National Hot Rod Association facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
National Hot Rod Association

Sport	Drag racing
Jurisdiction	North America
Abbreviation	NHRA
Founded	May 1951; 74 years ago (1951-05)
Headquarters	Glendora, California, U.S.
President	Glen Cromwell
Chairman	Dallas Gardner
Official website

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a group that makes rules for drag racing and organizes races across the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers, the NHRA says it is the biggest motorsports group in the world.

Wally Parks started the association in 1951 in California. He wanted to create a group to organize and promote drag racing safely. The NHRA's first big race, called the U.S. Nationals, happened in 1955 in Great Bend, Kansas. Today, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is the main racing series. It has 24 races each year and brings together the best drag racers from all over North America and the world. The U.S. Nationals are now held at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Indiana. Winners of these national events get a special trophy named "The Wally", in honor of Wally Parks.

History

Wally Parks, who was also the editor of Hot Rod magazine, started the National Hot Rod Association. His goal was to encourage "safety, sportsmanship, and friendship" among people who loved hot rods. In its first year, about 25,000 people joined. Within six years, the group had more than 57,000 members!

Hot Rod magazine and the NHRA worked together to show everyone, especially the police, that hot-rodders were different from reckless street racers. They encouraged adults, like auto shop teachers and garage owners, to get involved. The NHRA even made short films to improve the image of hot-rodders.

In 1954, the NHRA started the "Drag Safari." This was a tour across the country to encourage organized drag racing with a strong focus on safety. The Safari team worked with police and city officials in each place they visited. They explained their program, involved local car clubs, set up race sites, and ran drag races. This "Drag Safari" helped lead to the first U.S. Nationals in 1955.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, the NHRA had to cancel some races in 2020 and 2021 at the Virginia Motorsports Park. Regular racing started again in 2022.

Racing Series

A trophy for the 2009 Top Fuel Championship.

NHRA Championship Drag Racing Series

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is the highest level of racing in the NHRA. It has four main professional classes:

• Top Fuel Dragster
• Funny Car
• Pro Stock
• Pro Stock Motorcycle

Champions

• List of NHRA champions

NHRA Sportsman Drag Racing Series

There are many different Sportsman Classes in NHRA racing. These classes include Snowmobile, Motorcycle, Super Street, Super Gas, Stock Eliminator, Super Stock, Competition Eliminator, Super Comp, Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and Top Alcohol Dragster. Most of these classes race at NHRA national events.

While the NHRA promotes the professional classes a lot, most of its racers are in the Sportsman Classes. Sportsman racers must be members of the NHRA to enter and race in any NHRA event.

Some of the Sportsman events include the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the Summit Racing Equipment Racing Series, and the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League.

Sportsman Champions

Many talented Sportsman racers have won multiple world championships. Here are some of the top racers and how many championships they've won in their classes:

• Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD)
  • 5 championships: Rick Santos (last in 2001), Bill Reichert (last in 2010), Joey Severance (last in 2022)
  • 4 championships: Blaine Johnson (last in 1993)
• Alcohol Funny Car (AFC)
  • 17 championships: Frank Manzo (last in 2013)
  • 4 championships: Pat Austin (last in 1991)
  • 3 championships: Brad Anderson (last in 1989), Sean Bellemeur (last in 2021), Doug Gordon (last in 2023)
• Competition Eliminator (CE)
  • 3 championships: Bill Maropulos (last in 1987), David Rampy (last in 2017), Frank Aragona Jr. (last in 2019), Bruno Massel (last in 2021)
• Super Stock (SS)
  • 5 championships: Peter Biondo (last in 2014)
  • 4 championships: Jimmy DeFrank (last in 2012), Greg Stanfield (last in 2021)
• Stock
  • 4 championships: Kevin Helms (last in 2015)

National Records

NOTE: Top Fuel and Funny Car records are measured over 1,000 feet (304.8 meters).

Race Tracks

The NHRA has over 100 member tracks across the United States. It currently leases In N Out Pomona Dragstrip, Gainesville Raceway, and Lucas Oil Raceway.

Safety in Drag Racing

The NHRA requires many safety devices and rules for all its races. This is because drag racing involves very fast cars, and safety is super important!

• Safety Harness: All cars must have a five-point safety harness. This keeps the driver securely in their seat. It also has a quick-release latch, so the driver can get out fast if needed, like in a fire.
• Fire Suits: Drivers in the fastest classes must wear special fire suits. These suits have seven layers of Nomex fabric, which makes them very resistant to fire. The outfit also includes Nomex gloves, socks, and a head sock.
• Fuel Cells: Non-nitromethane cars use special fuel cells. These bladders are placed inside the fuel tanks to help prevent fuel leaks and explosions.
• HANS Device: This device helps limit how much the driver's head and neck can move during a crash. This protects them from serious injuries.
• Titanium Shield: Dragsters and Funny Cars have a strong titanium shield behind the driver's head. This stops any flying parts from hitting the driver.
• Fire Extinguishing System: All cars have an on-board fire extinguishing system. It sprays onto the engine if it catches fire, helping to put it out quickly. The driver can also turn it on manually.
• Roof Escape Hatch: Funny Cars have a special escape hatch on the roof. This lets drivers get out safely during an engine fire, instead of trying to squeeze out from the bottom of the car.
• Wheelie Bars: These long bars at the back of the cars stop them from flipping over when they launch off the starting line.
• Engine Diapers: Cars use "diapers" under the engine. These catch any oil, fuel, or broken parts if the engine breaks down. This keeps the track clean and safe for other racers.
• Tires: The rear tires, called "slicks" because they have no tread, are made from a very strong material. This makes them resistant to breaking apart at high speeds. They also must be inflated to a certain pressure.
• Braking Parachutes: Cars that can go over 150 miles per hour need braking parachutes. These help the car slow down after a race.
• Engine Blanket: Cars running very fast times must have a fireproof blanket around the engine block. This helps contain debris if the engine explodes.
• Roll Bar Padding: In Funny Cars, the roll bars are padded with thick insulation and covered with Nomex. This prevents the padding from catching fire during an engine explosion.
• Sand Traps: At the end of the track, there's a large sand pit called a "sand trap." This pit is designed to help slow down or stop a car that can't brake properly. These traps are now longer and deeper to be even safer.
• Padded Walls: There are heavily padded walls at the end of the sand traps. These walls can handle the impact of a very fast car, making the track safer.
• Automatic Shutdown Sensor: In Top Fuel and Funny Car divisions, a sensor checks the engine. If the car backfires or has an engine explosion, the sensor automatically shuts off the fuel pump and deploys the parachutes. This helps prevent serious crashes.
• Track Length: For the fastest cars (nitromethane-powered), the race distance has been shortened to 1,000 feet (305 meters). This helps reduce the chance of engine explosions and fires at very high speeds. Other classes still race the full quarter-mile (1320 feet or 402 meters).
• Automatic Shutdown Transmitters: In Top Fuel cars, if a driver can't shut down the car after a run, special transmitters past the finish line will automatically turn off the engine and deploy the parachutes.

Safety Safari

The NHRA also has a special team of safety personnel called the Safety Safari. Their job is to respond quickly to any fires, clean up the track after an accident, and help drivers before medical teams arrive. The Safety Safari has been around since the late 1960s and has greatly helped make racing safer. There are also EMTs and air medical services at every event to provide quick medical help if needed.

The original "Drag Safari" started its tour across America in 1954 with four members: Bud Coons, Bud Evans, Eric Rickman, and Chic Cannon.

See also

In Spanish: National Hot Rod Association para niños

• Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum
• International Hot Rod Association
• National Electric Drag Racing Association
• United States Hot Rod Association
• Santa Ana Drags
• Pro Street