THE MOMENT SUPREME NHRA TOP FUEL CELEBRATES 1,000 EVENTS

TOP FUEL IS THE PINNACLE OF PROFESSIONAL MOTORSPORTS' SPEED AND ACCELERATION, AFACT IT HAS ENJOYED SINCE IT BEGAN IN 1963.

- BRIAN LOHNES

The two men sit, one hand on the butterfly steering wheel, the other on the brake handle. To their left are tens of thousands of fans. Immediately in front of them, a nitro-burning, snarling Chrysler Hemi engine, and beyond that, a flagman. The date is February 17, 1963. The two men had come all the way to Pomona, California, to compete at the NHRA Winternationals seeking the same prize, the first trophy carrying the name of Top Fuel Eliminator. Not only that, but they had also come from the same hometown, Tampa, Florida. Their names are Art Malone and Don Garlits. Friends who morphed into rivals, both vying to etch their name into what would become a landmark moment in drag racing history.

Just over 62 years later in Concord, North Carolina, four men sit on the starting line. Tens of thousands of fans to their left and right. One hand on the butterfly steering wheel, the other on the brake handle. Immediately behind them sit 12,000-hp nitro-burning all-billet versions of a Chrysler Hemi. In front of them, past the long needle noses of their dragsters, a pair of Christmas trees. Their names are Justin Ashley, a generational talent who may be known as the best starting-line driver in Top Fuel history; Antron Brown, a four-time NHRA Top Fuel champion; Tony Stewart, the most successful and decorated racing driver in modern American motorsports history; and Shawn Langdon, a first-ballot hall of famer who has won a junior dragster national championship, two NHRA Super Comp national championships, races in Funny Car, and an NHRA Top Fuel championship. They are vying for the 1,000th trophy in NHRA history in Top Fuel Eliminator.