aloha' to 'the Hawaiian'
Twas the days before Christmas ...
An ode to the front-engined Top Fueler, and to the family ties that bind us
The 10: Don Prudhomme
Comparing great seasons: Force vs. Anderson vs. Schumacher vs. Herrera vs. 'Snake'
A look back at some thrilling winner-take-all championship-winning final rounds
A tale of two Walts
Blast From the Past: More fire burnouts
Flaming hot magazine covers, cooked to order, sometimes overcooked
500 races and counting: A short history of ѻƬ's Pro Stock Motorcycle class
It was just another case of Indy magic, courtesy of Ron Capps and 'the Snake'
When it comes to 300 mph, I feel The Need: The Need To Talk about Speed
Drag books, drag movies, drag nicknames, and heroes that we’ve lost
Girl power! The big list of female firsts in ѻƬ Drag Racing history
The Dual-Fuel Club: 18 drivers who have won in both Top Fuel and Funny Car
The 10: Don Garlits
Getting off a fast start: A historic look at early-season dominators
John Jodauga's illustrations, words, and spirit were part of the ѻƬ for 50 years
From Half Day to Route 66, from 'the Greek' to 'Wilk,' an Illinois drag racing primer
Dragster Insider column archive
The Dragster Insider column was launched in July 2007 and, to date, has nearly 900columns dedicated to the people and history of ѻƬ Drag Racing. To search the archive, simply press the Ctrl and F buttons on your keyboard (Apple symbol + F on Macs) and type in your search term. iPhone and iPad users can select the "up-arrow" icon at the bottom of the page and scroll to "Find on page."
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A look at ѻƬ's all-time win streaks
May 3:Tony Schumacher. Don Prudhomme. Bob Glidden. Dave Schultz. Four legendary ѻƬ racers who hold four legendary winning streaks, marks that are being challenged in 2024 by Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Gaige Herrera. Here's a look at how those streaks were assembled.Tony Schumacher. Don Prudhomme. Bob Glidden. Dave Schultz. Four legendary ѻƬ racers who hold four legendary winning streaks, marks that are being challenged in 2024 by Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Gaige Herrera. Here's a look at how those streaks were assembled.
Remembering Larry Dixon Sr.
April 19:From Southern California street-racing legend to early-dragster hero to Winternationals-winning Top Fuel driver, Larry Dixon Sr. led a charmed life surrounded by fast cars. This is his story.
An all-star turnout as friends and family celebrated the life of Roland Leong
March 29:On the Thursday before the Lucas Oil ѻƬ Winternationals, nearly 500 friends, family, and hot-rodding compatriots of legendary car owner and tuner Roland Leong gathered at the Lions Automobilia Foundation and Museum in Southern California for a celebration of his life.
The Chrisman family photo album
March 15:The Chrisman family has been a part of the Southern California landscape since before the Winternationals were a thing. The family opened its scrapbook for us to take a look back at the incredible legacy that continues to this day.
Florida's first ѻƬ 'national event' was the Winter Nationals? Yep (sorta)
March 1:Ten years before the Gatornationals brought ѻƬ national event racing to Florida, ѻƬ partnered with NASCAR to create a test event, dubbed "the Winter Nationals," during NASCAR Speedweek in Daytona in 1960.
Fifty years ago, Pro-class stars were also being made at divisional events
Feb. 23:Fifty years ago, there were only seven national events on the schedule, but fans across the country saw great action on the divisional level where Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock competed at 28 additional events. Here’s a look back at some of those 1974 heroes.
Gainesville Raceway through the years
Feb. 16:Three weeks from now we’ll be at Gainesville Raceway for the kickoff of the 2024 ѻƬ Mission Foods Drag Racing Series as we celebrate the 55th anniversary of the famed Gatornationals. Here’s a look back at the ever-changing face of Gainesville Raceway over the years.
‘Have helmet will travel’: The story of versatile wheelman Gary Southern
Feb. 9:Gary Southern, who will be posthumously inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame next month, could drive anything. In a racing career that spanned nearly 30 years, he drove what he estimated was more than 70 cars in many of the sport's top classes.
50 years ago: A look back at the highlights from the 1974 ѻƬ season
Jan. 31:Step into the Dragster Insider Wayback Machine, set the dials for 50 years ago, and return to the 1974 ѻƬ season for a look back at how things were, including the schedule, performance markers, and big moments on and off the track.
A fond farewell to Parks Tower
Jan. 19:With the recent demolition of the famed Parks Tower at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the ѻƬ U.S. Nationals lost a part of a four-decade landscape, but the memories will remain.
The big book of drivers who wheeled Roland Leong’s Hawaiian entries
Jan. 12:Over the course of a long career as an ѻƬ Top Fuel and Funny Car team owner, Roland Leong was one of the sport’s most successful car owners, but he also hired, fired, replaced, or lost more than 20 drivers over that span. Here's the stories behind each.
A final 'aloha' to 'the Hawaiian'
Jan. 5:We lost Roland Leong, the irrepressible owner of the “Hawaiian” line of Top Fuelers and Funny Cars, Dec. 28, and his friends, former drivers, and more shared their thoughts about the man and their experiences with him.
Twas the days before Christmas ...
Dec. 22:Reimagining a Christmas staple, with a little help from the legends."Now Prudhomme! Now Garlits! Muldowney, so quick! On, Ivo! On, Force, through burnouts so thick.”
An ode to the front-engined Top Fueler, and to the family ties that bind us
Dec. 15:The front-engined Top Fuel dragster is such an iconic piece of drag racing lore and still romanticized by those who drove them and continue to drive them, and a way to never forget our past.
The 10: Don Prudhomme
Dec. 1:The second installment of a new feature, chronicling the 10 greatest career moments of some of ѻƬ's greatest racers. This week, it's legendary Top Fuel/Funny Car owner/driver Don "the Snake" Prudhomme.
Comparing great seasons: Force vs. Anderson vs. Schumacher vs. Herrera vs. 'Snake'
Nov. 24:Gaige Herrera's championship-winning season in Pro Stock Motorcycle was the best in class history, but how does it stack up against the other by-class greats, including Don Prudhomme's amazing 1976 Funny Car season? Let's find out.
A look back at some thrilling winner-take-all championship-winning final rounds
Nov. 17: Just five times in ѻƬ Professional-class racing has the final round of the season finale been a winner-take-all for the championship, including Top Fuel at last weekend's In-N-Out Burger ѻƬ Finals. Here's a look back at those five nailbiters.
A tale of two Walts
Nov. 3: When it comes to famous Walts in the world, movie lovers have Walt Disney, bookworms have Walt Whitman, and basketball fans have Walt Frazier. Drag racing recently lost two of its favorite Walts, Walt Austin and Walt Stevens, within a month over September and October.
Blast From the Past: More fire burnouts
Oct. 20:If the volume of email is any indicator, fire burnouts, which were made illegal decades ago, are still very much a hot topic among race fans of yore who witnessed the planned pyrotechnics on dragstrips across the nation.
Flaming hot magazine covers, cooked to order, sometimes overcooked
Oct. 6:And as long as there have been photographers submitting photos to publications, they’re all in pursuit of the Holy Grail known as the elusive “cover shot," and for drag racing magazines, that meant a fire burnout (back when they were still legal). Here's the story of one that went amusingly wrong.
500 races and counting: A short history of ѻƬ's Pro Stock Motorcycle class
Sept. 26:The Betway ѻƬ Carolina Nationals marked the 500th Pro Stock Motorcycle race of the modern era, which began in 1987 with the crowning of the first world champion, Dave Schultz.Here's a quick history of the ѻƬ Pro Stock Motorcycle class from 1987 to present.
It was just another case of Indy magic, courtesy of Ron Capps and 'the Snake'
Sept. 8:Ron Capps' Funny Car victory at the Dodge Power Brokers ѻƬ U.S. Nationals brought a tear to the eye of many — Capps included — as well as the thousands of Don Prudhomme fans around the globe.
When it comes to 300 mph, I feel The Need: The Need To Talk about Speed
Aug. 25:The old saying, "Speed is not just about going fast; it's about going faster than anyone else” certainly applies to drag racing. As we sit on the cusp of the first 300-mph eighth-mile pass, here’s a look back at the history of speed in drag racing.
Drag books, drag movies, drag nicknames, and heroes that we’ve lost
Aug. 4: First look at Steve Reyes' new Funny Car book and the proposed "Big Daddy" Don Garlits movie, drag racing nicknames, and remembrances of Jim Brissette, Clare Sanders, and Gary Bolger.
The big list of female firsts in ѻƬ Drag Racing history
July 7:In no other motorsport have women accomplished as much as they have in ѻƬ Drag Racing. The female drivers of the ѻƬ have racked up scores of firsts in the sport that place them head and shoulders above their peers in other motorsports. Here's a look at some of those firsts.
The Dual-Fuel Club: Drivers who have won in both Top Fuel and Funny Car
June 29:Eighteen Funny Car drivers have done something that even the great John Force never has (and likely never will) do: Win in both Funny Car and Top Fuel. With his Funny Car win at the Summit Racing Equipment ѻƬ Nationals, Blake Alexander became the latest driver to win in both classes at an ѻƬ national event.
The 10: Don Garlits
june 16:Drag racing legend Don Garlits was the grand marshal at inaugural Wally Parks ѻƬ Nostalgia Nationals in Bowling Green, Ky. Here's a look at 10 magical moments from the career of "Big Daddy."
Getting off a fast start: A historic look at early-season dominators
May 26:Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Gaige Herrera has won the first three events of the 2023 campaign, marking only the 13th time in ѻƬ history that a driver won three or more events to start a season. Here's a historical look back at other fast starts to seasons.
John Jodauga's illustrations, words, and spirit were part of the ѻƬ for 50 years
May 18:John Jodauga, the talented motorsport artist, longtime former member of the ѻƬ National Dragster staff, and the man with the most mispronounced last name in motorsports, passed away May 11, and he and his artwork are remembered by his friends and colleagues.
[Sub articles:The artwork of John JodaugaFriends and co-workers remember John Jodauga]
From Sweden with love: An artistic salute to Funny Cars of the 1970s and '80s
May 5:Swedish artist Lars “Loors” Svensson has created a very cool 1970s Funny Car poster that faithfully shows the flanks and noses of 24 recognizable floppers. It's his tribute to those colorful and memorable cars of the era.
Remembering Bill Mullins
April 21:Veteran racer Bill Mullins, the only driver in ѻƬ history to win in Top Gas, Top Alcohol Dragster, and Top Fuel, passed away April 10 at age 88, and his story and life are remembered here.
The Magnificent 11: The short list of non-U.S. born racers to qualify No. 1
April 7:At the ѻƬ Arizona Nationals, Cristian Cuadra became the first Mexican-born racer to qualify No. 1 in a Pro class at an ѻƬ national event. Only 10 other non-U.S.-born racers have accomplished the feat. These are their stories.
Remembering Doug Kerhulas and Dave Hough
March 17:It’s been a sad parade of losses in the sport here lately, but two recent ones struck deep nerves as we lost 1980s Top Fuel star Doug Kerhulas and Fuel Altered icon Dave Hough in the span of 10 days.
Remembering Walt Rhoades
March 3:Walt Rhoades, who had a successful ѻƬ career in nitro-, alcohol-, and gas-burning dragsters, passed away earlier this week, bringing to a close an amazingly diverse career.
More early-1970s Funny Cars
Feb. 24:The Funny Cars of the early 1970s were a wild breed, with everything from Volkswagen Beetles to Ford Mavericks and Pintos to GTOs and topless Corvettes rolling down the highway to match races near and far.
East Coast Funny Cars of the 1970s
Feb. 17:The West Coast may have been Ground Zero for the Funny Car population explosion of the late 1960s and early 1970s, but the East Coast also had its share of memorable early floppers. Here's a look back at some of those wild rides.
Funny Car icon Bruce Larson: ѻƬ's original triple-threat Pro driver
Feb. 10:When Alex Laughlin, the new driver of Jim Dunn’s Funny Car, races at the Gatornationals, he’ll become just the second driver in ѻƬ history to have competed in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock at an ѻƬ national event. Meet Bruce Larson, who did it 30 years before.
Frank Mancuso: Some good trips and some bad ones for the 'Travel Agent' driver
Feb. 3:For every Don Prudhomme and John Force, there's a Funny Car guy who never quite made it to the top, but nevertheless was part of the fabric of the sport. Meet Frank Mancuso, whose Travel Agent Funny Car experienced the ups and downs of the sport.
Jan. 27:Artificial intelligence has come a long way and plays a role in our daily lives, but what does it know about ѻƬ Drag Racing history? Let's find out!
Jan. 20:Fifty years ago may seem like a long time ago to some, but for many loyal followers of this column, it’s either about the time you started getting hooked on the sport of, for our less-senior members of the Insider Nation, it’s that wonderful place to dream of having been.
Jan. 13:When it came to painting race cars, Bob Gerdes was the East Coast's Rembrandt, especially in the 1970s heyday of Funny Car. We lost Gerdes Jan. 2, but offer a fond look back at his history and the magic captured at his shop, Circus Custom Paints.
Dec. 16: Now that all the drama has died down and the worry beads have mostly been put away, I'd like to share my little Christmas miracle with you. On Dec. 1, I almost became the one needing to be eulogized ....
Nov. 25:Brittany Force’s 2022 championship season brought to an end one of the most dominating eras in Top Fuel drag racing as Steve Torrence’s four-year reign as world champion was finally ended. But how does Torrence's streak compare to some of the other great Top Fuel domination in history?
Nov. 18:Looking for ways to learn more about the history of the sport you love so much? Here are four new books covering a good chunk of drag racing history that would go nicely on your bookshelf or make a fine holiday present.
Nov. 4:Brittany Force, Robert Hight, and Matt Smith lead the points in their classes heading into the season-ending Auto Club ѻƬ Finals, but, as history has shown and possible points values back up, nothing is certain at the final race of the season.
Oct. 21:Oct. 22, 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the controversial breaking (or not breaking) of one of drag racing’s great barriers. “T.V. Tommy” Ivo received a 5.97 time slip, allowing him to lay claim to the first five-second Top Fuel clocking, but the run has been shrouded in controversy ever since.
Oct. 7:All racers are amazing people and fierce competitors, but some stand out for not just being great racers, but great human beings, too. We recently lost one of them, former Texas Top Fuel racer Jody Smart.
To heroes lost ...
Sept. 9:It’s been a rough couple of weeks for longtime racing fans (and especially Funny Car fans) with a number of passings of some more of our heroes: Hayden Proffitt, Judy Lilly, Gabby Bleeker, Russell Long, and Bill Schultz.
“Top Fuel at Indy,” 50 years ago
Aug. 26:Calling something "Top Fuel at Indy" used to be the ultimate compliment. After all, what could be bigger than ѻƬ’s most recognized class at its biggest and most prestigious event? With that in mind, let's take a trip back 50 years ago, for Top Fuel at Indy, 1972.
Aug. 5:The wheelstander exhibition vehicle wasn't born so much as it evolved from some experimental cars that just couldn't keep the front tires on the ground. Since 1964, they've been wowing crowds with their two-wheeled antics. Here's a look at some of those wild machines.
July 8:Part 2 of the adventure follows our hero through some pretty severe trials and tribulations in pursuit of a competition license. It ain't as easy as it seems ...
July 1:It was the summer of 1984, and the challenge was laid down: Could a wannabe-race-car-driver transform from journalist into quarter-mile hero? First of two parts.
June 10:Wheelstanders have been part of the ѻƬ landscape since the mid-1960s, and no driver has more experience or longevity than Ed "the Outlaw” Jones, who first started scraping bumpers in 1976 and continues to this day, more than 45 years later
May 27: I celebrated my 40th year with the ѻƬ on May 24, and take a look back at the changes to the sport that have occurred over the last four decades and share memories of the people and places I've come to love.
May 20: Nowhere does weird stuff happen more than in nitro Funny Car, where the combination of high horsepower and a short wheelbase can derail a favorite’s run to the winner’s circle. With that in mind, here’s a look back at some memorable upset wins.
May 6:Upsets are a part of nitro drag racing, and we almost had a couple of them at the Circle K ѻƬ Four-Wide Nationals. With that in mind, here's a list of five big Top Fuel upsets in ѻƬ history.
30 years ago: The 1992 ѻƬ season was a year full of historic firsts
April 15:The 1992 season as a whole was filled with big news, history-making moments, and craziness, so I thought we'd take a 30-year hop back in time to remember that amazing season.
April 7:Female Pro Stock pioneer Shay Nichols Hoffman lived a fast and exciting life long after she left the class: Fishing boat captain, world-class angler, helicopter pilot, commercial scuba diver, prison chaplain, author, and more.
March 25:In its 52-year, 902-race lifespan, only seven female drivers have raced in ѻƬ Pro Stock competition. From Shirley Shahan and Shay Nichols in 1971 through barrier-breakers Lucinda McFarlin and Erica Enders to current rookie Camrie Caruso, here's a look at that magnificent seven.
March 4: Long before Danny Ongais became a household name as a revered IndyCar driver, he belonged to the world of drag racing, where he first sated his need for speed. In this week's Dragster Insider, friends and fellow racers remember the guy nicknamed “On the Gas.”
Feb. 25: Barry Setzer, who for two years in the early 1970s was the owner of the quickest and fastest Funny Car on the planet, passed away Jan. 31 at age 79.
Feb. 11:ѻƬ has been racing down the Pomona dsragstrip since the early 1950s. Here's a look back at some memorable images over the past 70 years.
Feb. 4:Pro Stock made its debut at the 1970 Winternationals and will celebrate its 900th competition event at this year’s Lucas Oil ѻƬ Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com. Here's a look at some statistics from the first 899 events.
Jan. 28:The 2022 ѻƬ season is already being hyped by racers and fans alike as a can’t-miss campaign, but let’s turn back the clock exactly 50 years and take a look back at the highlight-filled 1972 season.
Jan. 14:There’s never been another drag racer quite like Don Garlits, and there’s probably never going to ever be anyone like “Big Daddy.” The icon of our sport turns 90 years old today, and we’re celebrating him with a massive 90-image photo gallery spanning his career.
Remembering the "other" Dick Venables and the "other" James Warren
Jan. 7:Anyone who knows anything about drag racing knows the names of Dickie Venables and James Warren. but here are remembrances of the racing Dick Venables and James Warren that maybe you didn’t know, both of whom we lost in the last week of December 2021.
Decembers to remember
Dec. 24:Every December is a time to stop to reflect on the past 12 months: What went right, what went wrong, what we can do better in the next year. Or, if you're the author of a long-running column about drag racing history, a look back at some memorable December stories.
Don Garlits, Bob Taaffe, and the 72-hour car build that led to drag racing lore
Dec. 17:Don Garlits' amazing win at the 1967 Nationals, so well remembered for his post-race starting-line beard shave, might not have been possible without Bob Taaffe, who helped "Big Daddy" build a new car in just 72 hours. Garlits remembers Taaffe after his recent passing.
Dec. 10:In 1952, hot rodding had a bad name. An ѻƬ pamphlet, the Hot Rod Story, set a blueprint for moving forward with a rallying call that reads almost like the Gettysburg Address of ѻƬ. You should read this to know from whence we came.
Dec. 3:More great photos from the National Dragster archives: Shirley Muldowney, Don Prudhomme, Blaine Johnson, "Flash Gordon" Mineo, John Myers, Buster Couch, Al Hofmann, Richard Tharp, Cristen Powell, and many more!
Name That Funny Car
Nov. 26:The annual Manufacturers Meet at Orange County Int'l Raceway in Southern California was a big deal back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, drawing the best of the best. But how many can you identify? We've got the answers!
Nov. 19:Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Tom McEwen, Roland Leong, Gary Beck, and more are part of an eclectic and interesting batch of rediscovered photos.
Finals Flashback: 1971 World Finals, where upsets and breakage ruled the day
Nov. 5:Take a 50-year trip back in history to relive the 1971 ѻƬ World Finals, where upsets winners and surprising breakage helped decide the world championships.
Found! 1955 Nationals entry list
Oct. 28:On the eve of ѻƬ's historic 1,000th national event, a blast from the past: The official entry list for the 1955 National Championship Drags, ѻƬ's first national event, is like a time capsule for our sport, filled with legendary names from drag racing's early greats.
Oct. 22:The return of the Dragster Insider includes the tale of the missing firesuit, memories of John "Tarzan" Austin and Dal Denton, and moving on from one ѻƬ home to another.
Oct. 1:One thing that likely will never change in our lifetimes is that John Force is the winningest driver in ѻƬ history (154 victories and counting), but he wasn't always the GOAT of winners. Here's a historical look back at ѻƬ's winningest drivers over the decades.
Aug. 27: The most epic burndown in ѻƬ history happened in the Top Fuel final 50 years ago at the 1971 U.S. Nationals between Steve Carbone and "Big Daddy" Don Garlits.
Aug. 6:A lot of people gasped when Justin Ashley had to withdraw from the Winternationals Top Fuel final due to heat exhaustion, but it wasn’t the first time that’s happened in ѻƬ Top Fuel history. Meet Jim Harnsberger, who had the same thing happen to him 50 years ago while preparing his car for the final.
July 9:The ѻƬ Western Swing has been around since 1989, but this year, it has a new look and a shot at making some more history. Here's a detailed history of the Western Swing with a look back at those who have swept the Swing and those who have gotten close.
July 2:Twenty-five years ago, the ѻƬ world lost one of its finest people and greatest emissaries when National Dragster Photo Editor Leslie Lovett died of a heart attack, but his legacy and images continue to power and inspire the sport.
June 18:The Funny Car class hit its milestone 900th event last weekend in Epping. Here's a look back at the 92 winners, 23 champions, and interesting facts and trivia covering the class' history.
June 11:A lot of people love Pro Stock. Kelly Wade LOVES Pro Stock. And she loves people, making her the perfect person to tackle the daunting task of chronicling the life and times of “the Professor,” Warren Johnson.
June 4:When your dad loves both drag racing and photography, that's where you end up. Rick Bain shares his story of growing up shooting photos on the starting line of some iconic Southern California tracks. Plus: Autograph hunt!
May 28:Winter is coming. That’s the watchword for Southern California fans as the fabled Winternationals is officially back on the schedule for this summer. The Winternationals in July? Tell me more ...
May 21:From flaming Funnies to flipping Pro Stockers, tumbling Top Fuelers, and acrobatic Alcohol Funny Cars, a fond look back at a career spent watching the drags from the finish line.
May 7:Access to the starting line at an ѻƬ national event for professional photographers is a coveted goal for many, offering a ringside seat to motorsports' most powerful experience. Here's the story of two ways to get there.
April 23:The friends of ѻƬ Drag Racing legend Don "the Snake" Prudhomme gathered recently to celebrate the nitro-racing icon on his 80th birthday.
April 9:Don Garlits’ Swamp Rat 17, the Wynn’s Liner, had a very short life in 1973 and is roundly considered to be among the few disappointments of the more than 40 Swamp Rats he campaigned. Here's the story behind this most misunderstood car.
April 2:Kenji Okazaki is probably the least likely guy to become a Funny Car hero, but in just five years wheeling Jim Dunn’s Mooneyes Funny Car, the vintage muscle-car salesman from Tokyo made a lot of ѻƬ history. This is his story.
March 26:If your association with drag racing goes back four decades, it’s a pretty good bet that you know who Ron Colson was, and a fairly good bet that your paths had crossed at one point. If you're newer to the sport, it's time you learned something about Colson, who passed away March 19.
March 19:The drag racing and performance aftermarket worlds lost another giant with the passing of Doug Thorley, who died at age 92 at his home in his native Utah. Here's a fond look back at his career.
March 5:ѻƬ recently announced a partnership with Mattel’s Hot Wheels brand to bring ѻƬ-branded drag racing diecast cars to the mass market, the continuation of a relationship that began in 1970. Here's a look back at how it all got started.
Feb. 26:It's one thing to lose a race car to fire on the dragstrip and another to lose it in a trailer fire on the way to the track. John Lombardo Jr. recounts the "surreal and unpleasant night" in 1984 when legendary Funny Car owner Joe Pisano's rig burned to the ground in the California desert.
Feb. 19:Denny Savage was an old-school Funny Car driver, born in the class' earliest years in the mid-1960s, and enjoyed a career that lasted well into the 1980s while driving famed cars such as the Hawaiian, the Chi-Town Hustler, and more than a dozen others. This is his story.
Feb. 5:Innovation has always been a hallmark of drag racing. New ideas – sometimes brilliant, sometimes harebrained – surfaced every weekend at tracks across the country. Some worked, some didn’t, but it even some that didn’t work still advanced the sport.
Input requested: Cars that changed drag racing
Jan. 29:In a sport like ours, where evolution carried us from stripped-down Model Ts to 330-mph Top Fuel dragsters, what are the most significant race cars that have marked the milestones along the way? We want to hear your thoughts!
Jan 22:Don Schumacher Racing’s Dodge Charger Funny Cars swept all 11 races last season, but the Charger is certainly not a new body style to the class, having been around since the class’ mid-1960s creation. Here's a look back at some of them.
Jan. 8:Challenged to cite a random drag racer from their memory banks, dozens of ѻƬ fans responded to share their thoughts abut racers past and present whose accomplishments resonate with them.
Passings of original ѻƬ DD Darwin Doll, car owner Dale Creasy Sr. add to 2020 toll
Dec. 31:Darwin Doll, one of ѻƬ’s original division directors who oversaw the Northeast Division from 1964-78, and longtime nitro Funny Car owner Dale Creasy Sr. both passed away recently, adding to a year of tremendous losses within the sport. We salute them all one final time.
89 questions about Chris “the Greek” Karamesines (or should there be 92?)
Dec. 24:Drag racing's legendary "Greek," Chris Karamesines, ended his driving career at the close of the 2020 season at age 89. Or is it 92? There are so many questions, but we'll try to answer them all.
Dec. 18:Although it’s pretty clear that the Chevrolet Camaro has become the body style of choice in Pro Stock over the last decade, it certainly wasn’t always the case. Here's a look back at the variety that has made the class a fan favorite for 50 years.
Dec. 11:Not many people (well, only one, actually) can say they caused Top Fuel legend Don Garlits to not qualify at the U.S. Nationals, upset Kenny Bernstein in the last race of his "Forever Red" retirement tour, and was the first Japanese national in an ѻƬ Top Fuel final. That guy was Yuichi Oyama.
Dec. 4:Challenged on Twitter to pick a random ѻƬ driver, fans responded with a wide-ranging and impressive list of their favorites. Now you get your chance, too.
Nov. 27:As ѻƬ prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2021, here's a look back 50 seasons ago, when Don Garlits introduced the first successful rear-engine Top Fueler, Funny Car performance zoomed out of sight, Ronnie Sox won six of eight Pro Stock events but not the world championship, and ѻƬ went to Canada.
Welcome back, and welcome to my great drag racing debates
Nov. 20:After a six-week hiatus, the Dragster Insider column returns with a couple of burning debates from ѻƬ history.
Exclusive book excerpt: Don “the Snake” Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320
Oct. 9:Our recent review of the new autobiography, Don “the Snake” Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320, stoked so much interest that Prudhomme and his publisher, CarTech, have provided National Dragster with an exclusive excerpt from the book for his fans to enjoy.
Oct. 2:Steve Torrence won the Amalie Motor Oil ѻƬ Gatornationals in a Don Garlits tribute car modeled after Garlits' famed Swamp Rat 14, one of the most important cars in Top Fuel history. Here's the story behind the success of Garlits' original SR14.
Sept. 25:ѻƬ Drag Racing legend Don Prudhomme's new book is a great book for “Snake” fans, especially those wanting to know as much about the man as his machines.
Dave Miller: Diamond in the rough
Sept. 18:"Diamond Dave" Miller made a ton of ѻƬ fans in the early 1980s when he unveiled a 200-inch wheelbase Top Fueler when everyone else was in the 260-inch range. The popular driver passed away recently and is remembered here for his perseverance and passion.
Quiz: Drag racing's hometown heroes
Sept. 11:Drag racers come from all across this wonderful land, but how well do you know some of the famous hometowns and their hot-rodding residents? Take the quiz and find out!
Reliving the U.S. Nationals Top Fuel final that no one will ever forget
Aug. 29:Even 50 years later, it remains among the most dramatic and poignant footage ever recorded at an ѻƬ national event. The 1970 U.S. Nationals Top Fuel final, Don Prudhomme vs. Jim Nicoll. Nicoll’s clutch explodes at the finish line, cutting his front-engine dragster in two at his feet.
Aug. 21:Tony Schumacher has won Top Fuel at the Denso Spark Plugs ѻƬ U.S. Nationals a class-record 10 times and has his sights set on tying the event's all-time record at this year's event. Here's a look back at his "Big Go" history, with insight from the man himself.
Aug. 14:Drag racing lost two more of its early pioneers this week with the passing of Fuel Altered racer Leon Fitzgerald and Pro Stock racer and crankshaft manufacturer Sonny Bryant.
July 31:Legendary ѻƬ Division 5 Director Darrell Zimmerman plied his trade in the Rocky Mountain region for more than 30 years. A successful racer, 'Zim' joined the ѻƬ team in the late 1950s and carved a legendary career and made legions of friends throughout the sport.
July 24:When ѻƬ staged the Lucas Oil ѻƬ Summernationals last weekend in Indy, it resurrected one of the most storied event names in ѻƬ history. Here's a look back at the 50-year history of the ѻƬ Summernationals name.
July 3:Drag racing lost another of its great figures last week with the passing of former Top Fuel owner, crew chief, and engine builder Mike Kuhl
June 19:David Graves has been shooting photos in Texas and the surrounding states for decades and shared with us a collection of some of his great Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Sportsman-racing images.
June 12:It all started innocently enough, with one YouTube video showing roller starters in action, and the next thing you know, it was hours and hours of 1970s match racing. Well, there goes your day.
May 30:In the period between the advent of the push start and remote engine starters, some tracks used car-engine-powered or electric-powered roller starters that helped racer start their cars in a safer manner.
May 22:Auto-racing superstar Mario Andretti only dabbled once in drag racing, in a Ford vs. Chevy exhibition in Connecticut where Andretti's Tasca Ford-prepped machine won four straight races against a more experienced opponent.
Farewell to a fearsome fuel foursome
May 16: Rememberinga quartet of diehard ѻƬ nitro racers you may or may not know or remember: driver/owners Johnny White and Bobby Tapia and car owners Bill Blomgren and Glenn Solano.
May 1:Jim Edmunds, who served as the editor of ѻƬ National Dragster for nearly seven years, passed away April 25 and is remembered by the guy who holds his job now, current ND editor Phil Burgess, and some of his other fellow colleagues.
Remembering Barbara Hamilton
April 24:ѻƬ Drag Racing is known for many things, but the success of female race drivers and barrier-breakers in our sport is second to none in motorsports. On April 23, we lost one of the keystones of that legacy, Barbara Hamilton.
Remembering Jack Ditmars
April 10:Jack Ditmars, best remembered by fans as the skilled pilot of two wild, short-wheelbased machines, the Lil’ Screamer ’34 Ford and the Mini Brute ’68 Opel Kadett, passed away March 31 and is remembered here by friends.
April 3:Continue your trip down memory lane with these fan-submitted photos from ѻƬ national events of the early 1980s, including photos of Don Garlits, Tom McEwen, and many more,
March 27:Take a trip down memory lane with these fan-submitted photos from ѻƬ national events of the early 1980s. John Force, Shirley Muldowney, Don Prudhomme, the Chi-Town Hustler, and many more!
March 20: Last week was a double whammy, especially for West Coast fans with the passing of Top Fuel/Funny Car owner/driver Don “the Beachcomber” Johnson and Top Fuel/Funny Car/Fuel Altered pilot and owner Henry Harrison.
March. 13:Bob Lambeck, whose son Doug has been in a three-race tear in Comp, was in on the ground floor of Pro Stock in 1970 and remembers those early first days of the class.
March 6: Gainesville Raceway, site of the Amallie Motor Oil ѻƬ Gatornationals, opened in late 1969 and hosted the first Gatornationals in 1970. Here's a quick look back at the track in its earliest days, through the lens of a longtime ѻƬ fan.
SoCal Nitro Scrapbook: 1976-78
Feb. 28:Southern California was a hotbed of Funny Car racing in the mid-1970s, with guys like Don "the Snake" Prudhomme, "Big Jim" Dunn, and good ol' John Force patrolling the dragstrips. Here are some photos from my personal scrapbook,
Memorable Winternationals Moments, Part 3: the 2000s and 2010s
Feb. 7:We wrap up our three-part look at memorable moments with the two most recent decades, the 2000s and the recently completed 2010s. Great legends of the past give way to new legends in the making as the Winternationals history roared on.
Jan. 31:As we close in on the launch of the 2020 season and the 60th annual Lucas Oil Winternationals, we continue our look back at the rich history of the event. In Part 2, we're focusingon the 1980s and '90s.
Jan. 24:In this first of three parts, here’s a look at memorable moments from the 1960s and '70s from the deep history of the event.
Jan. 10:John Kimble, one of the first successful black Top Fuel racers, passed away Jan. 6 and is remembered by friends and family as a quiet giant who loved family and racing. He was 81.
In the Christmas spirit
Dec. 27:A look back at some Christmas-inspired Dragster Insider columns from years past.
Dec. 20:Thanks to a huge assist from fellow racer Gary Clapshaw, "Big Daddy" Don Garlits was able to race to his first 300-mph performance at the 2001 U.S. Nationals. In the wake of Clapshaw's passing Dec. 15, it's a story worth retelling.
Rodney Flournoy: Still nitro after all these years
Dec. 13:Rodney Flournoy was a Southern California fan favorite in the 1980s with his family-run Funny Car. Nearly 40 years later, he's still burning nitro in the ѻƬ Hot Rod Heritage Series, now with his daughter at his side.
A final farewell to 'the Dones'
Nov. 21:An all-star cast of racers and longtime acquaintances of “the Dones” gathered at the Wally Parks ѻƬ Museum to remember legendary promoter Bill Doner and tell old stories and celebrate one of the most unique members of the drag racing family.
Nov. 15:The ѻƬ season closer hasn’t always been held at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. In fact, since the inaugural event in 1965, the race has been run at six locations, more places than any other ѻƬ race. Here is a look at the history of the event and the drama it always produces.
Novembers to remember
Nov. 8:Twelve-plus years and still going strong, the Dragster Insider column tells "the stories behind the stories" in the history of our sport. Here's a look back at some November stories from its archives.
Oct. 31:The 2019 Dodge ѻƬ Nationals wasthe 900th ѻƬ national event to include the Top Fuel class, dating back to the 1963 Winternationals. Here's a look back at the heroes and stats of the class.
Oct. 17:Drag racing lost another of its nitro-racing veterans Sept. 25 with the passing of 1970s Funny Car star Bill Leavitt just about a week shy of his 81st birthday.
Oct. 4:Earlier this week, veteran Top Fuel racer Cory McClenathan announced his pending retirement from competition. Here's a look back at his 30-year career behind the butterfly.
Sept. 20:Words of admiration and old stories keep rolling in after the passing of Tom Jobe, resulting in some more touching tributes and interesting stories about the fabled Surfers Top Fuel team of the 1960s.
Sept. 13:Bob Skinner, Mike Sorokin, andTom Jobe, known collectively to Top Fuel fans of the mid-1960s as The Surfers, rode a wave of success and popularity for three years. With the Sept. 7 passing of Jobe, the last surviving Surfer, we look back at their magical time.
Aug. 23:Legendary 1970s racetrack operator and promoter Bill Doner, who died last week, was a lot of things to a lot of people -- benefactor, starmaker, friend, adversary, storyteller -- but above all he was loved, revered, and respected by those in his universe.
64 Years of Indy Trivia
Aug. 20:The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals will celebrate its 65th running this year. Here's a look at some of the interesting trivia from the event's history.
Aug. 9:At this year's Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, as they have been for the last 60 years, when the event was held in Detroit, two longtime fans of the sport will be settled into their seats watching all of the action at the 65th edition of the "Big Go."
July 26:Between 1955 and 1963, only one driver, George Montgomery, had won ѻƬ's Nationals more than once, and, incredibly, he had won it three times before anyone had even won it twice.
July 12:In 1965, Winternationals winners Don Prudhomme and car owner Roland Leong became the first to win two ѻƬ national events in a season when they won at Indy after a long road trip. Relive that wild voyage in unprecedented detail.
Saluting U.S. Nationals history: The story of Marvin "Who?" Graham
June 28:In the months leading up to the 65th annual U.S. Nationals, I'm chroniclinhsome of the great stories that made Indy the world’s biggest and most important drag race. This week: Indy's "unknown" Top Fuel winner.
A little catchup time
June 14:Remembering Funny Car owner Jim Green, photo researching with Don Prudhomme, and catching up with Marvin "Who?" Graham.
Color our world: Remembering master racecar painter Bill Carter
June 7:Legendary race car painter “Wild Bill” Carter created some of the most memorable paint jobs for some of the sport’s most famous racers.
The Sands of (Elapsed) Time
May 24:The early 1980s was an interesting time in drag racing when sand racers defected in huge numbers to the asphalt and introduced us to future world champions like Alan Johnson and Gary Scelzi and a slew of other talented racers.
Gone but not forgotten
May 10:Southern California racer Jim DePasse made a name for himself drag racing on both sand and asphalt. He wasn't the best-known racer among ѻƬ fans,
Modeling mementos
April 19: Harold Satterlee is honoring his uncle, "Famous Amos" Satterlee, by creating models of his uncle's famous cars, often melding together multiple kits to get the parts right and to to preserve his uncle's legacy. Also, some loving memories from one of Amos' grandchilden.
April 12:Legendary nitro tuner "Famous Amos" Satterlee passed away April 4 at age 88. He left behind a legacy of broken records, race wins, and drag racing championships on asphalt, water, and sand.
March 28:One came to fame as a teenager ahead of his prime and the other with a sponsor that was ahead of its time, but this week we mourn them together with the passings last weekend of ѻƬ pioneers Bobby Vodnik and Frank Oglesby.
March 22:Dave Chenevert was the first Gatornationals Top Fuel winner way back in 1970 and the first of 30 different drivers to win Top Fuel at Gainesville Raceway. Relive that wild weekend from the memory of one of his teenage crewmembers, Fred Mooneyham, himself a future Top Fuel driver.
50 Memorable Moments in Gatornationals history
March 15:The Gatornationals, the third oldest event on the ѻƬ Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule, has a deep and rich heritage that ensures its place in the history books and in the hearts and minds of racers and fans alike. Here's a look back at 50 Memorable Moments from the event’s colorful history.
Remembering Ezra Boggs
March 8:Ezra Boggs and the Moby Dick Funny Car were match-race mainstays in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and occasional national event competitors. Boggs passed away Feb. 20 and was remembered by friends.
Feb. 15:No one has driven a nitro Funny Car longer than Gary Densham, who kicked off his 49th season in Pomona. The lifelong Southern Californian is a regional treasure to those who grew up watching him race his line of Teacher’s Pet floppers at tracks up and down the West Coast.
Feb. 7:The sport lost another friend yesterday with the passing of former Funny Car owner/driver Ray Alley, at age 86 after a lengthy illness. In this special column, drag racing hall of famer Kenny Bernstein remembers Alley, who gave him his first Funny Car ride.
Feb. 1:The 2019 season kicks off next Friday in Pomona, launching the ѻƬ season as it has every year since 1961. But how did ѻƬ end up planting its flag in this suburban wonderland?
Remembering Frank Rupert
Jan. 18:Former Top Fuel and Funny Car racer Frank Rupert passed away Friday, Jan. 4, due to complications after going into cardiac arrest. In this special Insider column, Brad Littlefield shares the history of the respected nitro veteran.
50 years ago: The 1969 Winternationals
Jan. 11:The 50th annual ѻƬ Gatornationals is fast approaching, but before we head back east, let's take a trip back in time 50 years to Pomona and the 1969 Winternationals, which was memorable for so many reasons.
Top Fuelers of the 1980s
Dec. 14:Let’s continue our journey through the decades with another batch of images from the Ron Lewis collection. Over the past month or so, I’ve shared photos from his five-decade collection covering the 1960s and ‘70s (Top Fuel and Funny Car) and now we’re on to 1980s Top Fuelers.
Remembering Dick LaHaie
Dec. 7: Many Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers have gone on to become crew chiefs, but there aren’t a lot of guys who not only won a championship as a driver and crew chief. Dick LaHaie, whom we lost Dec. 5, won the crown as a driver then tuned not just one but two drivers to a combined four Top Fuel championships.
Nov. 23: If you were a drag racing fan in the 1960s and 1970s, you knew the Color Me Gone name even if you couldn’t recall the name of its driver, Roger Lindamood, who tore up dragstrips around the country for more than a decade.
1970s Funny Cars!
Nov. 16:From 1966, the first year of the class, through 1979, there were more than 500 licensed Funny Car drivers competing at ѻƬ events. Here's a look back at some memorable Funny Car images from the 1970s, as seen through the lens of longtime lensman Ron Lewis.
Nov. 9: ѻƬ National Dragster's long-running Photo Editor Teresa Long retired last week after more than 30 years shooting photos for the ѻƬ and its award-winning publication. Here's a fond look back at the career of one of the sport's beloved and appreciated friends.
Oct. 25:The Top Fuel class underwent a massive transition in the 1970s, from front-engined cars to rear-engine cars with all manner of aerodynamic additions. Photographer Ron Lewis shared his collection of photos that beautifully illustrate the evolution.
Top Fuelers and Funny Cars of the 1960s
Oct. 19:Drag racing photographer Ron Lewis, who’s been shooting at the drags since he was a teenager in the mid-1960s, is sharing with us some of the thousands of his vintage drag racing pics. This week: the 1960s.
Another farewell to heroes
Oct. 5:Drag racing lost a pair of its early heroes over the last two weeks with the passings of legendary East Coast Top Fuel and Funny Car racer Jimmy King and versatile driver “Jet Car Bob” Smith.
Vintage jet cars
Sept. 28:Jet cars have been part of the drag racing landscape since the early 1960s, and are still featured at ѻƬ national events. Here's a look back at some of the earliest and wildest of the breed.
Sept. 14:The late great jet-dragster racer Doug Rose was not just another driver lined up next to West Coast jet jockey Doug Brown, he was a friend and mentor, as Brown explains in this illuminating and entertaining tribute.
Sept. 7:The drag racing world lost a master entertainer and jet-car legend a few weeks ago when Doug Rose, whose Green Mamba jet had entertained fans for more than 50 years, passed away. We salute him this week in words and photos.
Aug. 31:The2018 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationalsmarkedthe 50th anniversary of the first presentation of the now-iconic Wally winner’s trophy.
Brainerd: Celebrating 50 years of racing
Aug, 24:Brainerd Int’l Raceway, built in 1968 and host last weekend to the Lucas Oil ѻƬ Nationals, is celebrating its 50th season this year. Here's a look back at the track and the racing action over the years.
Aug. 17:Step into the Wayback Machine and set the dials to 1973, when nine of the 16 nitro winners were first-time winners, three new world champs were crowned, and policies and procedures from records to safety were overhauled.
Aug. 10: Shirley Muldowney, Frank Hawley, and Lee Shepherd won world championships in a year packed with new rules, first-time winner, and outrageous performances. Just into our Wayback Machine for a trip back to 1982.
July 27:Over the past month, you’ve heard from Tom McEwen’s closest friends about what the fabled “Mongoose” meant to them. This week, we share some thoughts and memories from his fans, who were touched by him in myriad ways.
July 20:The celebration of life for Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen in Pomona last weekend featured a Who's Who of drag racing as the community came together to remember one of the great icons of the sport.
The Time Machine: 1988
July 6:Thirty years ago this season, direct-drive came back to the nitro classes, supercharger burst panels were mandated, the speed trap was cut in half, Sonoma and Houston entered the schedule, Bruce Larson finally won, and much more.
June 29:One final nod to the great "Mongoose," from a National Dragster interview a few years ago where he opines on everything from his "legend" status to his rivalry with Don Prudhomme, his favorite cars, and his legacy in the sport.
More 'Mongoose' memories
June 22:Week two of “the Mongoose” watch goes on as fans and friends continue to try to reconcile that he’s really gone. This week: No race cars, just photos of “the Mongoose” smiling and doing his thing.
Remembering "the Mongoose"
June 15:Some of his best racing friends remember Tom "the Mongoose" McEwen in a touching and funny retrospect to one of the most popular drivers in the sport's history.
Chicago's Hometown Fuelers
June 1:With a nod to this weekend’s JEGS Route 66 ѻƬ Nationals, let’s take a look at drivers from drag racing’s past who called Chicago home.
Late-night finishes
May 25:The most famous late-night finish came in a post-1 a.m. Tuesday morning finish in Englishtown in 1975, where "Jungle Jim" Liberman won his first Funny Car crown.
Remembering "The Tentmaker"
May 11: Reflecting on the career of1970s Funny Car racer Omer "the Tentmaker" Carrothers.
May 4: At the 1962 Winternationals,Southern California homemaker Carol Cox made history when she became ѻƬ's first female class winner at the Winternationals. Also, Roberta Leighton's similar achievements.
April 27:Not really a dragster and certainly not a Funny Car, the Tom McEwen-driven Super Mustang was a super oddity that certainly was not one of Ford's "better ideas," but remains a car well remembered by many drag racing fans.
April 20:The Ford Mustang may be Funny Car'shardest-working model, and certainly it’s longest running. Here's a look back at the fabled pony car through the years.
April 13:Some light reading for a non-racing weekend about how modern technology led the Guinness Book of World Records to remove a legendary, 35-year-old record for performance in a 1980s drag racing video game.
April 6:Any way you slice it, Steve Plueger was a walking history book for the Funny Car class, past and present, before we lost him suddenly on March 22
March 30:From the late 1990s through the mid-2000s, ѻƬ.com annually presented a special April Fools section, the first of which was published 20 years ago this week and featured some radical (but not-so-real) rides.
Remembering Dale Emery
March 23:Friends and fellow racers shares their stories and friendships with former Fuel Altered and Funny Car driver and tuner Dale Emery
March 16:From the inaugural eventin 1970, which featured the first all-team Funny Car final, up until modern times, final rounds at the Amalie Motor Oil ѻƬ Gatornationals have had a knack for being memorable, historic, or both.
March 9:A behind-the-scenes look at the circumstances leading to the creation of Don Garlits' sidewinder Top Fueler, and other wild machines created by the brothers Sage, as well as a farewell to influential chassis builder Roy Fjastad, and Don Long's Eight Phases of a Sidewinder and/or Streamliner Dragster project.
March 2:In 1982, "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, always the innovator, experimented with a sideways-mounted nitro engine in his Swamp Rat 27. Although the engineering marvel didn't pan out, it was still vintage Garlits to even try it.
Phoenix: A Top Fuel wonderland
Feb. 23:In its more than 30 years of existence, Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park (née Firebird Int'l Raceway) has been the site of some amazing Top Fuel moments that spotlight some of the classes biggest names, including Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney.
Feb. 16:In 1975, iconic drag racing artist Pete Millar drew a rogue’s gallery of ѻƬ heroes positioned on the starting line of the Winternationals that ran on the cover of the “new” CARtoons magazine. How many legends can you identify?
Feb. 9:The drag racing world lost another legend with the passing last week of Dode Martin, who ran one of the sport's first dragsters. We also mourn the passing of Gary "Mr. C" Cochran and Steve Hodkinson.
Virginia is for winners
Feb. 2:ѻƬ’s exciting national event return to Virginia this June got us thinking about the region and all of the great racers that have come from “the Old Dominion” over the years.
Jan. 26: The completion of the Insider archive; remembering D. Gantt and Tim Marshall
Another farewell to friends
Jan. 19:Longtime ѻƬ fans lost two more greats from the past, with the passings of 1970s Top Fuel racer Paul Longenecker and 1960s gasser great Jack Merkel
Remembering Raymond Godman
Jan. 5: The legendary owner of the Tennessee Bo-Weevil didn't let being paralyzed by sniper's bullet in service of his country get in the way of an amazing career in drag racing.
Dec. 22: A tribute to the Pro Stock great who passed away Dec. 17
Dec. 15:An all-star cast that included Antron Brown, Angelle Sampey, Mark Oswald, Leonard Hughes, and more turned outto remember one of Louisiana's great dragstrips of the 1970s.
Dec. 8:In 2000, a panel of experts picked the Top 50 racers of ѻƬ's first 50 years. What woulda Top 50 list look like today?
Dec. 1: DragList.com has an encyclopedic and searchable index of 100,000-plus drag racing cars from the sport's history
Eddie Hill's last ride
Nov. 17: The Texan walked away from a wild engine explosion, then walked away from the sport
Dramatic 2007 Auto Club ѻƬ Finals set the bar for tight points finishes
Nov. 11: Four championships decided by less than a round
Nov. 4: Like the headlines says, more memories of Gas Ronda
Oct. 26: A fond farewell to the Ford racing legend
Oct. 20:From forgotten interviews and smashed Happy Meal toys, more notes from one of the most intriguing points battles in ѻƬ history.
Oct. 13:Twenty-fiveyears ago this week, John Force and Cruz Pedregonengaged in one of the weirdest and wildest Funny Car final rounds in the annals of the sport and certainly the craziest of all of their meetings.
Oct. 6: Remembering East Coast Funny Car racer Joe Jacono; also, found: the Durachrome Bug!
Sept. 28: Thoughts about Wally,on the 10-year anniversary of his passing
Sept. 21: Meet Ken Howell, who was ѻƬ's first member, way back in 1951
Sept. 15: Don Prudhomme looks back on his career and shares his thoughts on topics ranging from his best cars, best seasons, and best pals like Tom McEwen and Roland Leong.
Sept. 8: Notes, quotes, and reminiscing with "The Ace"
Aug. 29: Ed McCulloch's five victories still have him atop the pack; "the Ace" relives those great wins with us
Aug, 25: "Big Jim"sat down with me in Brainerd to talk about some of the cars that have made up his 50-plus-year Funny Car career
Aug. 18: Update on the Dragster Insider archive
Aug 11: "The King of the Northwest" shares memories from his great career
Aug. 4: A look back at riding down the match-race trail, with memories from Don Prudhomme, Tom McEwen, Ed McCulloch, and Roland Leong
July 28: Remembering Chuck Beal, John Collins, Frank Hall, and Doug Kruse
July 21: The life and times of Southern California Top Fuel driver Dwight Salisbury; more Beach Boys feedback
July 14: Jim Busby's Beach Boys Top Fueler; Busby's twin-engine Top Fueler
July 7: A look at classic Beach Boys hot rod tunes 409, Shut Down, and Little Deuce Coupe
June 30: Northwest photographer Herman Marchetti shares more of his Seattle photos from the '70s
June 23: After years of frustration, fan favorite Top Fuel racer Clay Millican finally has his day; an appreciation of the man
June 9: More fan photos from East Coast reader John Guzevich
June 2: Memories of the 1977 Summernationals, shared by reader John Guzevich
May 26: Remembrances of former U,S, Nationals Top Fuel winner following his passing
May 19: It was a wild and wacky year, but how well do you remember it? Take the quiz!
May 12: Pat Austin made drag racing history by winning two classes at the same event in 1991; here's the story of how it all happened
April 26: A preview of this year's special edition of National Dragster
April 18:Northwest photographer Herman Marchetti shares his Seattle photos from the '70s
April 14: The life and times of one of the Northwest's greatest drivers
March 31: A collection of vintage drag racing videos from YouTube
March 24:From vintage drag cars found in hiding to some great old videos, new websites, and a resurfaced old drag racing board game, there's lots to catch up on
March 10: Beginning the Dragster Insider archiving process (harder than it looks)
March 3:Master racecar airbrush artist Kenny Youngblood discusses the fine but mostly lost art of painting faux headlights and grilles on Funny Cars.
Feb. 24: More works of art from ѻƬ's Division 6 Director
Feb. 17:Northwest Division Director Matt Levonas' passion for racing goes far beyond his divisional duties, as he's also a talented artist
Feb. 3: Famous Funny Cars on the auction block, female pioneer Paula Murphy gets her due, and a farewell to 1970s Pro Stock mainstay Ronnie Manchester
Jan. 27:Frank Hawley drove the Chi-Town Hustler Funny Car to two ѻƬ championships but how he got to drive the fabled machine is a tale of chance and fortitude.
Jan. 20: The original driver of the famed Chi-Town Hustler is remembered by friends and family
Jan. 13: Discussing Don Prudhomme's rise to public fame and household name-ism
Jan. 6: Don Prudhomme's first Hot Wheels Barracuda went through many changes in its 1970 debut season; two experts weigh in
Dec. 24:Twas the Friday before Christmas, and all ‘cross the Nation, Insider fans were fretting, thinking Phil’s on vacation. Not to worry. More bad poetry
Dec. 16: The mystery continues and conflicting evidence is uncovered
Dec. 9: The mystery of JJ's Vega Funny Car nose; Beach City Camaro find? And more!
Dec. 2: From Gene Snow (1970) to Ron Capps (2016), a look at the top flops of the years
Nov. 18: And the winner is ... "Jungle Jim"!!!!
Nov. 11: Comparing the careers and charisma of the two finalists on the Top 20 Funny Cars list
Nov. 4:ѻƬ’s annual SEMA Breakfast Wednesday saluted the yearlong 50 Years of Funny Car celebration' panelists included Don Prudhomme, Tom McEwen, and more
Oct. 28: Making a case for "Jungle Jim," with memories from "Jungle Pam" and Pat Foster
Oct. 21: Drag racing's 16-time Funny Car champion has had a career for the ages
Oct. 14: A look at the career of Dale Pulde
Oct. 7: The Top 20 Funny Car list is whittled to just three cars;; comparing the Insiders' vote to the fan vote; capsule look at Don Prudhomme's '76 season
Sept. 30: Joe Amato, "Jungle Jim" Liberman, Bruce Larson, Lew Arrington, and the list of Pennsylvania's Pros goes on and on.
Sept. 23: From Dickie Harrell to Pusch & Cain, Lou Cangelose and Omar "the Tentmaker" Carrothers, a look at the "Show Me" state's finest fuelers
Sept. 16: Long before Mello Yello became the title sponsor of the ѻƬ's premier series, it backed Southeast Funny Car racer Frank Oglesby
Sept. 9: Restored and recreated Funny Cars of yore were on display at the 2016 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
Sept. 2: From Ed McCulloch and Raymond Beadleto John Force Force, and Cruz Pedregon and many others, a look at the top Funny Car performers at the U.S. Nationals
Aug. 26: A look at the cars that helped drive the legendary career of "the Ace"
Aug. 19: Funny stories about ѻƬ's longtime Chief Starter, the one and only Eddie Hiram "Buster" Couch
Aug. 11: More memories from the Great Northwest
Aug. 4: A look back at one of the Northwest's greatest events
July 29: More insight on the car from Foster's son, Cole, and another look at the rapidly-filling Top 20 Funny Car poll
July 22: At long last, the tale behind one of Funny Car's most-feared machines, and the men who made it so
July 15: Saluting a pair of drag racing veterans after their passings
July 8: More great photos from Insider reader Robert Nielsen
July 1: Longtime column reader Robert Nielsen shares photos from SoCal tracks from the '70s to present
June 24: The next batch of tabulations in the Top 20 Funny Car list are in
June 17: Reader Al Kean reminisces about shooting photos at Seattle in the '70s
June 10: Sharing more great old Funny Car photos from my fan days at OCIR and Irwindale
June 3: A look back at some of the region's most famous Funny Cars
May 27: From fabrication to bodies to paint, Don Kirby's shop could do it all for you
May 20: The first results are officially in; here's a look at the list
May 13: Feedback from the fans on how and why they voted
May 6: We gave fans the chance to weigh in in the Top 20 list with their own balloting.
April 29: The popular East Coast driver felt that one or more of his cars should have been on the Top 20 list. Here's a look at why
April 22: Mickey Thompson's Danny Ongais-driven Mustang was a groundbreaker, but whatever happened to it?
April 15: After writing about cool old Funny Cars,it’s time for a little video to give new fans a better taste of what we’re being all nitro-teared nostalgic about
April 8: The fans have their say on the inclusions -- and omissions -- on the Top 20 Funny Cars list
March 31: A spotters guide to the famous cars on the soon-to-be-famous list
March 28:Whether you’re relaxing on your couch streaming entertainment or at the local movie theater, who doesn’t love a good flick? And if you’re a drag racing fan -– and we know you are –- what’s better than a movie about your favorite motorsport?
March 25:Don Prudhomme has three, Kenny Bernstein has two, and 15 other drivers and teams each have one name on our list of Top 20 Funny Cars
March 18:"Buddy" Garner, of Hobbs, N.M., was crowned ѻƬ's first points-based champion in 1960, after a nearly perfect season with his C/A Plymouth
March 11:Paula Murphy was the first woman to be granted a license to drive a nitro-fueled car of any kind – in her case, a Funny Car.
March 4: The Funny Car class got its first taste of full integration into the ѻƬ season in 1970, ѻƬ’s vaunted “Super Season.”
Feb. 26: From a spectacular crash at the 1969 Winternationals to back-to-back wins in 1970, the Hawaiian has a star-crossed history in Pomona
Feb. 19: Sanders reminisces about driving "Jungle Jim" Liberman's Funny Car to victory at the 1969 Winternationals
Feb. 12: ѻƬ's first Funny Car champ recalls his historic season
Feb. 5: The Pontiac-powered Funny Car racer was in on the ground floor of the class' creation
Jan. 29: Who had the first Funny Car? Jimmy Nix? Jack Chrisman? Dick Landy? Ron Pellegrini? The debate begins
Jan. 22: ѻƬ created the class in 1966, but there was a whole lot of "funny business" going on long before that
Jan. 15: Opening the debate on the top cars in Funny Car history
Jan. 8: New look for ѻƬ.com; more memories of Ontario Motor Speedway
Jan 1: Musings on the Insider column, and farewells to some friends we lost over the holidays
Dec. 25: Advice from me today to 10-year-old me in 1970
Dec. 18: Reviewing the 1976 World Finals television show; what a hoot!
Dec. 11: When the "Big O" hosted the season finale; recaps of every year's action
Dec. 4: Memorable moments from whenOntario Motor Speedway hosted the special Supernationals for four exciting years
Nov. 27: For years, the pit road of OMS was the fastest quarter-mile in the land, and the rest of the facility wasn't too shabby either!
Nov. 20: Performances surges and gaps over the years, with special expertise by Austin Coil
Nov. 13: Don Prudhomme, Don Moody, Sush Matsubara and more used to go off-road two-wheeling, with sometimes disastrous results
Nov. 6: The son of legendary Gene Mooneyham had a stellar career of his own in Top Fuel
Oct. 30: Billy Meyer's been almost drowned, almost burned alive, and almost killed in a plane crash
Oct. 23: The Texas teenager made a big impression in Funny Car and continues to do so today as owner of Texas Motorplex
Oct. 16: Celebrating 30 years of broken records on the all-concrete quarter-mile
Oct. 9: SalutingDave Beebe, whose surname was one of the more famous in our sport thanks to the accomplishments of he and brother Tim
Oct. 2: Brothers Randy and Gary Allison made a surprising name for themselves in the Southern California Top Fuel wars
Sept, 25: Remembering the driver of the legendary Little Red Wagon wheelstander
Sept. 4: The young driver of the Keeling & Clayton Top Fueler went on to a long (and continuing) career in the sport
Aug. 28:A lot of kidsfollow their fathers into the sport, but few can claim the quick start that launched Bobby Hilton into his career
Aug. 21: Drag racing's youngest Top Fuel winner has seen the highs and lows the world has to offer
Aug. 14: Laying the groundwork for a new series of articles begins with a profile on Don Gay
Aug. 7: Earl Whiting was a beloved Top Fuel racer who felled many a tall tree in the class
July 24: From the "Bronco Buster" early Funny Car to his legendary transmissions, Doug Nash was always in high gear
July 17: Hilarious, pointed, and amusing historic quotes from the likes of Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Don Prudhomme, and more
July 10: How "Cha-Cha" got her name, the Chrisman family tree, notable rule changes, Don Prudhomme's short drag boat career, and other pieces of trivia
July 3: Remembrances of the War Horse Funny Car driver, who passed away as the result of a racing accident
June 19: Shelby Snake update; Tripp Shumake book; more Gary Burgin memories
June 12: Original ѻƬ Safety Safari member Bud Coons and his work and Top Fuel racer Hank Westmoreland are remembered
June 5: Historic photos from Thunder Valley
May 29: The Funny Car class lost a legend who continued to leave his mark in the sport overseas
May 22: One of drag racing's earliest and most published photographers is remembered by friends and colleagues
May 15: Forty years ago, National Trail Raceway hosted one wild event
May 8: Before Texas Motorplex, DIMS was the crown jewel dragstrip of Texas
April 24: Don Prudhomme, Tom McEwen, and Antron Brown are among those who have competed in the celebrity race at the Long Beach Grand Prix
April 17: Female racers in ѻƬ competition recently hit the 200-win mark, but they got a big boost from the pioneers of the '60s and '70s
April 10: The ѻƬ Museum celebrates the history of Irwindale Raceway, and longtime hot rod hero Steve Gibbs
April 3: A look at some of the wildest and earliest rear-engined dragsters
March 27: Reader Chris Muhli shares some great old photos from the fabled Arizona facility
March 20: Female Funny Car pioneer Nellie Goins really had it goin' on
March 16: Ollie Morris, Jack Chrisman's sidewinder, and more; modern-rear-engine pioneer Bernie Schacker
March 13: ReaderCharles Milikin Jr. shares some amazing nostalgic photos from the ;65 Smokers event
Feb. 27: Garlits debuts Swamp Rat 14 in Pomona; memories from Woody Gilmore, Don Long, Don Moody, and Wes Cerny
Feb. 20: Don Garlits transmission explosion and the death of John Mulligan reshaped the Top Fuel layout; Dwane Ong's Pawnbroker and other early converts
Feb. 13: The life and times of the celebrated Top Fuel racer
Feb. 6: A half-century after their Winternationals win, Don Prudhomme and Roland Leong remain close friends
Jan. 30: Did Don Prudhomme and John Wiebe really run 6.17s at the Grand Premiere? Lions starter Larry Sutton and others weigh in
Jan. 23: Crashes and unbelievable performances kicked off the season at Lions
Jan. 16: From ѻƬ in Pomona to AHRA in Phoenix and the IHRA in Florida, season kickoffs from 40 years ago
Jan. 9: Irwindale Raceway launched the 1975 season with an unforgettable opener
Dec. 19: Sharing the night with drag racing legends at Don Prudhomme's holiday party (lucky me!)
Dec. 12: From fifth wheels to onboard computers, the search for more data never slowed
Dec. 5: Dale Armstrong: Racer, inventor, genius. 'Nuff said
Nov. 28: Things that I'm thankful for; farewells to Hank Endres, Dale Thierer, Scott Weney, Denny Darnell, and Bruce Dillashaw
Nov. 21: Ivo, McCulloch, McEwen, Bernstein, Prudhomme, Garlits, and Muldowney share some Pomona memories
Nov. 14: Shirl Greer's courageous effort at the 1974 World Finals was just the end of an amazing season
Nov. 7: More of my favorite images, swiped from across the interwebs
Oct, 31: More memories come rolling in from those who knew the talented Texan
Oct, 24: The legendary driver of the Blue Max is remembered by Richard Tharp, Don Prudhomme, Billy Meyer, and many more
Oct. 17: People collect a lot of things. Me, I collect great drag racing images I've come across on the internet. Here's just some of them
Oct. 10: Safety Safari member Bud Evans and P.J. Partridge were just two members of the great ѻƬ family I knew
Oct. 3: The Funny Car pioneer certainly lived up to his nickname
Sept 26: ѻƬ photographer Phil Hutchinson shares some of his most memorable U.S. Nationals photos
Sept 19: "Snake's" Monza resurfaces, as does Isky's old shop, an old antenna, old Springnatiomals photos, and more
Sept. 12: Reflections on the genius behind the Chi-Town Hustler and the clutch master following their passings
Sept. 5: Prudhomme-Nicoll (1970); McEwen-Prudhomme (1978); Don Garlits (1967), in their own words
Aug. 29: More great old Indy photos
Aug 22: Tom Kasch shares a wild and wide variety of U.S. Nationals photos memories
Aug 15: Raymond Godman overcame being paralyzed by a sniper bullet in Korea to field one of the sport's legendary cars
Aug. 8: Fighting photographers at Indy; more Connecticut memories; Frantic Four reunited; More Things That Aren'tHere Anymore
Aug. 1: Reader Ed Eberlein's photos spanfrom Fremont to Sacramento to Orange County Int’l Raceway to Pomona in a three-year period, 1974-77.
July 27: Reader Tom Edwards shares a vast collection of photos from the East Coast track featuring fuelers, floppers, and gassers
July 18: The U.S. Nationals was not all about Jim Nicoll and Don Prudhomme, as thiscollection of photos will attest
July 11: Tennis balls in headers, the Hurstettes, burnout pushbacks, and so much more
July 4: A fond look back at scenes we don;t see anymore: Motel pit thrashes, mailbox injector scoops, 6-foot-tall trophies, and much more
June 27: The Frantic Four's talented wheelman and the driver of the Drag-on Vega are remembered
June 20: Readers salutes their parents
June 13: Fond memories of two very special men in my life; bring your hanky
June 6: A look back at one of drag racing's first power teams
May 30: "Otie" Smith; rear-engine vs. mid-engine; Simpson's Skyjacker Top Fueler; female wheelstander Sylvia Braddick
May 23: More wild AMC Funny Cars
May 16: From the Grant Rambler to Doug Thorley's rear-engined Javelin, plus more Gremlin and Hornet Pro Stockers
May 14: AMC Gremlin Funny Cars and Pro Stockers
May 2: The unusual bodystyle had a lot of takers; here's even more. Who knew?!
April 18: More panel-sided flopper mania
April 11: Gary Gabelich's four-wheel-drive Vega panel; Dave Bowman's California Stud; modern-day Wonder Wagons
April 4: At last, the definitive story behind one of drag racing's most misunderstood sponsorships, told by all those involed
March 28: More musings about the career of Jake Johnston
March 21: He could have been a two-time world champion, if only a few things changed
March 14:The tale (and confusion surrounding)"Big Tommy"Larkin "Little Tommy" Larkin
March 7: He was just a teenager when he upset Don Garlits to win Indy in 1963 Nationals
Feb. 28: The stats don't lie, or do they? An unsolved mystery
Feb. 21: East Coast brothers take on the flopper stars of the 1970s
Feb. 14: The amazing taleof how Jack Williams climbed mountains of snow to win the '64 Winternationals
Feb. 9: For years she was by "Big Daddy's" side through thick and thin,and will never be forgotten
Jan. 31: Moving pictures on moving cars. Neat!
Jan. 24: More shots from a unique perspective
Jan. 17: A collection of in- and on-car photos guaranteed to amaze you
Jan. 10: Drag racing's premier gossip columnist kept everyone talking
Dec. 20: The definitive history of "T.V. Tommy" Ivo's four-engine, four-wheel-drive Showboat
Dec. 13: Small-scale re-creation of one of the sport's iconic tracks
ٱ.13: More memories of "240 Gordie"
Dec. 6: Racers and fans alike gathered at the ѻƬ Museum to salute the history of Orange County Int'l Raceway
Dec. 3: Farwell to popular Funny Car driver "240 Gordie" Bonin
Nov. 22: Don Garlits and the Donovan; Heather Shumake; dragstrip promoters
Nov. 15: Don Garlits/Don Prudhomme/Donovan Hot Rod cover;Comparing the legends, decade by decade; plus, the Glidden factor
Nov. 8: Drag racing legends Don Garlits and Don Prudhomme have a lot more in common than just their first names
More on Six Seconds to Glory
Nov. 1: More facts and feedback on the Don Prudhomme-themed book
Oct. 25: The story behind the story of Hal Higdon's book on Don Prudhomme
Oct. 18: The life and times of the Texas Funny Car racer; also interviews with original crewmember Guy Tipton and John Hale
Oct. 11: Mike Goyda/Don Roberts and the Jade Grenade cowl; KS Pittman, Doug Brown, Jerry Ault topple the Tree; passing of Rich Siroonian, Bill Alexander
Oct. 4: The story of the Lewis brothers' Top Fueler from the 1970s
Sept. 27: More smashingly-good photo; plus biplane takes out the Tree in Montreal
Sept. 20: More felled Trees than a lumberjack convention
Sept. 13: Racers hated the Tree at first; flag starter/traffic light origination; Lions Dragstrip system; Rick Stewart; an early Christmas Tree
Aug. 30: The later years to present
Aug. 23: The Can Am car and the comeback
Aug. 16: The touching story of the "Northwest Terror" and his trial by fire
Aug, 8: Musings on the great Northwest track; Jeff Koron takes a tumble
Aug. 2: More reminiscing about the legendary car owner
July 26: A fond farewell to one half of the Candies & Hughes team
July 19: A look at the career of one of the sport's great nitro tuners
July 12: Faked Gordon Mineo Drag Racing USA magazinecover; more on the last DRUSA cover; more x-ray drawings
June 28: Reyes/Asher/Kelly; McEwen's Lion Country Safari photo shoot; dueling last DRUSA covers;
June 21: Still more see-through images
June 14: Still more incredibly artistry
June 7: Illustrator Tom West's see-through technical drawings
May 31: Double-exposure photography leads to "see-through" images
May 24: More great "on location" photos from Steve Reyes
May 17: Steve Reyes shares the images and stories behind some iconic '70s drag mag location shoots
May 10: Mike Kuhl and Carl Olson formed a dynamic Southern California Top Fuel powerhouse in the 1970s
May 3: Great moments in Southern Nationals history
April 26: Prudhomme's Monza on display; drag racing bed sheets; souvenir body parts; Mark Gredzinski's small-scale Donovan
April 19: ѻƬ vs. NASCAR at the Darrell Gwynn charity softball game
April 12: More on the K&C team, including their Pro Stock years
April 5: Bill Schultz and Gerry Glenn tore up the troops in Top Fuel
March 29: More stories and photos of the Keeling & Clayton team
March 22: Matching 6.41s at OCIR; K&C restoration project
March 15: John Keeling and Jerry Clayton had one of the prettiest (and best-running) fuelers of the early 1970s
March 8: Thompson's vaunted '69 Mustang; Danny Ongais
March 1: Great images from the Mickey Thompson file
Feb. 22: Mickey Thompson's Funny Cars; more rare Grand Am photos
Feb. 14: More sweet photos of "Thompson's Torpedo"
Feb. 7: 1974 with Dale Pulde; '75 and beyond with Larry Arnold, Charlie Therwanger, Bob Pickett
Feb. 1: The design, creation, and rough start for Mickey Thompson's unique Pontiac Grand Am Funny Car
Jan. 11: A capsule look at ѻƬ's female Top Fuel and Funny Car pilots
Jan. 4: Reflections on the passings of Dale Ham, Tony Waters, Teddy Austin, Roy Golightly; and Aaron Green
Dec. 20: Wynn's sponsorships; Jade Grenade drivers; more racecar souvenirs; Phil Soares
Dec. 6: Reminiscing about "The Beach"; great banter between Don Prudhomme. Tom McEwen, and Ed Pink
Nov. 29: Playing with Traxxas Funny Cars; more Shumake memories; "Shorty" Leventon, Dana Kimmel passings
Nov. 21: Still more wrecked-car souvenirs
Nov. 15: Reader memories of Tripp Shumake
Nov. 7: Reactions to the passing of Funny Car racer Tripp Shumake
Nov. 1: The story of the demise of the Super Shops Arrow; Tom & Jerry; AOL Drag Racers Forum
Oct. 25: More bits and pieces of destroyed race cars; passing of Jon Knapp
Oct. 19: Fiberglass fragments and other keepsakes; Leslie Lovett's office collection
Oct. 12:John Smyser’s Terrifying Toronado; Hurst Hairy Olds
Oct. 9: And still more
Oct. 5: More reader recollections of a first trip to the drags
Oct. 2: The Insider Nation remembers its first trips to the drags
Sept, 7: More reflections on Pat Garlits; Bill Jenkins Oswego crash
Aug. 28: A salute to the woman behind and always at the side of "Big Daddy"
Aug. 24: The real story behind one of the great performance-driven Funny Car races
Aug. 21: Bill Jenkins crash; more Dale Emery; Five-Second Club roster
Aug. 17: Saluting East Coast Funny Car racer Tim Kushi
Aug. 14: The life and times of the Fuel Altered and Funny Car legend; breakdown of Emery's wild 1977 Indy crash
Aug. 7: The story ofSam Schermerhorn, who was in the other lane during Larry Lombardo's '77 Indy crash;Lombardo muses on Bill Jenkins
Aug. 3: The story behind Larry Lombardo's wild crash at the 1977 U,S. Nationals
July 31: More unbelievable-if-you-didn't-read-them-here stories about "King Richard" from his fellow racers and friends
July 27:The Life and Times of Richard Tharp
July 24: The gold-plated dragster of Jackie Peebles and Chip Woodall; Woodall career; Ruffalo & Ehlen gold-plated dragster
July 20: Reminiscing about Funny Car owner Joe Pisano
July 17: Up for auction: "Wild Willie" Borsch's left arm ... well, sorta
June 29: More gold-plated goodness;Reno Nannini tell all about the process
June 26: Ruffao & Ehlen; Reno Nannini ;more on the "the Greek's" Gainesville crash
June 22: Chris Karamesines gold-plated Top Fueler
June 19:Shirley Muldowney took part in three CBS Challenge of the Sexes TV shows from 1976 to 1978
June 15: Former Funny Car racer "Doc" Hales headed up medical services for the ѻƬ Safety Safari
June 12: Flaming Funny Cars were a real issue in 1972; here's a look at some of the rules changes that were implemented
June 8: Tired of repeated fire, John Force had Austin Coil create a machine of which evenJames Bond would have been jealous
May 30: Blowovers, near blowovers, "backup boys," and what;s the watch you're wearing?
May 25: Looking back at my three decades of excitement and thrills on the job at National Dragster
May 22: Pat Dakin, Randy Parks, Chris Vandergriff, and Clay Millican, plus a list of all blowovers
May 18: Robert Martin, Jeg Coughlin (almost!), and Gary Ormsby
May 15: Richard Holcomb, Eddie Hill, Don Prudhomme, Jimmy Nix, Russ Collins, Jay Payne, Doug Herbert, Doug Foxworthy, Scott Kalitta, and Shelly Anderson
Top Fuel blowovers, Part 1
May 11: Don Garlits, Jimmy King, Jack Martin, and Paul Logenecker
May 3: The story of how the legendary Funny Car took flight
April 20: A look at the modern-day streamliners ofDon Garlits, Gary Ormsby, Darrell Gwynn, Joe Amato, Gene Snow, Jim Head
April 10: From the Glass Slipper to the Scrima Liner and Super Mustang, some swoopy slingshots styling
April 6: Readers react, share stories after the loss of Bill Jenkins
April 3: Craig Breedlove's Spirit of America II, more wheel pants
March 30: A fond farewell to Pro Stock legend Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins
March 27: A wheel pants history lesson; Jermaine Jackson meets George Barris; Shawn Dill makes wheel pants; wheelpants outlawed
March 16: They looked super cool but their impact on performance and handling was suspect
March 6: The race to the 300-mph barrier
March 2: A look at the special issue; Tom McEwen talks about Mickey Thompson and his first breather mask; Garlits/Lions diorama
Feb. 28: A look back at the first 499 Dragster Inside column; a capsule view in thumbnails
Feb. 24: The life and times of Funny Car racer Bob Pickett
Feb. 21: The Lisa & Rossi wedge Top Fueler; Irwindale rocket-fuel leak photo
Feb. 17: Glen Blakely; rocket-powered skateboards and motorcycles; rocket car fuel leak ruins Irwindale surface
Feb. 14: A Who's Who of drag racing roasts "Big Daddy" Don Garlits in Pomona for his 80th birthday
Feb. 7: Pomona Raceway, through the years
Feb. 3: More rocket-car goodness: George Lavinga/Pat Best team; Turbonique/rocket videos; Capt. Rollerball
Jan. 31: Ky Michaelson: From the Sonic Challenger to the Pollution Packer
Jan 27: More on "Capt. Jack"; crewing on Brent Fanning's rocket cars
Jan. 24: More wild takes of Jack McClure's famed rocket-powered go-kart
Jan. 20: From charter boat captain to madman rocket-car driver; the early years
Jan. 17: Debating the Beach City Corvette and the Phony Pony with column reader Robert Nielsen
Jan. 13: Saluting the career and humor of famed Don Garlits crewmember Tommy Lemons
Jan. 10: Feedback on feedback includes two-engined Funny Cars of Dean Dillingham and Don Hampton, Tommy Grove's off-track excursion, the Killer Whale, and Big Al
Jan. 6: More reader submissions: Chevoom, John Hoven, Don Hampton's American Bandstand Funny Car, a special Christmas present
Dec. 23: The end of the line for the back-motored floppers thread includes Dave Bowman's repurposed California Stud (now on sand!) ; small-scale versions; more on Mark Williams' Vega; the Ll Stinker Corvair; Slack & Hallman; more Nightstalker; James Hatley's Vacuum Cleaner; the Chevoom
Dec. 20: Former Funny Car racer is remembered by his son, who's also very much into drag racing
Dec. 16: Catching up with Roy Mehus; Jack Ditmars' rear-engine car; more on Ed Lenarth's Mid-Winder and the Hindsight with Jim Adolph; Mark Williams and Don Casto mid-engine cars; Garlits'Jay Howell Dart; who was Ed Shaver?
Dec. 13: Ed Lenarth's chain-driven sidewinder
Dec. 9: Implausible at it sounds, John Force's first Funny Car was a chain-driven, rear-engine hand-me-down
Dec. 6: More mid-engine madness, including some Hindsight updates, a look at the Cotton Picker and Gary Gabelich's wild four-wheel-drive machines, plus European rear-engined cars!
Dec. 2: Dennis Geisler's over-backwards wheelie in his rear-engined Funny Car at the 1975 Winternationals, plus deep background on the Hindsight car
Nov. 29: Tom McEwen, Doug Thorley, and Jim Dunn blazed a trail for the not-so-evolution to back-motored floppers; also includes a gallery of other similar cars
Nov. 22: painter John Largent remembers those days; Schumacher's Super Shoe repair; more on Scrima
Nov. 15: "Convertibles" were all the rage in the early days of Funny Car; remembering Ronnie Scrima
Nov. 8: Great photos of some not-so-great-looking cars showing battle scars, from our ol' pal Steve Reyes (and others)
Nov. 4: Chicks dig scars, and you'll dig these punished and primered Funny Cars that were pressed hastily back into service
Nov. 1:Bill Schneider’s three-year-long pursuit of Don Moody’s 1972 rear-engine dragster; more on Phil Castronovo; acid dipping; Plymouth’s Rapid Transit System booklet
Oct. 25: The life and times of the East Coast driver of the Custom Body Enterprises machine
Oct. 21: A look back at the many processes by which ѻƬ champs have been crowned
Oct. 14: More Don Nicholson; follow-ups on theSnodgrass and Mahnken Psycho Mustang; more Burkholder Bros.; primered cars
Oct. 11: Don Nichsolson; the Snodgrass and Mahnken Psycho Mustang
Of jackrabbit finishes and faked photo passes
Oct. 7: The Burkholder Bros.; Steve Bovan; bogus starting-line passes
Oct 4: Northern and Southern California Funny Cars; a rebuttal from Art Marshall
Sept. 30: Bob Vandergriff Jr.'s Dallas win; some Rob Bruins followups
Sept. 20: Remember that one time when Rob Bruins hit the guardrail in the Green Elephant Funny Car? So does he
Sept, 16: More goofed-up finals
Sept. 13: Early lifts and 'chutes that led to defeat; winning your first race at Indy; farewell to Al Maynard
Sept. 9: The inside story of the 1977 U.S. Nationals Yearbook; more Pro Comp updates; remembering "Jungle Jim" Liberman; I design a wedge dragster for "Jungle"
Aug. 30: More kudos for the '77 Nationals Yearbook
Aug. 26: One of the finest drag racing coffee-table books ever
Aug. 19: More tales of the two; early Chi-Town memories; reactions to Liberman's death, and his possible future
Aug. 16: More on the Big Texan; roast beef sundae; McEwen vs. F-14 photo; Harvey Crane's 80th birthday; Mexican Revolution recreation; young Cruz Pedregon
Aug. 12: "Jungle Jim" Liberman climbed into the iconic car for a ride with longtime pal Austin Coil
Aug. 9: More dragstrip food memories: San Fernando, Gainesville and Sonny's, and Amarillo's Big Texan
Aug. 5: Remembering the last front-engined Top Fuel win: Art Marshall, Montreal 1972
Aug. 2: Reader share their favorite dragstrip delicacies
July 29: SoCal dragstrips had the best concession stands, from Irwindale's In-N-Out Burgers to OCIR's varied menu and Lions' iconic stand
July 26: Remembering the popular Southern California driver of the L.A. Hooker Funny Car
July 22: Don Prudhomme helps dispel some rumors and other bad information about his cars
July 19: Still unraveling the mysteries of the yellow and black Prudhomme 'Cudas
July 15: The Dragster detectives are back in action, tracking down the fabled Hot Wheels Barracuda
July 12: All die-hard Don Prudhomme fans know about the bad-ass black "Snake III" 'Cuda, but was there another black 'Cuda? We investigate!
July 8: How the famed Hot Wheels bodies were touched up; McEwen's second car and the race with the F-14
July 1: Comparing the newly-restored McEwen ramp truck to some original photos
June 28: The red Hot Wheels hauler makes its debut
June 21: More on Masters & Richter; Top Fuel racer Bob Gibson's short but sweet Top Fuel career
June 17: the 1970 Top Fuel season featured an unusual list of winners; how it stacks up against every season to date -- stats aplenty!
June 14: Updates on coming stories: Mickey Thompson's Grand Am, Capt. Jack McClure; ramp trucks; Masters & Richter model and its possibleAmerican Graffiti connection
June 7: McEwen/Snake ramp truck restoration nearly complete; Prudhomme and Leong get some love from the Mopar loyl
June 1: The twisting evolution of theSupernationals, Summernationals, and Springnationals, from track to track, season to season
May 27: Old Snake logos; Kenny Youngblood behind the wheel; Chi-Town Hustler reunion; more on Dave Beebe
May 24: Remembering Dick Rosberg; more remembrances of James Warren
May 20: Readers share their memories of James Warren
May 17: Early reaction to the passing of James Warren; we also lose Ed Mabry
May 10: A look back at some memorable moments from the Southern Nationals
May 6: Models in plastic and brass, and other things small; bodyless Funny Car
May 3: Snake & Mongoose movie announcement; looking back at Heart Like A Wheel
April 29: Meet Mark Gredzinski,a talented (and obsessive) British model maker with an infatuation with 1970s Funny Cars
April 26: Surprise party for Don Prudhomme; Lou Gasparrelli celebration of life
April 19: Questions for Don Garlits; T.C. Lemons' funny shirt; wheelstanding tanks; and more
April 15: I've had quite enough of my heroes dying, thank you very much
April 12: More great reader-submitted photos
April 8: Artist Kenny Youngblood shares the stories of everyone's favorite Italian Funny Car driver and theFlop-O-Aerodynamico
April 5: More of your photos and memories of Don Garlits (including an alien friend)
March 29: Just like the headline says ...
March 25: More of Gar's cars, fromSwamp Rat 21 (1975) toSwamp Rat 34 (1993-94, 2002-03)
March 22: "Big Daddy's" diggers, fromSwamp Rat XI (1967) toSwamp Rat 20-B (1975-80)
March 18: The cars of Don Garlits, fromSwamp Rat I-A (1956-60) toSwamp Rat X (1966-67)
March 8: Links to some good Gatornationals columns like my trip with Jim DePasse, "the Gators curse," and more
March 4: Paintings, drawings, and models of your favorite racers
March 1: Don Prudhomme display at the Winternationals; re-creating a legendary Winternationals photo
Feb. 22: A collection of columns about the wonderful Winternationals
Feb. 18: Who doesn't love a good dry hop? Cool videos, and Bob Brandt explains the origins behind the memorable pre-race show
Feb. 15: The Insider Nation knows who's cool, and shared their opinions. Cool!
Feb. 11: The Los Angeles Times ranked Don Prudhomme as one of Southern California "coolest" athletes. We've known that for decades
Feb. 8: Photos from the first ѻƬ Summernationals at York U.S. 30 Dragway
Feb. 4: You want stickers? I got stickers. Events, racetracks, racers, manufacturers, you name it ...
Feb. 1: Looking back at the Cragar 250-mph Club; biplane destroys Tree at Sanari;Deutsche Hot Rod Association
Jan, 28: Looking back at Bill Traylor's Bold Attempt streamliner
Jan. 25: The life and times of the Funny Car team owner
Jan. 21: More sticky stuff
Sticker shock
Jan. 16: Drag racing stickers/decals from the sport's past
Jan. 14: Schumacher's car in England; more Cosmic Charger; Bold Attempt; GT40 Funny Car
Jan. 11: Force Funny Carshares the stage with not-yet-famous band in 1982
Jan. 7: Jim Murphy's introduction to the sport; Carl Casper's Cosmic Charger; Yellow Fang; Jeff Foulk's Finagler; old Funny Car bodies; amateur artwork; Youngblood's flying "Snake"
Jan. 4: Tom Jobe on the Surfers' "sound"; G-B-P lineage; front vs. rear-engine; Frank Mazi video; Annin-Sniveley-Black photo; Force and Gene Beaver
Dec. 21: A look back at theFleer drag racing cards that were available in the early 1970s
Dec. 17: Now that I'm moved, I unpack and find a cornucopia of cool photos, trading cards, and much more
Dec. 10: Floppy disks (!) and hundreds of issues of National Dragster that need to be moved
Dec. 7: The drag racing community gathered to remember Roger Coburn; friends and fans share Warren & Coburn memories
Dec. 3: A look back at Drag Sport Illustrated, which billed itself as "Drag Racing's Only Pictorial Newspaper"
Nov. 30: PhotographerJon Asher tells the story behind his iconic photo of James Warren and Roger Coburn
Nov. 23: Some Thanksgiving-day thoughts
Nov. 19: Larry Dixon bought the ND staff lunch after winning the championship; Greg Anderson did not. Anderson's rig burned to the ground on the freeway. Just sayin'
Nov. 9: The family, friends, and fans of Butch Maas share their memories
Nov. 5: Remembering fuel racer Butch Maas
Nov. 2:Every trend has to have its ground zero, and for the fiberglass-bodied Funny Car, that was Chicago, at the inspiration of Ron Pellegrini and a company that became Fiberglass Ltd.
Oct. 29: Touching bases for future columns; Ron Pellegrini talks about the International Funny Car Association; more injected Funny Car pics
Oct. 26: Evolution of the Dragster Insider column; early Funny Car chassis; Darrell Gwynn's "Jr. Dragster"
Oct. 22: More injected Funnies, including pics of Mike Sheets,Jeff Foulk, Larry Arnold, the Clare Sanders, Dave Koffel's Flintstone Flyer 'Cuda, Eddie Schartman, Bruce Larson, Huston Platt, Roger Lindamood, and Hans Anderson, plus Lorry Azevedo's Drummer and Dan Glover's ex-Wonder Wagon Vega panel.
Oct. 19: Life on the road with the ECFFCC
Oct. 8: Injected Funny Car racer Jeff Foulk (the Finagler) shares his stories
Oct. 5: ѻƬ beats NASCAR, 21-20, in the Darrell Gwynn benefit softball game
Groovin' at the 'Grove
Oct. 1: 1960s and '70s Funny Cars from Maple Grove Raceway
Sept. 26: Injected Funny Car followup!
Sept. 21: Former Top Fuel champ Jeb Allen's long road back
Sept. 17: Proof thatyou don't need to have a blower to have Funny Car fun;Jim Farnsworth,Bob Durban in the JEGS 'Cuda,Dick Titsworth,Bob Ehgotz,Joe Arrigo,Nick Gaglione,Art Cambridge,Tom Kenny,Vic Tiffin,John Kelly, Fred Hagen, Jim Guthroe, Jack Ditmars, and more!
Sept. 14: Wait, more than four dozen more ramp truck photos? Yup
Sept. 8: It's exactly what the headline implies!
Aug. 27: Still more ramp truck photos and catch-ups; how about a ramp truck with a wedge dragster atop?
Aug. 25: More ramp-truck madness; more than a dozen more pics!
Aug. 20: Shirl Greer ramp truck find; reader-submitted ramp truck photos
Aug. 17: More ramp-truck photos thank you can shake a ramp at ... whatever that means.
Aug. 11: A Who's Who of Southern California drag racing history gathers at Don Prudhomme's shop; "Mongoose" ramp truck update
Aug. 6: Tom McEwen weighs in on the ramp truck find and shares his horse-racing history; Funny Car stars group photo; Hot Wheels "Wild Wheelies" photo shoot at OCIR; Jim Green, Jim Annin glass-sided trailers; more Hot Wheelsmemorabilia; Hot Wheels "race" competition today
Aug. 3:Jeff Mittendorf shares photos of his incredible collection of Don Prudhomme and Tom McEwen Hot Wheels memorabilia
July 30: Ramp trucks old and new, including Ken Veney and the Lagana family; Black Magic burns to the ground
July 27: "TV Tommy" Ivo shares a historical look at his collection of tow rigs, trucks, and trailers over the years
July 23: More ramp-truck answers; Roy Harris; glass-sided trailers; early Chi-Town Hustler ramp truck;
July 20: More ramp truck stories and photos
July 16: Great Hot Wheels commercials from the 1970s
July 13: More on Tom McEwen's ramp truck find; Chi-Town Hustler hauler; more patrotic fuelers
July 9: Don Prudhomme finds Tom McEwen's old ramp truck
July 6: More patriotically-named race cars
July 2: A look at some starred and striped, patriotically-named machines
June 29: Dwight Guild's great home movies show Funny Car stars at Orange County Int'l Raceway
June 18: More on Lou Patane's car; Gary Beck's low-wing experiment; Mineo's Funny Car dragster; Jim Head's modern-day wedge
June 16: The thread marches on with Lou Patane's aero dragster; Gordon Mineo's Funny Car becomes a dragster; the story behind Top Fuel "mud flaps"; Jim and Alison Lee reunion
June 8: Feedback about the Piranha; Bobby Hilton and son Tyler;Ed Rachanski's Super Marauder Mercury Comet
June 4: The story of how a kit car for the street became one of the wildest drag racing machines ever
May 26: Doug Kruse on the Dunn & Kruse streamliner; Donnie Souter, Gene Snow wedges
May 21: Gene Mooneyham wedge; Dunn & Kruse streamliner; Fred Farndon/Lisa & Rossi; Re-entry at car show; Phil turns 50
May 10: Don Durbin's' rear-wheel pants; Lisa & Rossi, first in the fives?; Re-entry pic
The Thread That Won’t Die
May 7: More wedges: Prudhomme's headers (again); gallery: Chris Karamesines, Leland Kolb, Lisa & Rossi, and Kenney Goodell;Robert Lindall's Re-entry
May 5: Still more on the Setzer's monocoque; Prudhomme's wedge headers; Lisa & Rossi wedge; Bunny Burkett billboard
April 30: More wedge stuff: Setzer's monocoque; the STP Drag Wedge; Prudhomme's Hot Wheels wedge; also, Freight Train billboard; Kenney Goodell remembered
April 27: Barry Setzer's monocoque Top Fueler
April 6: Drag racing-themed cloisonnépins were a big thing in the 1980s
March 31: The details keep emerging on this racing mystery
March 23: Follow up on Kalitta's Indy crash; Tommy Ivo talks about his stunt driving in Heart Like A Wheel
March 19: Remembering Ron Rickman, who danced with danger when Connie Kalitta crashed his wedge dragster at Indy; Leland Kolb's wedge
March 16: Salute to Shirl Greer; Al Hanna recalls Greer's '74 Ontario thrash; Bob Durban, first JEGS winner; Carl Olson, on rear-engine dragster switchover; Cox Pinto Funny Car lives on
March 9: Tom Nagy shares his images of the 1970s' stars of the sport, including Shirley, Beck, and more
March 5: A history of one of the sport's greatest and most revered events, 1959-88
Feb. 26: More salutes to drag racing's greats from the Insider Nation
Feb. 23: More on Garlits' Carryall from Sonny Messner; more SoCal doorslammers, including the Vintage GTO
Feb. 19: Garlits' GMC Carryall; more SoCal doorslammers; jeff Foulk's Finagler; farewells to Rocky Childs, Ray Strasser, and Ron Sutherland
Feb. 12: Don Prudhomme, Paul Smith, and John :Tarzan" Austin remember Shirl Greer; Ivo and "Tarzan" share the winner's circle; Dale Emery and the open fuel-tank lid;Jim Harnsberger's Summernationals runner-up; Arnie Behling, second rear-engined Top Fuel winner
Feb. 11:The El Merendero, Pomona racers' favorite Mexican restaurant; feedback from SoCal doorslammers column
Feb. 9: Insider readers share the love of their drag racing heroes
Feb. 5: Great 1970s doorslammer photos from Lions, Irwindale, and more, courtesy of reader Robert Nielsen
Jan. 20: Winternationals weather; memories of Dick Wells and Russell Long; farewell to Jan Gabriel, who made "Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!" a household phrase
Jan, 19: Saying goodbye to former ND editor and longtime Wally Parks confidante Dick Wells
Jan. 18: Former Funny Car driver Russell Long helps Haitian earthquakesurvivors; pocket bio on Long's flopper career
Jan. 15: Part 2, wherein the drag racers (especially Melanie Troxel) more than hold their own
Jan. 14: Phil joins the Coughlin clan for a trip to the Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge
Dec. 25: Some cool wishes for our hot-rodding friends
Dec. 22: Cliff Morgan's photos from San Fernando, Lions, Orange County including Don Garlits' Wynn's Liner, Ed Lenarth's jeep and sidewinder, OCIR roller starters and more
Dec. 18: A tribute to Alcohol Dragster champion Don Woosley
Nov. 24: East Coast match race action from the '70s; info aboutSteve Kanuika
Nov. 12: See above, but Part 2
Nov. 10: Reposting an often-stolen column, and making it better
Nov. 6: Catching up with Bennie Osborn
Oct. 27: A salute to one of the unsung drag racing heroes
Oct. 23: From Lions Drag Strip, Funny Cars of the 1960s!
Oct. 20: The life and times of the popular and successful Funny Car driver; drift racers salute Shaun Carlson
Oct. 13: A new era for National Dragster as the magazine switches to an all-color format; Shaun Carlson's memorial service
Oct. 9: Indy, Columbus, U.S. 131 ... they're all here. Floppers galore, plus many of your heroes
Oct. 6: Team Kalitta celebrates a huge win; mourning the loss of Shaun Carlson
Oct. 2: Shirley Muldowney plays "Then vs. now"; Shirley Shahan honored; brave four-wide jet starter revealed; more four-wide answers; the Down Under demise of Gary Clapshaw's dragster; Brad Littlefield and Todd Veney
Sept. 29: Picsfrom the 1970s, a great period for Funny Cars, which make up the bulk of this submission.
Sept. 22: A look back at four-wide racing over the years -- dragsters, Funny Cars, Pro Stockers, and even jets!
Sept. 18:Stone-Woods-Cook versus "Big John" Mazmanian;Don Prudhomme versus Tom McEwen;Shirley Muldowney versus Don Garlits;Shirley Muldowney versus Connie Kalitta;Warren Johnson versus Scott Geoffrion;Joe Amato versus Gary Ormsby;John Force versus Whit Bazemore, Al Hofman, Cruz Pedregon;Tony Schumacher versus Larry Dixon, Doug Kalitta, J.R. Todd, and "Hot Rod" Fuller
Sept. 15: From the Land of 10,000 Lakes, some great old photos from various Minnesota tracks
Sept. 11:Jim Lynch, HaroldLewelling,Ernie Lentz,Phil Lippard,Dan Lexa,Jack Lawson,Lewisbrothers,Leavengood brothers,Ron Leaf, andLarry Ladue
Sept. 4: A little (OK, a lot) U.S. Nationals trivia
Sept. 1: From Darrell Alderman to Don Prudhomme and Don Garlits, some of the stars of the Pentastar
Aug. 28: 50 Years of National Dragster display at the ѻƬ Museum
Aug. 21:Barry "Machine Gun" Kelly,Gordie Keck,Rathgeb-Guminski-O'Donnell-Collins Keystone Top Fueler,Katz & Jammer Kids dragster,Tim Kushi,Mac King,Rick Krafft,L.C. Kirby'sBandini, Victor Kim, andSteve Korney
Aug. 18:Leonard Hughes'Jake's Speed Equipment Dart,Jumping Joe Vega (Joe Weis),Tom Johansen,Roosevelt Johnson,Jimmy Jones,Jerry Jefferson,Jerry Janke,Jim and Jerry Jokerst,Tom Jacobsen, andPaul (P.G.) "Injun" Johnson's "funny digger"
Aug. 11: From Eddie Schartman to Sherm Gunn, a look at Funny Car's one-time winners
Aug. 7: From Carl Olson and Art Marshall, guys who won in Top Fuel, but only once
Aug. 4: A salute to Ford's legacy on the dragstrip (and Phil's misspent youth)
July 31:Malcolm Durham,Lee Jones,Western Bunns ,Petrocelli & Haskett Super Twister Corvair,Arnie Behling,George Montgomery,Stone, Woods & Cooke,"Pee Wee" Wallace,Jim Maybeck,Gene Snow,"Fast Eddie" Schartman, Wally Parks
July 26: And still more East Coast goodness:Bob Ehgotz, theJade Grenade, theRamchargers,Don Schumacher, Bergler & Prock crash, Dale Pulde,Tom Hoover,Connie Kalitta,Tom McEwen, Don Prudhomme's wedge
July 17: More great old East Coast pics, including Tom Sneden, Gene Altizer,the original Blue Max Mustang, Joe Jacono, Don Garlits' Funny Car,"Jungle Jim" Liberman, andDickie Harrell
July 14: Larry Sutton is reunited with Mike Ditt, whose life he saved in the aftermath of Don Garlits' infamous Lions tranmission explosion
July 12: Great photos from Seattle Int'l Raceway in the '70s provided by Al Kean
July 10: Veteran East Coast photographer Fred Von Sholly shares some of his images: Bill Jenkins, Gene Conway, Don Nicholson, Brutus, and more
July 7: Follow ups on Larry Gould and Paul Gentilozzi, 180-degree crankshafts, traction compound, and a slot-car dragstrip
July 3:Eldon Huffman,Bob Holley,John Hoven,Ira Hollensbe,Billy Holt,"Nitro Nick" Harmon,George "the Stone Age Man" Hutcheson,Frank Huszar,Harry Hudson, and Harry Hall
June 30: 1972 ѻƬ Media Guideprovides a snapshot in time to the way it used to be
June 26: "Snake" fan jealously rears its ugly (and amusing) head; Bob Brand reunited with Prudhomme and the ramp truck
June 23: Spending a day with Don Prudhomme and his restored Funny Cars; a ride in the Hot Wheels ramp truck and lunch with "the Snake"
June 19: Warren Gunter's Durachrome Bug Funny Car; remembering Eric Brooks
June 16:Jim Grant,George Reese's George's Corvette Shop,Golden Chariot ,Joe Godwin,Roger Garten,Gretchko Bros.,Larry Gould,Roger Gates/John Glaspey, Paul Gentilozzi,Jon Giardina, andWarren Gunter. Misc. files updates onJim Eberley,Mike Edstrom,Jim Swedberg, Bob Toth/Ed Fox
June 5: Chicago-themed Funny Cars: the Chi-Town Hustler, the Chicago Trapper, the Chicago Patrol, the Chicago Fire, and more
June 2:Ed Fox,Fred Fischbach,"Bullet Bob" Floch,Angelo Falzone,Al Fontanini,Merrill Frost,Tom Fischer,German and Larry Farias,Chuck Flores,Pete Frech'sWicked Wagon wheelstander
May 29: After a disastrous 1990, Don Prudhomme found his footing again in the Top Fuel class and struck again
May 26:Gary Essman,Terry Erven,Henderson Bros. EvolutionCorvair,Gary Egbert,Alan Earman,JimEberley, and the Edstrom family; plus Wile E. Coyote chases the Roadrunner with a dragster; more American Bandstand Corvette
May 22: Phil's greatest crash and burn photos! Kenny Bernstein, Jim Head, Jack Ostrander, Gene Snow, Mark Oswald, Brad Tuttle, Don Gay Jr., John Force, Ed Heck, Jay Payne, more Bernstein (watch out, crew!), Nick Nikolis, Gary Phillips, and, of course, more Force
May 16: John Force defeated Bob Vandergriff Jr, in a wild final at theWinston No Bull Showdown
May 15:Gary Dye,Ben Diener,DeSoto's conquistador,Larry Dobbs,Leroy Dewdney,Bob "the Gator" Dalton,Larry Derr,Bob Davis,Johnny Davis,Don Davis,Dean Dillingham, andRon Dixon
May 12: Shirley Muldowney reminisces about her early gas dragsters, and shares some of the original invoices for the cars
May 9:Ron Correnti,Larry Christopherson,Les Cassidy,Gary Cromwell,Gary Coe,Joe Clement,Doug Church,Gene Canham,Cotton Owens,Norm Cowdrey,Rik Crews, and Leon Cain
May 5: Progress on the restoration of Don Prudhomme's Hot Wheels ramp truck
April 28:Lorry Azevedo,Abe Ayoub,Kenny Achs,Vic Anderson,John Andretti,Rick Abood,Chuck Aronson,Dan Aykroyd (really!); Jimmy Ige follow-up; origination of the AA classification
April 21:Bob Ivett,Dutch Irrgang, Isky,Jimmy Ige,Jose Irizarry and his Krazy Kar Kat Vega, andRay and Shirley Strasser's Insanity; feedback and info on our B photos
April 17: Who wasBob Bommarito and why is he here? The Misc. Files, letter B (Dick Boynton,Steve "Okie" Bernd,Blasters &Peabody,Jim Bowen,Kenny Brown (motorcycle daredevil), andJon Button)
April 14:Battle of the engine builders: Keith Black vs. Ed Pink vs. Sid Waterman vs. the independents
April 10: A fun list; how many can you admit to?
April 7: Mike Dunn goes bicycle racing; farewell to Bob Hesser
April 3: National Dragster's special April Fools issues; more great ѻƬ.com April Fools stories
April 1: The day that the column died. I hate nostalgia anyway. Oh, wait. Check the date. And other April Fool's nonsense
March 27: A visit to NASA in Houston; remembering the great Houston "freezeout" of 1989, and other Houston weather weirdities
March 24: Remember Eddie Hill's wild 1988 win in Houston; more Hawaiian crash photos; Hill's Pomona blowover
March 20: The life and times of Funny Car racer Larry Reyes
March 13: Thirty more magnificent Gatornationals moments, 1982-present
March 10: Twenty great moments from the Florida classic. covering 1970-1981
March 6: Not the dragster, but the Don Prudhomme-licensedShelby GT500 Mustang; OK, some stuff about the dragster, too
March 3: Tracking down thelist of Roland Leong's drivers
Feb. 27: Ed McCulloch started off the 1972 with back-to-back wins
Feb. 24: Crewman for a weekend on across-country trip to the Gatornationals with Alcohol Funny Car racer Jim DePasse
Feb. 20: More great photos from my friends; Bill Dunlap pushes his car to exhaustion; fire burnout feedback; "FlamingFrank" Pedregon
Feb. 17: Tommy Ivo and Don Garlits talk fire burnouts; huge fire burnout photo gallery! It's HOT!!
Feb. 13: Rain (and, yes, even snow) made for a very long 1978 Winternationals
Feb. 9: Great photos from readers including Gas Ronda's first, Len Imbrogno's crash, and much more; Walt Stevens pushes his car to victory
Jan. 30: Heavy fog and persistent rain Friday and Saturday forced ѻƬ to complete the 1965 Winternationals -- qualifying and eliminations -- in one day; Roland Leong's Lions crash
Jan. 23: Legendary car owner Roland Leong experienced great success (and some frustration) at the Winternationals in the late 1960s and early 1970s
Jan. 20: One of the East Coast's great action photographers shares his favorite images
Jan. 9: Bill Crites remembered by his legions of friends
Jan. 6: How the Surfers beat "the Greek"; the Terrible Towel, and Kenny Bernstein's terrible shifting; Tommy Ivo, practical joker; Jimmy Lynn Davis, kite cycle crasher; a shark tale; racing Mom's car
Dec. 30: Remembering National Dragster's resident lunatic
Dec. 22: The Munsters TV show heads to Lions Drag Strip for a memorable episode; the story behind the Munster Coach and Dragula cars
Dec. 18: Readers help identify subjects of the Fun With Fotos (Dec. 11) column; Norm Cowdrey, Kenny Ellis, Noel Black, the Magic Muffler Fiat,; Al Kean and the flying "Snake"; Ivo vs. a rocket kart
Dec. 15: One of the sport's most promising stars was gone way too soon; the story of the Albertson Olds superstar
Dec. 11: The column that was reposted (and stolen and claimed by others!) more than anything I ever did. Great, weird old photos, with clever captions.
Dec. 8: More Ghost Tracks:Sanforddrags;Vineland Speedway;Montgomery Dragstrip;Connecticut Dragway;Suffolk Raceway;Old Gator Drag Strip;Oklahoma City;Tucson Dragway;Goleta; first tube dragster
Dec. 4: Looking back at Issue 1; Wally Parks on why he created National Dragster; readers suggest more great car songs
Dec. 2: Hot rod music to drive by
Nov. 27: From Lew Arrington to Bill Williams, Al Hofmann to Gaines Markley, and John Buttera, Pat Foster, Paul Blevins, Jim Paoli, Leroy Chadderton, Ron Correnti, Bobby Hightower, Scott Kalitta, Jack Engle, "Jocko" Johnson ...it was a year of tremendous losses
Nov. 24: The life and times of famed Southern California starter Larry Sutton
Nov. 20: Answering questions about Rob Bruins' winless championship season, Eddie Hill's Double Dragon, and more
Nov. 14: The history of Pomona Raceway; Chuck Griffith helps tell the story
Nov. 11: Life on the match-race circuit; OCIR'sRichard Schwartz; Alan and Blaine Johnson's first car; and more
Nov. 7:Dover Drag Strip,Westhampton Dragstrip,Warner Robins Dragway.Double H Drag Strip,Augusta Int'l Raceway,Biloxi Dragway,Windsor Dragway,Beeline Dragway, andHawaiiRacewayPark
OCIR Week: Your turn
Nov. 4: Readers share their memories of the 'County
Oct. 31: Building the dream, then watching it slowly die
Oct. 29:Orange County Int'l Raceway's Last Drag Race mixed drama with nostalgia ... and a lot of tears
Oct. 27: Recapping Orange County Int'l Raceway's final season
Oct. 24: Toyotas in Funny Car; who should play "Jungle Jim"?; Covina Thunderfest; Blaine and Alan Johnson
Oct. 21: Gary Beck and the Larry Minor team crushed it 1983
Oct. 17: Stalking through Google Earth;Pittsburgh Int'l Dragway;Aquasco Speedway;New York National Speedway;Niagara Dragstrip;Southeastern Int'l Dragway;Century 21 Raceway;Half Moon Bay Drag Strip; memories of Fremont; Alamo resurrected ... almost
Oct. 14: My first trip to the California Hot Rod Reunion
Oct. 10: What kind of guy is John Force? Is there going to be a movie about "Jungle Jim"? Who's got themost wins without a championship? And, "Should I take my girl to the drags or a fancy restaurant?"
Oct. 7: Southland Dragways; Dallas Int'l Motor Speedway; Fairmont Dragway; Des Moines Dragway; Fremont Raceway; Green Valley Race City; Houston Int'l Dragway; Thunderbolt Dragway; San Luis Obispo; more on Onondaga, Detroit Dragway; U.S. 30
Sept. 30: The life and times of Top Fuel racer Bill Pryor; Ghost Tracks: Motor City Dragway; Pocono Drag Lodge; Lakeland Int'l
Sept 26: Creative writing from Charlotte; more on the old Charlotte Drag-O-Way; Ghost Tracks: U.S. 30 Dragway; remembering Mike Hollander
Sept. 23: Reader feedback on Bill Shrewsberry, Venice High, Stone, Woods & Cook; and Favorite Race Car voting
Sept. 19: My crash-and-burn photos from Texas Motorplex races over the years; Herbert, Oswald, Pedregon vs. Force and more
Sept. 17: Venice High School, alma mater to champion drag racers and athletes (and me); Ivo recants
Sept 15. The life and times of wheelstander king Bill Shrewsberry and his L.A. Dart machines
Sept. 11: Tommy Ivo and crewmember Don Prudhomme race at Concord Drag-O-Way (well, sorta; see also the bottom of )
Sept. 8: Leonard Woods shares his tales about the legendary race team
Sept. 5: Announcing the winner of the Favorite Race Car Ever polls
Aug. 25: The final showdown!(results added after publication)
Aug. 20: The life and times of Top Fuel/Funny Car racer Jim Nicoll
Aug, 18: Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray's column
Aug. 14: Tony Schumacher didn't make the Top 50 Racers list, but should he have? Mike Dunn talks about driving for Joe Pisano
Aug. 11: Everything from Swamp Rat XXX to the Ormsby Castrol streamliner and McEwen's '57 Chevy(results added after publication)
Aug. 7: The debut of Don Garlits' rear-engined car in Florida, as witnessed by column reader Wade Nunnelly
Aug. 4: "The Snake" takes on the Blue Max, "Jungle Jim," and the Barry Setzer Vega(results added after publication)
July 31: Don Moody and the road to his amazing 5.91 at the '72 Supernationals; Lions Last Drag Race
July 28: "Big Daddy" versus the world; Beck, Warren, California Charger and more(results added after publication)
July 24: Jim Dunn wins in Seattle; Dunn pocket bio; evolution of the Insider column
July 21: The earliest of the flip-top breed(results added after publication)
July 15: Fromthe Glass Slipper to the Green Monster and beyond(results added after publication)
July 11: From early Pro Stockers to blown gassers (results added after publication)
July 9:Final results for all-time favorite exhibition car!(results added after publication)
July 7: The original; imagining what drag racing heaven would like, with a name check of scores of lost departed heroes
July 4: Bob Correll's famous hang-gliding motorcycle, exhibition star of the '70s
July 2: Reactions from Norwalk: Herbert's win, Kalitta's loss; Prudhomme autographs ticket; more cursed Corvettes (Jim Epler, Paul Smith, Simon Menzies)
June 30: Los Angeles Times sportswriter Jim Murray's column on "the Snake"
June 27: What happens when you have a lot of rain and a high water table; how Frank Manzo helped save the day
June 27:A return to the place I first drove a racecar, some 24 years earlier; travel misadventures
June 23: Remembering Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta
June 20:Memories of San Fernando Raceway
June 16:Corvettes that bit the dust; origination of some racing superstitions
June 13:From crash-prone Corvettes to wearing green and eating peanuts in the pits, drag racers are a superstitious bunch (just don't tell Ron Colson)
June 11: Don Garlits' historic 5.63 pass stood as the quickest of all time for nearly seven years
June 6: Saluting the career of Jim and Betty Green and their Green Elephant Funny Cars
June 2: The good and the bad of historic drag racing footage from YouTube
May 30:From Funny Car racer to movie sound engineer, Jeff Courtie has led an amazing life
May 28:Readers share their memories of the famous Freight Train
May 26: What happens when a guy tries to hijack one of Connie Kalitta's planes? I think you know ...
May 23: The birth and life of the fabulous Freight Train Top Gas dragster
May 18: A long Sunday of sitting in the rain, captured in extreme detail. Probably too extreme
May 14: Bristol Dragway in the '60s and the early years of the ѻƬ Springnationals
May 7: Drag racing in Vogue magazine; Top Fuel vs. Funny Car tug of war; handheld drag racing games
May 5:An appreciation of the racing career and personality of John Force
May 2: More memories of R. Gaines Markley, Shirley Shahan, and Clive Skilton; ND staffers playthe Vallco drag racing board game
April 30: The life and times of Shirley Shahan
April 25: Remembering Top Fuel racer R. Gaines Markley; Gary Beck is not Canadian
April 23: The story behind Larry Brown and one of the most amazing Top Fuel explosions ever
April 21: NASCAR's female star has a long way to go to top ѻƬ's female pioneers
April 16: Mike Dunn career retrospective; more four-wide madness; Warren & Coburn
April 14: Mark Pieri recalls four-lane racing at Byron; memories of Bison Dragway; more on Kalitta's fireball
April 11: Tales from behind the scenes of the Warren & Coburn team
April 9: A trip back to ѻƬ's North Hollywood headquarters, where it all began for me
April 8: Remembering (and replaying) the Vallco Drag Racing board game
April 7: Connie Kalitta's E-Town boomer; Fremont body snatcher caught in phone booth; and much more
April 4: The dean of drag racing action photographers shares a handful of his famous and unforgettable photos
March 31: Recounting the ѻƬ career of English Top Fuel racer Clive Skilton; reactions to the passing of Pat Foster
March 28: Ed Mabry recalls Don Garlits' conquering of the Texans and Californians in 1958.
March 26: Reactions to the passing of Funny Car racer Al Hofmann, including reader memories
March 24: Steve Swaja talks about the creation of Tony Nancy's Wedge dragsters; Don Roberts on the front- to rear-engined Top Fuel transformation
March 21: Longtime drag racing photographer Mike Fuschbeckshares his favorite images
March 19: The debut of the Garlitsglide and how it led to the first successful rear-engined dragster
March 14:Reliving "the Gators curse" in my first return to Gainesville in six years
March 10: The life and times of Top Fuel racer Bob Struksnes
March 7:Legendary Funny Car racer Pat Foster battles back from health issues
March 5: A super-dumb column in which we decide to give modern-day drag racers nicknames
March 3: Pit-area prowess that's no longer needed
March 3:From dry hops to push starts and real bleach in the "bleach box," things we don't see at the drags anymore
Feb. 29: Famed drag racing illustrator John Jodauga shares some of his favorite works of art
Feb. 28: From valve lapping to shifting gears, technology has made obsolete some longtime automotive and drag racing skills
Feb. 25: Gators real and imagined, including Gatornationals mascot Clyde and Chase Night's Golden Gator
Feb. 22:Longtime drag racing photographer Joel Gelfand shares his favorite images
Feb. 20:Drag racing gators; a diamond-encrusted Hot Wheels car; Pro Stock racer V. Gaines moves the moola
Feb. 18:Celebrating the ol' "V for Victory" sign; keeping the Pisano name alive
Feb. 14: Winternationals celebrations, including a young Larry Dixon in 1970; vintage Dixon family press release; more Simon Menzies
Feb. 8:What the Winternationals means to me, and probably to you, too
Feb. 6: Simon Menzies weighs in; Doug Herbert heals; Greg Ozubko tells hockey tales; more "Growing Up Boy"
Feb. 4:The life and times of Funny Car racer Whit Bazemore
Feb. 1: National Dragster photographer Marc Gewertz shares his favorite images
Jan. 30: John Collins and the Pioneer Express Datsun Funny Cars
Jan. 22: Dick Wells tells Hot Rod stories; reader Don Nickles recalls shooting photos at Lions
Jan 21: Readers share their childhood memories
Jan. 16: Hot Wheels, model cars, fireworks, and more. Growing up as a boy was cool
Jan. 11:National Dragster photographer Jerry Foss shares his favorite images
Jan. 9:A Winternationals Top 10 list that almost got me fired; Don Ewald's tough Winternationals loss;Stuff in my Office: Riding a rollercoaster with John Force
Jan. 7: Top 10 reasons why Don Prudhomme retired; more Stuff in my Office: commemorative booze
Jan. 4: Reaction to Dec. 31, 2007 photos, including some Stone-Woods-Cook trivia; a look at the National Dragster photo archives
Dec. 31:My pre-National Dragster fan photos from OCIR, Irwindale, and Pomona; New Years Eve with Bill Bader and the Mazis
Dec. 29: Pat Galvin, the "other" Ron Capps, and more Christmas Tree tales
Dec. 28: Looking back at Christmas gifts past;Stuff in my office: Piece of the old Pomona tower
Dec. 24: Putting a National Dragster spin on the classic "Twas the night before Christmas"
Dec. 21: Gary Cagle knocks down the Tree (with a crowbar!); Frank Mazi Opel model; Stuff in my office: Don Prudhomme retirement toasting goblet
Dec. 19:The story behind the drag racing's Chirstmas Tree, and the improvements since
Dec. 14: Holiday hijinks at the ѻƬ Holiday Party; 25 years on the job
Dec. 5: Reaction to the surprising retirement announcement by Kenny Bernstein
Dec. 3: Former National Dragster editor Bill Holland looks back at how the publication was assembled back in the 1960s
Nov. 28: Why stats are so important in drag racing; a look at the printing presses that produce National Dragster
Nov. 13: Longtime National Dragster staffer Todd Veney leaves the team to concentrate on his racing career.
Nov. 7:A celebration of the life of ѻƬ founder Wally Parks at the Auto Club ѻƬ Finals.
Tricks and treats
Oct. 31: Prepping for the World Finals; remembering L.A. Times sports writer Shav Glick; my start in journalism
Oct. 22: You never asked and probably don't care, but here's how I come up with the topics for this column
Oct. 3: Reflecting on the passing of ѻƬ founder Wally Parks
Sept. 28: Funny Car racer Frank Mancuso talks about two memorable crashes in his Travel Agent flopper; and more Force feedback
Sept. 25: Fan reactions to John Force's crash
Sept. 23: Reacting to the news of John Force's near-career-ending crash at the 2007 Dallas event
Sept. 15: Singer/songwriter Patti Scialfa (wife of Bruce Springsteen) writes a song about Shirley Muldowney
Sept. 13: Thank you, Marvin Graham. A casual phone call from the former Indy champ leads to the sharing of his racing career and work on Heart Like A Wheel, and gives the rudderless Dragster Insider a new mission.
Sept. 6: Work is interrupted by a bomb scare at National Dragster HQ, and I go all Joe Friday to report it.
Sept. 4: The job's not done until the paperwork is complete; what happens after a race.
Sept. 3: Basically, it's me crying becauseI missed the birth of my grandson while covering Indy. You would cry, too, if it happened to you.
Aug. 31: Before the internet made it obsolete, we used to produce -- literally overnight -- a daily newspaper for each day of the U.S. Nationals. Really!
Aug. 28: I've been to a lot of U.S. Nationals and spent a lot of time in Indy, but I missed one of the greatest of all, the record-busting 1982 event
Aug. 22: So, Reading 2007 finished on a Wednesday; how we handled still got out a magazine is beyond me
Aug. 21: Rainouts ruin not only racedays, but publication schedules, too. Reading 2007 is a good example.
Aug. 14: How we decide who's on the cover; helping Mike Dunn write;
Aug. 8:More Journalism 101 advice you never asked for: It's all about the resource material, baby.
Aug. 6: Journalism 101: The power of the lead paragraph
Aug. 1: The National Dragster staff has a lot of female expertise, and a look at the hiring process.
July 30: Saluting Pro stock racer Greg Anderson's milestone 50th win.
July 26: Trying to interview David Rampy while he was at a ballgame, and other challenges of the biz
July 24: About cover choices and cover blurbs. Not much to see here. Move on.
July 23: The very first entry, wherein the premise of the column -- letting everyone know what it's like to work on a magazine and all of the behind-the-scenes stuff-- is laid out. That plan lasted just a few months until I figured out what the column -- and I -- was really born to do: tell the history of our sport.