{"id":104694,"date":"2026-02-06T11:20:52","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T19:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=104694"},"modified":"2026-02-06T11:20:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T19:20:52","slug":"nhra-celebrates-75-years-of-heroes-plus-tsr-dodge-wraps-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/nhra-celebrates-75-years-of-heroes-plus-tsr-dodge-wraps-revealed\/","title":{"rendered":"NHRA Celebrates 75 Years of Heroes, Plus TSR Dodge Wraps Revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"NHRA completed its list of the 75 top drivers to compete in the first 74 years of the sanctioning body\u2019s existence. The top fifty were named 25 years ago and 25 superlative drivers have been added to that list before the start of this year\u2019s historic celebration.<\/p>\n

The final five drivers shouldn\u2019t be a surprise to anyone that\u2019s followed straight-line racing over the past quarter-century. In this family-oriented sport, each of these drivers has family members that have also been part of the sport of NHRA drag racing, either professionally behind the wheel or turning knobs and tuning cars. This quintet definitely complete the listing of 75 top drivers of NHRA\u2019s 75 years of drag racing.<\/p>\n

This fabulous five are four-time consecutive Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence, three-time Top Fuel titleholder, Larry Dixon Jr., one of only three racers to earn championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, Del Worsham and the brothers Pedregon, Cruz and Tony, both\u00a0 <\/span>two-time champs.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Steve Torrence – Anne Proffit photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A teenage bout with Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma couldn\u2019t hold back Steve Torrence, now a 60-time national event winner who earned four straight titles in the dragster class from 2018 through 2021. Driving his family\u2019s CAPCO Construction Top Fuel car similar to one campaigned by his father Billy, Torrence\u2019s first title drive included a perfect Countdown to the Championship sweep in 2018.<\/p>\n

When told of his inclusion, the Texan noted, \u201cThat\u2019s extremely cool, especially because it\u2019s the top 75 drivers of the sport all-time, all classes. That\u2019s not just the 75 Top Fuel drivers. I greatly appreciate this; it\u2019s a real honor. I have dedicated a large portion of my life to that sport, and to be recognized like this is truly an accomplishment for me. I\u2019ve had a great career,\u201d one that likely isn\u2019t nearly complete. \u201cI surely didn\u2019t get there without the help of the Good Lord, the help and support of my family and some really good crew guys,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Larry Dixon at Gainesville 2015 after driving vertically – Anne Proffit photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Like so many in the sport, Larry Dixon Jr. grew up at racetracks around the United States as his father, Larry Dixon raced and won. He wanted to be part of the game and made a point of working on teams as a crew member with Larry Minor and later Don Prudhomme, until he was called up by The Snake to drive Top Fuel. NHRA\u2019s Rookie of the Year in 1995, Dixon has won 62 Top Fuel national events and three world championships. Two of those titles came with Don Prudhomme\u2019s team and he later added a third championship with Al-Anabi Racing.<\/p>\n

Recognizing that winning is more than putting his foot down hard, Dixon noted, \u201cBeing on this list is a reflection of the teams that I got to drive for: great cars, great crew chiefs, great team owners, great sponsors. I\u2019ve been very blessed. I remember when the Top 50 drivers were announced 25 years ago, and it was really exciting every week to see who was on there. It was all the heroes in drag racing, and so to be on a list with them is way more than I ever dreamed of. I\u2019m flattered and honored,\u201d Dixon admitted. \u201cThey were my idols growing up and I\u2019m not sure I belong on the same list with them. I remember watching Garlits and Shirley and \u2018Snake\u2019 and \u2018Goose\u2019 and Roland and all those people who did this for a living. I just thought that if I could ever do that, that would be the neatest thing in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Del Worsham – Anne Proffit photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Del Worsham, too, grew up in the sport, surrounded by Funny Car racing. His father, Chuck has been on the crew side of the sport and has had a significant influence on his son\u2019s career, forming Worsham Racing to help his son get a professional start to his driving career. Del Worsham first licensed in a Funny Car at the age of 20 and became NHRA\u2019s Rookie of the Year in 1990. With 39 NHRA victories, Worsham has also shown his capabilities s a crew chief, even as he remains an A-to-B driver and mentor to younger racers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up watching a lot of the guys in the original Top 50, the Don Prudhommes and Tom McEwen\u2019s, and I still have this little notebook from when I was\u00a0 <\/span>kid running around the pits in the late 1970s,\u201d Worsham revealed. \u201cIt\u2019s just filled with autographs of people like Prudhomme and Ed McCulloch, so to be on the same list as them is very flattering. I\u2019ve received a lot of great honors over the years, but this is one of the bigger ones. I really appreciate it. There are some great, great drivers on the list in all categories, and to be listed with the Top 75 is an honor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Cruz Pedregon won at Reading last season – Anne Proffit photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Pedregon brothers\u2019 father, \u201cFlaming\u201d Frank Pedregon passed away in 1981 before he could see his sons become two of the more respected racers in Funny Car. Cruz Pedregon is currently\u00a0 <\/span>in his fifth decade racing in NHRA\u2019s Funny Car class. He\u2019s one of the owner\/drivers on the circuit and has 705 total starts, tops among active racers. A former Top Alcohol racer, Cruz Pedregon has two Flopper championships, won 16 years apart in 1992 and again in 2008.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The 44-time winner, successful team owner and 2025 victor at Reading finished eighth in last year\u2019s standings. \u201cThis is very humbling,\u201d he said. \u201cI tell people that I never got into drag racing for any fame or signing autographs – that just all came with it – but when somebody recognizes what you\u2019ve done and all the work you\u2019ve put into it, it\u2019s really an honor and humbling, and it really means a lot. Most of us just started out wanting to drive, maybe make a career out of it, but you never know from one year to the next if you\u2019re going to be racing. When I\u2019m done with my career,\u201d he mused, \u201cthese are the kinds of things that will matter most. Wins and losses and championships, they come and go, but something like this will last forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Tony Pedregon – NHRA photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tony Pedregon isn\u2019t suiting up anymore, but he is working with FOX Sports to bring the sport closer to those watching it on television at home. Growing up in a competitive household and nearly two years younger than brother Cruz, Tony has earned two world championships, 43 wins and 76 final round appearances as a driver and team owner. He had success earning a title with John Force and later had his own team, but his transition to broadcasting was seamless. He\u2019s known for his insightful comments on NHRA\u2019s TV broadcasts and for being quite candid. on the broadcasts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a little emotional for me, when I look at all of the other great drivers on this list,\u201d Tony Pedregon revealed. \u201cCruz and I were just a couple of kids who were obsessed with drag racing. We were watching guys like Don Prudhomme and Raymond Beadle and Tom McEwen. One of my idols was John Lombardo, and we were just really lucky that we somehow managed to hang out with the right people – especially guys like Joe Pisno – who had the right influence, and that\u2019s important in anything you do.\u201d Cruz and Tony Pedregon would bug their father to take them to tracks: \u201cThose guys tolerated us punk kids! Then I started driving, and I\u2019m not really supposed to be able to beat a guy like John Force, but we just got so good as a team, first with John Medlen and then when Dickie [Venables] came along, that really changed everything. We went from being\u00a0 <\/span>good team to a great team. All of those people, guys like Dale Armstrong or Frank Rupert or Billy Williams, had such a big influence on my life and my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Leah Pruett\u2019s dragster – Tony Stewart Racing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tony Stewart Racing will look quite a bit different in 2026, as team owner Tony Stewart won\u2019t be driving for the team he owns. Wife Leah Pruett returns to the cockpit of her Top Fuel dragster after taking two years off to give birth to son Dom after nearly winning the 2023 Top Fuel championship; she has 12 dragster wins to her credit. Four-time Funny Car champion Matt Hagan continues in his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. Hagan\u2019s 55 victories include three in 2025; he was runner-up in the Funny Car class last year.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Matt Hagan\u2019s Funny Car wrap – courtesy Tony Stewart Racing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The duo have revealed the 2026 Dodge colors they\u2019ll be running when they arrive at Gainesville for the 57th annual Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals at Gainesville, FL Raceway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s March 5-8 season-starter is also a gala beginning of a year-long celebration of drag racing. Not only will there be a large number of racers vying for the special 75th diamond anniversary Wally winner\u2019s trophies that are on offer, there will be legends of the sport meeting and greeting fans throughout the weekend. Those that have agreed to go to this race – where they might have shown up even without the 75th anniversary – include Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, Shirley Muldowney, Joe Amato, Darrell Gwynn and Bob Frey. These heroes are just some of the legends who are making the trip to Florida and at the other 19 events on NHRA\u2019s 20-race calendar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At Gainesville Garlits, named No. 1 in NHRA\u2019s tabulation of 50 top drivers, will have his popular \u201cSwamp Rat Alley\u201d featuring three of his most historic race cars. Special attention goes to Bernstein, whose magic 300mph run in the quarter mile at Gainesville in 1992. That moment in time will be celebrated as the Gatornationals\u2019 historic moment, a theme for each of the tour\u2019s 20 races. Bernstein is featured on this race\u2019s commemorative ticket.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NHRA completed its list of the 75 top drivers to compete in the first 74 years of the sanctioning body\u2019s existence. The top fifty were named 25 years ago and 25 superlative drivers have been added to that list before the start of this year\u2019s historic celebration.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":104696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3465,3470,5029],"tags":[9503,604,79,9502,13066,8458,128,9966,7,13065,1942,607,10419,13064],"class_list":["post-104694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drag-racing","category-news","category-racing","tag-amalie-motor-oil-gatornationals","tag-cruz-pedregon","tag-del-worsham","tag-gainesville-raceway","tag-larry-dixon-jr","tag-leah-pruett","tag-matt-hagan","tag-mission-foods-drag-racing-series","tag-nhra","tag-nhra-75","tag-steve-torrence","tag-tony-pedregon","tag-tony-stewart-racing-nitro","tag-top-75-nhra-racers"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Top-75-drivers.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42YSK-reC","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104694"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104694\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104727,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104694\/revisions\/104727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}