Doug Kalitta, Matt Hagan, Jason Line, Eddie Krawiec and Sean Bellemeur are the newest additions to the National Hot Rod Association’s Top 75 Drivers list, which is part of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary season.
The five drivers join Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown, Ron Capps, Robert Hight, Greg Anderson, Erica Enders, Andrew Hines, Matt Smith, Dan Fletcher and Peter Biondo, who were previously announced.
Ten more drivers will be announced in the coming weeks to complete the list, which is comprised of the original Top 50 Drivers from NHRA’s 50th Anniversary season in 2001 and 25 drivers from the modern era.
Hagan is a four-time NHRA Funny Car world champion and a perennial championship threat. He joined Don Schumacher Racing’s Funny Car team in 2009 and earned his first race win in 2011, the same year he made the sport’s first three-second Funny Car run. Now part of Tony Stewart Racing, his 55 victories rank fourth all-time in class wins.
“This is just awesome,” Hagan said. “Man, it gives me chill bumps. It really does. I’m just blown away. I’m honored to even have my name in the same category as the other drivers on the list. I’ve been paying attention to the list, and it’s really cool and super special for me to be on it. I’m very, very honored. I never set out to drive one of these things for a living; it was just right place, right time, and I had the right people around me. It’s wild how things evolve, and you get so focused on something, and you try to be good at it, and when you have good people around you, it happens.”
After early success in midgets and sprint cars, Kalitta came to NHRA to race in Top Fuel for his uncle, NHRA legend Connie Kalitta, in 1998 and won the Road to the Future award as a top rookie. He has captured world championships in 2023 and 2025, and his 59 wins rank fourth in Top Fuel wins.
“It’s a privilege and an honor for sure,” said Kalitta. “I’ve obviously been following the list announcements and was kind of hoping that at some point I would end up getting a call like this. I’ve been watching this sport for a lot of years and was around to see my uncle Connie and Shirley Muldowney race. I’m just really proud of the history of the sport, and it’s definitely very cool to be part of that history and the Top 75 Drivers list. When I started drag racing, I absolutely wouldn’t have thought I would accomplish all that I have, but thanks to Connie’s support in giving me the opportunity to drive for him, and the help of my teammates over the years, I’ve had a great career.”
The original Top 50 Drivers remain a foundational part of the new Top 75 Drivers list, with historical figures such as Don Garlits, John Force, Don Prudhomme, and Shirley Muldowney celebrated alongside current stars. The full list showcases NHRA’s best across all eras.
The 25 new additions were selected for their excellence over the last 25 years and include the best from NHRA’s Professional and Sportsman classes.
When the list is completely revealed, fans can purchase a commemorative book saluting the Top 75 Drivers, a keepsake packed with photos and profiles of each of the 75 drivers.
NHRA
