NHRA U.S. Nationals
 | |
| National Hot Rod Association | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Great Bend Municipal Airport (1955) Oklahoma State Fairgrounds (1958) Detroit Dragway (1959-1960) Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (1961-present) |
| Location | Brownsburg, Indiana, U.S. 39°48′46″N 86°20′27″W / 39.81278°N 86.34083°W |
| Corporate sponsor | Dodge |
| First race | 1955 |
| Previous names | U.S. Nationals |
The U.S. Nationals (commonly The Big Go) is an NHRA-sanctioned drag racing event, generally considered to be the most prestigious drag racing event in the world due to its history, size, and purse, held annually at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Brownsburg, Indiana.[1]
Traditionally a Labor Day weekend event, the eliminations are usually held on Monday, but moved to Sunday in 2020 and 2021 because of logistics as a result of the coronavirus pandemic compacted the NHRA schedule and for live television purposes (the final round airs live on Fox), and is the longest-running Labor Day motorsports event in the United States, a distinction it earned in 2004. The U.S. Nationals air on the Fox broadcast network under the current broadcast contract.
The first edition of the NHRA Nationals was held at the Great Bend Municipal Airport in Great Bend, Kansas in 1955. The event moved first to[2] Oklahoma City's Oklahoma State Fairgrounds for the "4th annual National Championship Drag Races Sponsored by the National Hot Rod Association" in 1958, then moved to Detroit Dragway in Detroit, Michigan for 1959-1960 before moving to Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1961, and has remained there ever since, after a verbal deal was made between NHRA founder and Board Chairman Wally Parks and the then-owners of the track. In 1979, the NHRA bought the entire complex. In 2006, it was renamed O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, after auto parts supplier O'Reilly Auto Parts purchased naming rights. In 2011, Lucas Oil purchased the rights, renaming the venue Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis but then in 2022 it was renamed Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Past winners
[edit]Professional Classes
[edit]| Year | Top Fuel Dragster (TF/D) |
Top Fuel Funny Car (TF/FC) |
Pro Stock | Pro Stock Motorcycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Pete Robinson (Top Eliminator)[3] | |||
| 1962 | Jack Chrisman (Top Eliminator)[4] | |||
| 1963 | Robert Vodnik[5] | |||
| 1964 | Don "Big Daddy" Garlits | |||
| 1965 | Don "The Snake" Prudhomme | |||
| 1966 | Mike Snively[6] | |||
| 1967 | Don Garlits | Doug Thorley[7] | Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins[8] | |
| 1968 | Don Garlits | |||
| 1969 | Don Prudhomme | Danny Ongais | ||
| 1970 | Don Prudhomme | Don Schumacher | Herb McCandless | |
| 1971 | Steve Carbone | Ed "The Ace" McCulloch | Ronnie Sox | |
| 1972 | Gary Beck | Ed McCulloch | Ray Allen | |
| 1973 | Gary Beck | Don Prudhomme | Bob Glidden | |
| 1974 | Marvin Graham | Don Prudhomme | Bob Glidden | |
| 1975 | Don Garlits | Raymond Beadle | Wayne Gapp | |
| 1976 | Richard Tharp | Gary Burgin | Wally Booth | |
| 1977 | Dennis Baca | Don Prudhomme | "Dyno Don" Nicholson | |
| 1978 | Don Garlits | Tom "Mongoo$e" McEwen | Bob Glidden | |
| 1979 | Kelly Brown | Gordie Bonin | Bob Glidden | Terry Vance |
| 1980 | Terry Capp | Ed McCulloch | Lee Shepherd | |
| 1981 | Johnny Abbot | Raymond Beadle | Lee Shepherd | |
| 1982 | Shirley Muldowney | Billy Meyer | Frank Iaconio | |
| 1983 | Gary Beck | Kenny Bernstein | Bob Glidden | |
| 1984 | Don Garlits | Jim Head | Warren Johnson | |
| 1985 | Don Garlits | John Lombardo | Bob Glidden | Terry Vance |
| 1986 | Don Garlits | Mike Dunn | Bob Glidden | Terry Vance |
| 1987 | Joe Amato | Kenny Bernstein | Bob Glidden | Dave Schultz |
| 1988 | Joe Amato | Ed McCulloch | Bob Glidden | |
| 1989 | Darrell Gwynn | Don Prudhomme | Larry Morgan | John Myers |
| 1990 | Joe Amato | Ed McCulloch | Jerry Eckman | Dave Schultz |
| 1991 | Kenny Bernstein | Jim White | Darrel Aldermann | Jim Bernard |
| 1992 | Ed McCulloch | Cruz Pedregon | Warren Johnson | Dave Schultz |
| 1993 | Pat Austin | John Force | Warren Johnson | Dave Schultz |
| 1994 | Connie Kalitta | Cruz Pedregon | Warren Johnson | Dave Schultz |
| 1995 | Larry Dixon | Cruz Pedregon | Warren Johnson | Rick Ward |
| 1996 | Cory McClenathan | John Force | Kurt Johnson | John Myers |
| 1997 | Jim Head | Whit Bazemore | Kurt Johnson | John Myers |
| 1998 | Gary Scelzi | John Force | Mike Edwards | Matt Hines |
| 1999 | Cory McClenathan | Frank Pedregon | Warren Johnson | Matt Hines |
| 2000 | Tony Schumacher | Jim Epler | Jeg Coughlin Jr. | Antron Brown |
| 2001 | Larry Dixon | Whit Bazemore | Greg Anderson | Angelle Seeling |
| 2002 | Tony Schumacher | John Force | Jeg Coughlin Jr. | Angelle Savoie |
| 2003 | Tony Schumacher | Tim Wilkerson | Greg Anderson | Reggie Showers |
| 2004 | Tony Schumacher | Gary Densham | Greg Anderson | Antron Brown |
| 2005 | Larry Dixon | Del Worsham | Greg Anderson | Steve Johnson |
| 2006 | Tony Schumacher | Robert Hight | Greg Anderson | Matt Smith |
| 2007 | Tony Schumacher | Mike Ashley | Dave Connolly | Craig Treble |
| 2008 | Tony Schumacher | Robert Hight | Dave Connolly | Steve Johnson |
| 2009 | Tony Schumacher | Ashley Force Hood | Jeg Coughlin Jr. | Hector Arana |
| 2010 | Larry Dixon | Ashley Force Hood | Greg Stanfield | L.E. Tonglet |
| 2011 | Antron Brown | Mike Neff | Greg Anderson | L.E. Tonglet |
| 2012 | Tony Schumacher | Mike Neff | Dave Connolly | Andrew Hines |
| 2013 | Shawn Langdon | Robert Hight | Mike Edwards | John Hall |
| 2014 | Richie Crampton | Alexis DeJoria | Shane Gray | Eddie Krawiec |
| 2015 | Morgan Lucas | Jack Beckman | Erica Enders-Stevens | Jerry Savoie |
| 2016 | Tony Schumacher | Matt Hagan | Chris McGaha | Andrew Hines |
| 2017 | Steve Torrence | J.R. Todd | Drew Skillman | Eddie Krawiec |
| 2018 | Terry McMillen | J.R. Todd | Tanner Gray | LE Tonglet |
| 2019 | Doug Kalitta | John Force | Alex Laughlin | Jerry Savoie |
| 2020 | Shawn Langdon | Jack Beckman | Erica Enders | Scotty Pollacheck |
| 2021 | Steve Torrence | Tim Wilkerson | Erica Enders | Eddie Krawiec |
| 2022 | Antron Brown | Ron Capps | Greg Anderson | Matt Smith |
| 2023 | Antron Brown | Ron Capps | Matt Hartford | Matt Smith |
Sportsman Classes
[edit]| Year | Top Gas (Dragster {TG/D}, Funny Car {TG/FC}, Eliminator {TGE}) |
|---|---|
| 1959 | "Ohio George" Montgomery[9] |
| 1960 | George Montgomery |
| 1961 | George Montgomery |
| 1962 | |
| 1963 | "Ohio George" Montgomery |
| 1964 | |
| 1965 | |
| 1966 | |
| 1967 | |
| 1968 | George Montgomery[10] |
| 1969 | George Montgomery[11] |
| 1970 | |
| 1971 | George Montgomery[12] |
References
[edit]
- ^ Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals: Event Preview
- ^ "History - the 1958 NHRA Nationals".
- ^ Ultimate Racing History (retrieved 14 February 2024
- ^ Ultimate Racing History (retrieved 14 February 2024
- ^ Ultimate Racing History (retrieved 14 February 2024
- ^ Ultimate Racing History (retrieved 14 February 2024
- ^ Ultimate Racing History
- ^ Ultimate Racing History (retrieved 14 February 2024
- ^ Hardin, Drew. "Remembering Gasser Legend 'Ohio George' Mongomery". Hot Rod Magazine, January 2024, pp.8-9.
- ^ Hardin, p.9.
- ^ Hardin, p.9.
- ^ Hardin, p.9.
 | This motorsport-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
  | This article related to sports in Indiana is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |