Favorite NHRA Driver All time....

[Budnicks]

Dick Landy isn't getting 'the/his due respect' for the rowing the 4 speed era

 

[Budnicks]

Special mention Ron Mancini

 

[Budnicks]

How about Butch Leal, California Flash

 

[64BEL]

Gotta be Ronnie Sox although I read/watch everything I can on Herb Mccandless and he sure comes off as a great drag racer and a gentleman. When Pro Stock ran real 4 speeds Ronnie and Herb were at the head of the class. To me pulling a Lenco or clicking a button doesn't compare.

I'm sorry to say that I didn't know a lot about Herb until recent years. I've seen him at MCACN every year I've attended. Just a great guy, and I learned a ton about him from watching the series on YouTube about him. Watch all the episodes. Once you start, you won't be able to stop.
Just like Lays - I bet you can't watch just one part!!

 

[440 4 speed]

How about some of the female pioneer racers that did well?

 

[dart4forte]

Eddie Hill

 

[64BEL]

How about some of the female pioneer racers that did well?

I recently read this book about Shirley Shahan. It was a good read.

 

[wvmarv]

Don Prudhomme

 

[Budnicks]

Not just flash in the pans...

Barbara Hamilton, the 1st woman to get a NHRA Comp. Licence, '1964 AA/Gassers
Paula Murphy, the 1st woman in the 'fuel' classes '1966
both before
Shirley 'Cha Cha' Muldowney F/C T/F

Marlene Kaiser (Pete Kaiser's wife) IHBA BFFB drag boats 70'- 90's
Crew/Boat Chief 'Crazy Horse', the world record holder in
Blown Fuel Flat Botton (Al Bush, Pilot - RIP) always Blown Hemi's
it's no longer a category, deemed too dangerous

Ashley Force-Hood F/C
Britney Force T/F
Courtney Force-Rahal F/C

Meloni Troxel T/F

Kim Lehia-Richards (hell of a crew chief)

Angel Sampey P/SM
Karen Stoffer P/SM
Angie Smith P/SM

Leah Pruett-Pritchet-Stewart, P/M Champ, T/F pilot
Alexis DeJoria F/C (not really a favorite)

deserve mentioning, but;
Erica Enders P/S (not my favorite 'ever', I'm not a fan)
Lori Johns T/F (not my favorite, at all)

Bunny Burkett TA/FC (always pink)

Shelly Anderson-Payne T/F
(Jay Payne's wife, a P/M Chief now, 'BAE' Brad Anderson's daughter)

Shirley Shahan in early Stock Elim., MP, S/S & P/S

Mindy Fry TAD/Nostalgia T/F (Ron Fry's daughter)

Georgia Sieple multiple National Event S/G 9.90 winner
& she was Baylands/Fremont Raceway & Sears Point track/s managers
for years

I'm sure I've left some out
some others regionally too

 

[Pedalpusher]

Not just flash in the pans...

Barbara Hamilton, the 1st woman to get a NHRA Comp. Licence, '1964 AA/Gassers
Paula Murphy, the 1st woman in the 'fuel' classes '1966
both before
Shirley 'Cha Cha' Muldowney F/C T/F

Marlene Kaiser (Pete Kaiser's wife) IHBA BFFB drag boats 70'- 90's
Crew/Boat Chief 'Crazy Horse', the world record holder in
Blown Fuel Flat Botton (Al Bush, Pilot - RIP) always Blown Hemi's
it's no longer a category, deemed too dangerous

Ashley Force-Hood F/C
Britney Force T/F
Courtney Force-Rahal F/C

Meloni Troxel T/F

Kim Lehia-Richards (hell of a crew chief)

Angel Sampey P/SM
Karen Stoffer P/SM
Angie Smith P/SM

Leah Pruett-Pritchet-Stewart, P/M Champ, T/F pilot
Alexis DeJoria F/C (not really a favorite)

deserve mentioning, but;
Erica Enders P/S (not my favorite 'ever', I'm not a fan)
Lori Johns T/F (not my favorite, at all)

Bunny Burkett TA/FC (always pink)

Shelly Anderson-Payne T/F
(Jay Payne's wife, a P/M Chief now, 'BAE' Brad Anderson's daughter)

Shirley Shahan in early Stock Elim., MP, S/S & P/S

Mindy Fry TAD/Nostalgia T/F (Ron Fry's daughter)

Georgia Sieple multiple National Event S/G 9.90 winner
& she was Baylands/Fremont Raceway & Sears Point track/s managers
for years

I'm sure I've left some out
some others regionally too

Not just flash in the pans...

Barbara Hamilton, the 1st woman to get a NHRA Comp. Licence, '1964 AA/Gassers
Paula Murphy, the 1st woman in the 'fuel' classes '1966
both before
Shirley 'Cha Cha' Muldowney F/C T/F

Marlene Kaiser (Pete Kaiser's wife) IHBA BFFB drag boats 70'- 90's
Crew/Boat Chief 'Crazy Horse', the world record holder in
Blown Fuel Flat Botton (Al Bush, Pilot - RIP) always Blown Hemi's
it's no longer a category, deemed too dangerous

Ashley Force-Hood F/C
Britney Force T/F
Courtney Force-Rahal F/C

Meloni Troxel T/F

Kim Lehia-Richards (hell of a crew chief)

Angel Sampey P/SM
Karen Stoffer P/SM
Angie Smith P/SM

Leah Pruett-Pritchet-Stewart, P/M Champ, T/F pilot
Alexis DeJoria F/C (not really a favorite)

deserve mentioning, but;
Erica Enders P/S (not my favorite 'ever', I'm not a fan)
Lori Johns T/F (not my favorite, at all)

Bunny Burkett TA/FC (always pink)

Shelly Anderson-Payne T/F
(Jay Payne's wife, a P/M Chief now, 'BAE' Brad Anderson's daughter)

Shirley Shahan in early Stock Elim., MP, S/S & P/S

Mindy Fry TAD/Nostalgia T/F (Ron Fry's daughter)

Georgia Sieple multiple National Event S/G 9.90 winner
& she was Baylands/Fremont Raceway & Sears Point track/s managers
for years

I'm sure I've left some out
some others regionally too

I’m with you on below,

deserve mentioning, but;
Erica Enders P/S (not my favorite 'ever', I'm not a fan)
Lori Johns T/F (not my favorite, at all)

 

[440plus6]

1- Ronnie Sox
2- Gene Snow
3- Jungle Jim
4- Jungle Pam with two of my favorites (retro of course)
5- Big Daddy
6- Dick Landy
7- John Force

 

[Pedalpusher]

1- Ronnie Sox
2- Gene Snow
3- Jungle Jim
4- Jungle Pam with two of my favorites (retro of course)
5- Big Daddy
6- Dick Landy
7- John Force

Wow…. I left out Jungle
Snow, was good with him till I read/learned more in his later life, was shocked.

 

[440plus6]

Wow…. I left out Jungle
Snow, was good with him till I read/learned more in his later life, was shocked.

I missed that info on Snow, always loved the graphics on the car as a young kid. He always seemed to be competetive as well.

 

[junior340]

Top alcohol/top fuel driver for Johnson Racing out of Santa Maria, California.
Blaine Johnson
I miss him soooo much we had good times every night fixing up the dragster for next race listening to rock and roll makingthat car perfect.
Kindest man on earth.
Thank you for all the memories

 

[64BEL]

Rhonda Hartman Smith was another good female driver. We saw her at a race about 10 years ago when she was running after a long time out of the seat. She's a sweatheart and comes from a fine racing family. Her brother, Richard Hartman, is helping tune Tim Wilkerson's FC. He used to drive fuel cars, too.

 

[Ronnman]

Leonard Hughes of Candies and Hughes

 

[Pedalpusher]

Top alcohol/top fuel driver for Johnson Racing out of Santa Maria, California.
Blaine Johnson
I miss him soooo much we had good times every night fixing up the dragster for next race listening to rock and roll makingthat car perfect.
Kindest man on earth.
Thank you for all the memories
View attachment 1493571

Hell of driver, was there that dreadful day

 

[Budnicks]

Gary Ormsby was another really good guy 'Castrol T/F'
lost him way too young too...

Lee Shepard RM P/S great dude, great racer
lost him too young, Mar 1985 in testing in Oklahoma

 

[junior340]

Eddie Hill

I met them both a couple times when we were top alcohol and they always offers anything we needed to us. He like to be the first one in the morning to fire the engine up. Big smiles.

 

[440 4 speed]

I met them both a couple times when we were top alcohol and they always offers anything we needed to us. He like to be the first one in the morning to fire the engine up. Big smiles.h

I met them both a couple times when we were top alcohol and they always offers anything we needed to us. He like to be the first one in the morning to fire the engine up. Big smiles.

Don’t know, but did anyone meet Doug Doucette alcohol dragster).He is a cousin probably twice removed. Started racing in 1982 I think. At some time he started to get driver’s. His Mom said the reason was (he grew out of the cockpit).
The team has been in the USA a couple of times this year.

No contest for me as it has to be " Ronnie Sox ". No one worked a four speed as well IMO and I used to bracket race a 4-speed Dart and I got to see that not many of the stick car drivers were as good as they thought they were. It took a talent to really powershift and make the car sound like its an auto car. Ron

I agree. So many of racer’s under 55 think auto’s were so much better. Only thing is Ronnie had a endless supply of transmissions.