Top 10 Exhibition Racers of All Time

Text by Danny White

1 Bill Golden

The Little Red Wagon was meant to be a serious racer but became something totally different. Bill Maverick Golden turned the mistake into a career and helped create a whole new genre. (Hector Leal Photo)

2 Roger Gustin

Teamed with jet pioneer Romeo Palamides in the 1970s, Roger became the first legal NHRA jet car team after the ban was lifted. Gustin became famous for the Lava Machine cars in the 1980s. (David Oakes Photo) 

3 Art and Walt Arfons

The brothers raced apart but I feel they belong together on this list because their careers paralleled one another. They began as regular racers, but built dragsters with airplane engines. Those engines were outlawed by the NHRA,so they turned to running exhibitions. They built jet dragsters and later Walt built many jet funny cars.   

4 Hemi Under Glass

Next to the Little Red Wagon, the HUG is the most famous wheelstander. The HUG has had different drivers like Bob Riggle and Jack Ehrmantraut, but the name is still famous to this day. (Thomas Nagy Photo)

5 E.J. Potter

The Michigan Madman was an apt name for Potter, who braved several versions of the Widow Makers -- motorcycles powered by Chevrolet V8 engines! Potter also created vehicles such as a slot car, an Allison powered wagon, and a jet trike.

6 Sammy Miller

Slammin' Sammy was the most successful rocket racer of all time and became a legend in Europe, the only place he could race after the NHRA banned the cars in the United States. Miller ran many three- and four-second runs, culminating in the quickest and fastest run ever on a drag strip -- 3.58 seconds at 386 mph. (Steve Thomas Photo)

7 The Showboat/Wagonmaster

The four engine Buick was built by Tommy Ivo to be a serious Top Gasser but it ended up as an exhibition car. Ivo sold the car to Bob McCoury, who later added the Buick body. TV Tommy eventually bought the car back and ran it until retirement. (Photo from Hot Rod Magazine)

8 Doug Rose

Doug Rose was the premier jet dragster racer of the 1970s with the iconic Green Mamba dragster. Doug was the quickest and fastest of the era into the eighties. (Photo from Doug Rose)

9  Al Hanna

Al Hanna took jet drag racing to a higher level with the Eastern Raider cars in the 1980s. Hanna's three-car team raised the bar for professionalism and performance. (Charles Willis Photo)

10 The Turbinque Racers

There were several Turbonique powered race cars in the sixties, including the Ozark Mule funny car, Jack McClure's machine, and the car of the Studnicka Bros. The little engine was literally and figuratively like a bomb, and the company dissolved amongst lawsuits. (Photo Courtesy of Todd Hutcheson)