NHRA's Top 25 Alcohol Drivers: A Celebration of Speed and Talent
NHRA's 75th anniversary salute to its racers continues with the unveiling of the Top 25 Alcohol Drivers. This list, compiled by a panel of racing experts, celebrates the sport's greatest Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car racers. The first five drivers to be honored are Pat Austin, Blaine Johnson, Bucky Austin, Doug Gordon, and Joey Severance.
Pat Austin, a four-time champion, dominated the sport between 1987 and 1991, winning 70 national event wins and 54 divisional wins. His Castrol-sponsored entry barnstormed the country, instilling fear in opponents with his talent and killer instinct. Austin's success continued into the 1990s, where he became the first driver to double up in national event competition by winning in both Top Alcohol Funny Car and Top Fuel.
Blaine Johnson, a late four-time world champion, is one of the class greats. Despite competing for only six seasons, he set a then-class record of 26 wins by the end of the 1993 season. Johnson's dominance continued with four consecutive season titles between 1990 and 1994, surpassing Bill Walsh's class-leading mark. His 1992 season was the first perfect season in the 10-race points format.
Bucky Austin, the self-proclaimed 'Northwest Hitter', carved a successful career path in the Northwest. He won eight Division 6 Top Alcohol Funny Car championships, 17 NHRA national events, and 44 divisional Wallys. Bucky and his brother Walt built a Top Gas car together, spending a lifetime competing against one another. Bucky's first national event win was at the 1989 event at their Seattle hometrack, and he beat Pat and Walt in the final round of the 1998 NHRA World Finals.
Doug Gordon, a three-time world champion, displayed elite natural talents from the start of his driving career in 1996. He won his first national event in 2001 and has emerged as a perennial title contender in recent years, winning 19 times since 2020. After turning the seat over to his daughter Maddi in 2024, Gordon unretired in 2026, providing the opportunity for a historic moment at the Norwalk event, where Doug won Top Alcohol Funny Car, Maddi won Top Fuel, and Maddi's team owner Ron Capps won Funny Car.
Joey Severance, a modest personality with a killer instinct, captured four consecutive world championships between 2015 and 2018 and another in 2022. He ended the Meyer family's three-year dominance in the class and struck a blow for the traditional supercharged powerplant. Severance has amassed 41 regional/divisional victories and owns and operates the popular Woodburn Dragstrip track in Oregon.
These five drivers represent a small sample of the talent and speed that have defined the NHRA's Top Alcohol Drivers. Their achievements and contributions to the sport will be celebrated with a special medallion at future NHRA national events, ensuring their legacy for generations to come.
