FULL THROTTLE TOP FUEL WORLD CHAMPION
Name: LARRY DIXON
Date of birth: Oct. 23, 1966
Hometown: Van Nuys, Calif.
Residence: Indianapolis
2010 car: Al-Anabi Racing dragster
2010 wins: 12 - Pomona 1, Houston, Las Vegas 1, Atlanta, Chicago, Englishtown, Norwalk, Sonoma, Brainerd, Indianapolis, Charlotte 2, Reading
2010 Runner-up finishes: None
2010 No. 1 Qualifying positions: 8 - Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Norwalk, Sonoma, Indianapolis, Dallas, Reading
Crew chief: Jason McCulloch
Team Manager: Alan Johnson
Team Owner: Sheik Khalid Al Thani
Season summary: Dixon won an NHRA record 12 races in 12 final rounds and led the points standings for most of the season. Three of his victories came in the playoffs and he clinched the title after his first round win at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona.
Season highlights: He won the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals for the fourth time in his career. Other memorable wins from the season included the 50th Winternationals, Chicago, Englishtown, Norwalk, Sonoma and Charlotte 2.
Quotable: "I've never had so much excitement for a first round win in my life. It was just a great job by the team this year. It's a credit to the whole Al-Anabi crew and everybody pitched in to make it happen. This is what we work so hard for."
Notable: This is Dixon's third NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel world championship (also 2002-'03); This is the first Top Fuel world championship for Al-Anabi Racing.
FULL THROTTLE FUNNY CAR WORLD CHAMPION
Name: JOHN FORCE
Date of birth: May 4, 1949
Hometown: Bell, Calif.
Residence: Yorba Linda, Calif.
2010 car: Castrol High-Mileage GTX Ford Mustang
2010 wins: 6 - Pomona 1, Charlotte 1, Las Vegas 1, Bristol, Las Vegas 2, Pomona 2
2010 Runner-up finishes: 5 - Phoenix, Norwalk, Denver, Indianapolis, Dallas
2010 No. 1 Qualifying positions: 3 - Phoenix, Houston, St. Louis
Crew chiefs: Mike Neff, Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly
Team Owner: John Force
Season summary: Force opened the season with a win at the 50th Winternationals and led the point standings for most of the season in a much-publicized championship comeback effort. Force let his lead slip away to Virginia cattle rancher Matt Hagan late in the season at Reading, Pa., but rebounded with a much-needed playoff victory at Las Vegas 2 and then closed out the title at the Auto Club Finals when Hagan lost in the first round and Force advanced two rounds further. Force went on to win the season finale.
Season highlights: He won the 50th Winternationals, the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at Charlotte 1, the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol in the regular season before adding a playoff victories at Las Vegas 2 and Pomona 2.
Quotable: "I want to thank my doctors and trainers that got my arms and legs back (after the 2007 crash). I am forty again! I am still ugly, but I am forty. The sponsors and the family -- my wife my children -- were all behind me when I said I was useless with no arms or legs. I can't move with these pins in me. They told me to quit whining and get up and go. I love the cheer of the crowd. You are something else. What you do here is great. God bless you. God bless America and our veterans, the military and the men and women of the armed forces. I love our local police and fire department."
Notable: This is Force's 15th NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car world championship (1990-'91, 1993-'02, '04, '06), an NHRA record; Force made a comeback for the ages to win the championship title this season after suffering a near career-ending crash in 2007 and enduring one of his worst season performances in '09; At 61, Force becomes the oldest NHRA Full Throttle Series world champion in NHRA history.
FULL THROTTLE PRO STOCK WORLD CHAMPION
Name: GREG ANDERSON
Date of birth: March 14, 1961
Hometown: Duluth, Minn.
Residence: Charlotte, N.C.
2010 car: Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GXP
2010 wins: 5 - Norwalk, Seattle, Charlotte 2, Dallas, Las Vegas 2
2010 Runner-up finishes: 2 - Pomona 1, Reading
2010 No. 1 Qualifying positions: None
Crew chief: Rob Downing
Team Owner: Ken Black (KB Racing)
Season summary: Following a fairly quiet regular season, Anderson got hot in the Countdown playoffs, posting three victories in four finals during the six-race stretch. He moved from fifth to first during the span to run away from defending champ and regular season top seed Mike Edwards. It was an emotional championship for Anderson, who overcame several setbacks during the season, including a devastating fire at his North Carolina residence and a serious illness that struck team owner Ken Black during the off season.
Season highlights: Anderson earned a thrilling victory at his hometown race at Charlotte 2 that was pivotal in starting his playoff surge; Anderson also won the K&N Horsepower Challenge at Norwalk and the Summit Nationals to record a rare sweep.
Quotable: "It doesn't get any better than this. This has absolutely been the most trying season and will be the most rewarding one for me. You couldn't have bet me any amount of money a few months ago that this would happen. You can never give up. I think we had a great, great last five or six races, and it's not because fluke things happened. We had great races. I feel horrible for Mike [Edwards]. I know what he feels like right now, but I'm so happy for my team. This is the most gratifying one without a doubt."
Notable: This is Anderson's fourth NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock world championship (also 2003-'05). This is the fifth championship for KB Racing as Anderson's teammate Jason Line won the crown in 2006.
FULL THROTTLE PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE WORLD CHAMPION
Name: LE TONGLET
Date of birth: Dec. 14, 1989
Hometown/Residence: Metairie, La.
2010 motorcycle: NitroFish Gear Suzuki
2010 wins: 5 - Chicago, Indianapolis, Charlotte 2, Dallas, Las Vegas 2
2010 Runner-up finishes: 2 - St. Louis, Reading
2010 No. 1 Qualifying positions: 1 - Charlotte 2
Crew chief: Gary Tonglet
Team Owner: Gary Tonglet
Season summary: After a very quiet regular season Tonglet came to life during the Countdown playoffs and advanced to five consecutive final rounds, winning four times. He clinched the championship after series rival Andrew Hines lost with a foul start at the Auto Club Finals at Pomona. Tonglet secured the title with a second round victory.
Season highlights: His only regular season victory came at Chicago, but he opened the playoffs with a win at the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indy, then got on a hot streak and earned wins at Charlotte 2, Dallas and Las Vegas 2.
Quotable: "This is just unbelievable. I can't thank my family and Kenny Koretsky enough for this. Without Kenny, we wouldn't have made it past Indy. We were on a tight budget and thankfully he stepped up at the right time and we have just been on a roll since then. This is for my dad because he hasn't won one of these. This is just awesome to be going back home with this championship."
Notable: Tonglet is the third rookie driver in NHRA history to win a world championship title (also Gary Scelzi, Top Fuel 1997 and Frank Hawley, Funny Car in 1982); At 20 years old, Tonglet becomes the youngest NHRA Full Throttle world champion in NHRA history; Tonglet nearly had to park his bike due to low funding but thanks to a late season sponsorship help from Kenny Koretsky's NitroFish brand, was able to participate in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
