And now a few more drivers or crewmen we think are worthy
of being in drag racing’s most important and influential
Hall of Fame.
CHUCK ETCHELLS
Etchells was one of the great Funny Car pilots of the 1980s. Had there not been a John Force, Etchells would probably have been an NHRA Funny Car World Champ. Etchells, of course, was the first Funny Car driver in the four-second zone with a 4.96 in 1993 at Heartland Park Topeka. All in all, Etchells won 12 NHRA national events, including two World Finals and Summernationals championships. In addition, he won the 1990 IHRA Funny Car World Championship, winning the IHRA’s premier event the World Nationals at Norwalk, the organization’s Winter Nationals at Darlintong, SC, and a National Event at Atco, New Jersey.
BLAINE JOHNSON
Johnson won four straight NHRA Alcohol Dragster World Championships and holds the career NHRA TAD total record of 26 as well as four NHRA Top Fuel titles. He had the 1996 NHRA Winston Top Fuel title pretty well covered when he lost his life in a qualifying wreck at the U.S. Nationals. At the time of his death and until the end of that year, his 4.592 held as the NHRA TF national record.
BUTCH LEAL
A genuine Funny Car and Pro Stock great. His '67 Barracuda Funny Car was one of the first in the seven- and eight-second zone. In 1972 he won 16 match-race eliminator shows. His versatility showed in wins like the 1973 Le Grandnational Molson Pro Stock crown, the 1974 U.S. Nationals Super Stock title, the 1976 Popular Hot Rodding Modified Eliminator title, and the 1985 NHRA Southern Nationals Pro Stock crown. (Tom West photo)
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JOHNNY LOPER
The king of the A/G class from roughly 1963 to 1968 with a series of "Lil Hoss" Anglias. Was the class record holder in both AHRA and NHRA and won class titles at both associations' national events. He won the 1965 AHRA Nationals Modified Eliminator crown. In 1976, Loper switched to Funny Car as an owner. With driver Tripp Shumake he won NHRA, AHRA, and IHRA national events and driving himself earned the eighth slot in the Cragar Five-Second Funny Car Club with a 5.98.
