The Top 20 list is full of memorable Moments, from “The Run” to the debut of Big Daddy’s rear-engine dragster to Kenny Bernstein’s 300-mph blast into history
GLENDORA, Calif. (Aug. 22, 2011) – NHRA’s fan-focused quest to identify the Greatest Moment in its 60-year history takes a step forward today with the unveiling of a dedicated tab on the NHRA Facebook page that will allow fans to identify the Top 10 Moments in NHRA history.
To commemorate its 60th anniversary season, NHRA announced the 60 Greatest Moments in its history back in January and over the first five months of the season, beginning March 9 and concluding Aug. 17, each of the Greatest Moments in NHRA history was posted on NHRA’s Facebook page, and fan-voting identified the Top 20 Moments.
One look at the Top 20 Moments (complete list included at bottom of release) will surely give NHRA fans goosebumps, and it will reinforce just how difficult a task it’s going to be to narrow the list to 10 and, ultimately, to 1.
The next step for fans will be simple: Fans can go to NHRA’s Facebook page, easy to find at Facebook.com/NHRA, and click on the “Vote 4 Greatest Moment” tab. Once there, they will be instructed to select five (5) of the 20 Moments and click ‘Submit.’
Once the vote is submitted, then the real fun begins, as fans can share their selections with their friends, invite their friends to vote, and of course debate with their friends which moments are worthy of Top 10 recognition and which are not.
Voting will be open from today, Aug. 22, through the conclusion of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Sept. 5, at which point the Top 10 Moments will be identified and announced.
Then, beginning on Sept. 6, the dedicated voting tab on the NHRA Facebook page will reflect the Top 10 Moments as determined by the fan vote. This time, fans will only be allowed to select one moment, the moment they believe is the Greatest Moment in NHRA History.
At the conclusion of each of the first five races in the Countdown to the Championship playoff, the Moment with the least votes will be eliminated, leaving five Moments still in play entering the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals, Nov. 10-13.
Voting will close on Wednesday, Nov. 9 and the fans’ selection for the Greatest Moment in NHRA History will be unveiled during the Auto Club NHRA Finals, Sunday, Nov. 13.
Fans can visit the 60 Greatest Moments Web page for complete program details as well as to link to the list of all 60 Moments, including the Top 20 Moments (blue) as well as the Moments that did not make the cut (black). Fans can also go there to view historical photos and videos that retrace every step in NHRA rich and storied history. The page also includes links to view a preview of / purchase NHRA’s “60 Greatest Moments” DVD.
To date, the season-long program, executed exclusively on NHRA’s Facebook page, has generated more than 7 million impressions and 30,000 fan-interactions.
Here are the Top 20 Moments (in chronological order) as voted by the NHRA Fans:
- The Founding of NHRA (1951)
- Don Garlits makes NHRA’s first 200-mph run (1964)
- Snake-Mongoose Mattel Hot Wheels sponsorship (1970)
- Don Garlits wins in debut of rear-engine dragster (1971)
- Shirley Muldowney is first woman to win in Top Fuel (1976)
- Don Prudhomme wins 7 of 8 national events (1976)
- Shirley Muldowney is NHRA’s first female world champion (1977)
- Bob Glidden’s calendar-year winning streak (1978-79)
- Don Prudhomme makes NHRA’s first 250-mph Funny Car run (1982)
- Don Prudhomme steals show at Indy with 5.63, one of the ‘greatest runs ever’ (1982)
- Shirley Muldowney def. C. Kalitta for her first US Nationals title (1982)
- Don Garlits makes his return at US Nationals (1984)
- Don Garlits’ big blowover at Englishtown (1986)
- Kenny Bernstein makes NHRA’s first 300-mph pass (1992)
- John Force is first NHRA driver to win coveted Driver of the Year award (1996)
- Warren Johnson makes first 200-mph Pro Stock run (1997)
- John Force is first NHRA Full Throttle Series driver to win 100 races (2002)
- Tony Schumacher makes “The Run” at Pomona finals (2006)
- Ashley Force Hood is first female to win in Funny Car (2008)
- John Force completes comeback, wins record 15th championship (2010)
NHRA on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NHRA
NHRA 60 Greatest Moments Web page: http://www.NHRA.com/NHRA60
NHRA 60 Greatest Moments Highlight Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=a-PDZZJX7ck
NHRA 60 Greatest Moments DVD: http://www.nhra.com/nhra60/DVD.html
