Sat, May 16, 04:19 PM Funny Car Faster Than Top Fuel

Courtesy of Dave Densmore, Denswood Sports Marketing

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Only 14 times in NHRA history has a Funny Car claimed top speed of the meet. The last time that occurred was earlier this year at Atlanta, GA, when Cruz Pedregon drove the Interstate Batteries/Hot Rod Magazine Pontiac to 318.58 mph while teammate Cory McClenathan raced to 318.02 mph in his McDonald's Top Fuel dragster. Here is the rundown with Funny Car drivers listed first, Top Fuel drivers second.

1. 1982 Springnationals, Columbus, OH -- Don Prudhomme 248.61 mph; Doug Kerhulas, 245.90 mph.

2. 1982 Summernationals, Englishtown, NJ -- Billy Meyer 254.95 mph; Mark Oswald 254.23 mph.

3. 1982 Mile-High Nationals, Denver, CO -- Billy Meyer, 240.00 mph; Jeb Allen, 238.09 mph

4. 1983 Grandnational, Montreal, Canada -- Don Prudhomme, 252.80 mph; Jody Smart 252.10 mph.

5. 1983 U.S.Nationals, Indianapolis, IN -- Kenny Bernstein, 257.87 mph; Jody Smart, 254.95 mph.

6. 1984 Springnationals, Columbus, OH -- Mark Oswald, 259.36 mph; Joe Amato, 258.62 mph

7. 1985 Gatornationals, Gainesville, FL -- Kenny Bernstein, 261.78 mph; Don Garlits, 259.36 mph

8. 1986 Mile-High Nationals, Denver, CO -- Johnny West, 253.16 mph; Joe Amato, 252.73 mph.

9. 1986 U.S., Nationals, Indianapolis -- Kenny Bernstein, 271.41 mph; Darrell Gwynn 269.29 mph.

10. 1986 Fallnationals, Phoenix, AZ -- Mark Oswald, 261.47 mph; Joe Amato, 260.19 mph.

11. 1991 U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis, IN -- Jim White, 288.27 mph; Kenny Bernstein, 287.72 mph.

12. 1991 Winston Finals, Pomona, CA -- Jim White, 291.82 mph; Don Prudhomme, 291.45 mph.

13. 1995 Sears Craftsman Nationals, Topeka, KS -- Cruz Pedregon, 306 22 mph; Cory McClenathan, 306.12 mph.

14. 1998 Fram Nationals, Atlanta, GA -- Cruz Pedregon, 318.58 mph; Cory McClenathan, 318.02 mph.

* 15. 1998 Mopar Nationals, Englishtown, NJ -- John Force, 323.35 mph; Joe Amato, 321.19 mph.

Only one other time in history has a Funny Car been the fastest vehicle on the planet. That was on March 17, 1984 when, during qualifying for the Mac Tools Gatornationals at Gainesville, FL, Kenny Bernstein's Budweiser King Ford Tempo Funny Car briefly was the "King of Speed" at 260.11. Joe Amato equalled that speed moments later in the Top Fuel qualifying session and later bumped the top fuel record to 262.39 mph in the event in which he and then Crew Chief Tim Richards debuted their revolutionary "high wing."

* Competition is still under way.



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