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Drag Racing List of the Week
Top 10 Blown Alcohol/Injected Nitro Dragsters of All Time
By Danny White
Danny White's Drag Racing List of the Week is presented on our Racin' and Rockin' with Draglist.com internet radio show every Friday night. Here is Danny's list as presented on July 23, 2010 -- the Top Ten Blown Alcohol or Injected Nitro Dragsters of all time!
1 Rick Santos
Rick Santos is the most successful TA/D in NHRA history with multiple titles and the most national event victories. Santos became a major force in the family's small block car until it was legislated out of competiveness. The Santos' teamed with Jack O'Bannon and tuner Norm Grimes and went on to flat dominate the class; Santos broke into the 5.20 zone almost a decade ago. Those times would still win today.
2 Blaine Johnson
Blaine Johnson took to driving like a duck to water. Blaine won in just his second national event after his brother Alan retired from the driver’s seat. Alan concentrated on making the Oldsmobile engine the most successful TA/D until Santos surpassed Blaine's win total. The Johnson brothers were the best TA/D in the country until they went to racing Top Fuel.
3 Bill Reichert
Bill Reichert is the most successful modern A/FD bar none. Reichert has won four straight NHRA titles in his A/FD and has been in the top ten almost the whole last decade. Bill ran a great 5.10 in A/FD before recent rules changes. Time will tell if he becomes the best TA/D racer of all time.
4 Billy Williams
"The Munchkin" had one of the greatest years ever in 1979 with the killer Williams & Kazanjian AA/DA. Williams used a lot of his own ideas along with those of Dale Armstrong to run seemingly effortless 6.40's with the George Britting chassised car. Billy was part of the famed Torrance, California, group of alky racers that included Armstrong, Ken Veney, and others. Williams actually took the same car to competitive times in Top Fuel a few years later.
5 Randy Meyer & Drivers
Randy Meyer won the 1984 Top Alcohol title despite an outdated combo, followed by a lackluster Top Fuel career. But when he returned to the TA/D wars with his home-built A/FD, he found the most success! Whether it is Randy himself behind the wheel or one of his many hired drivers, the team is always a constant threat to win. It was with Alan Bradshaw behind the wheel that Meyer won the championship and had his most successful year.
6 Dale Armstrong
Dale Armstrong ran the most successful AA/DA of the Pro Comp days. Armstrong and his Donovan-powered dragster won many races in the seventies, eventually running 6.40's with his home-engineered machine. Dale was one of the few racers to win in A/FD, BB/FC, AA/A, and AA/DA (not to mention AA/FC plus a very successful stint as a Top Fuel crew chief)!
7 Tom Conway & Drivers
Tom Conway left racing from 83 to 87. He returned in 87 with a vengeance, becoming one of the best ever TA/D drivers and now A/FD tuners. Tom won an NHRA title and then he retired from driving to tune full time. Conway has won with a series of drivers and even left retirement for a race or two winning an NHRA event just a couple of years ago!
8 Bill Walsh
The best TA/D racer of the mid eighties was Bill Walsh and his trusty little Pennsylvania entry. The dragster was outdated compared with the other top cars of the era but it didn't stop Walsh from being a consistent winner in NHRA racing. Bill did not hurt for advice with Tim Richards and Joe Amato to fall back on!
9 Darien & Meadows & Drivers
Like Conway & Meyer in this list, the A/FD dragster team of Jerry Darien has used a series of drivers to race and win. It seems to be an infallible formula that has worked for Darien no matter who is driving for him at the moment! Jerry has become the de facto nitro training car for future Top Fuel stars.
10 Art Gallant
East Coast veteran Art Gallant was the first A/FD dragster world champion of the modern era. Gallant was a good TA/D racer in the early eighties before racing jets for a few years. Art returned to TA/D with a Dan Page built A/FD and proceeded to win the NHRA championship after Rick Santos. Gallant still races his trusty A/FD but not on the national level.
Honorable mentions
TA/D's
Jimmy Scott (both T/AD and A/FD)
Mike Troxel
Denny Lucas
Brian Raymer
Darrell Gwynn
Mike Kosky
Bill Barney
Dale Hall
A/FD's
Chess Bushey
Brooks Brown
David Baca
Mitch Myers
Forrest Lucas & Drivers
Mark Niver
Adams & Enriquez
Dave Settles
Check out Racin' and Rockin' with Draglist.com every Friday night from 8 to 10 PM Eastern Time at http://zeusradio.com/station/RacersReunionRadio/
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Call in during Friday's show at
877-500-9387 to tell us YOUR top racers in each category!
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