NHRA U.S. Nationals
Venue | Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis |
---|---|
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 Raceway at Indianapolis in Brownsburg, Indiana.[1]
Traditionally a Labor Day weekend event, the eliminations are usually held on Monday, but moved to Sunday in 2020 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, henceforth a Sunday date.
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.
Past winners[]
Professional class winners
Year | Top Fuel Dragster | Top Fuel Funny Car | Pro Stock | Pro Stock Motorcycle | Top Gas | Top Alcohol | Altered |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1959 | |||||||
1960 | |||||||
1961 | Pete Robinson | [citation needed] | [citation needed] | [citation needed] | |||
1962 | Jack Chrisman | ||||||
1963 | |||||||
1964 | Don Garlits | ||||||
1965 | Don Prudhomme | ||||||
1966 | |||||||
1967 | Don Garlits | Doug Thorley[3] | |||||
1968 | Don Garlits | ||||||
1969 | Don Prudhomme | Danny Ongais | [4] | ||||
1970 | Don Prudhomme | Herb McCandless | |||||
1971 | Ed McCulloch | Ronnie Sox | |||||
1972 | Gary Beck | Ed McCulloch | |||||
1973 | Gary Beck | Don Prudhomme | Bob Glidden | ||||
1974 | Don Prudhomme | Bob Glidden | |||||
1975 | Don Garlits | Raymond Beadle | |||||
1976 | |||||||
1977 | Don Prudhomme | Don Nicholson | |||||
1978 | Don Garlits | Tom McEwen | Bob Glidden | ||||
1979 | Gordie Bonin | Bob Glidden | Terry Vance | ||||
1980 | Terry Capp | Ed McCulloch | Lee Shepherd | ||||
1981 | Raymond Beadle | Lee Shepherd | |||||
1982 | Shirley Muldowney | ||||||
1983 | Gary Beck | Kenny Bernstein | Bob Glidden | ||||
1984 | Don Garlits | Warren Johnson | |||||
1985 | Don Garlits | John Lombardo | Bob Glidden | Terry Vance | |||
1986 | Don Garlits | Bob Glidden | Terry Vance | ||||
1987 | Joe Amato | Kenny Bernstein | Bob Glidden | ||||
1988 | Joe Amato | Ed McCulloch | Bob Glidden | ||||
1989 | Don Prudhomme | | | |||||
1990 | Joe Amato | Ed McCulloch | Dave Schultz | ||||
1991 | Kenny Bernstein | Jim White | |||||
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 | ||||
1996 | John Force | Kurt Johnson | John Myers | ||||
1997 | Jim Head | Kurt Johnson | John Myers | ||||
1998 | Gary Scelzi | John Force | |||||
1999 | Cory McClenathan | Warren Johnson | Matt Hines | ||||
2000 | Tony Schumacher | 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 | Greg Anderson | Antron Brown | ||||
2005 | Larry Dixon | Del Worsham | Greg Anderson | Steve Johnson | |||
2006 | Tony Schumacher | Robert Hight | Greg Anderson | ||||
2007 | Tony Schumacher | ||||||
2008 | Tony Schumacher | Robert Hight | Dave Connolly | ||||
2009 | Tony Schumacher | Ashley Force Hood | Jeg Coughlin Jr. | Hector Arana | |||
2010 | Larry Dixon | Ashley Force Hood | Greg Stanfield | LE 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 |
References[]
- ^ Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals: Event Preview
- ^ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-1958-nhra-nationals.265313/
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 2 December 2018)
- ^ Ultimate Racing History online (retrieved 5 August 2018)
- Drag racing events
- Motorsport in Indianapolis
- National Hot Rod Association
- Auto racing stubs
- Indiana sport stubs