47. JIM NELSON

One half of the famed Nelson & Martin Dragmaster Chassis (racers and manufacturers) team from Fallbrook, California. Nelson’s biggest moment behind the wheel occurred at the 1962 Winternationals where he and "Dode" Martin’s “Dragmaster Dart” outlasted the likes of Howard Cams – Glen Ward, Pete Robinson, and in the final, Tom McEwen by wheeling the Gene Adams “Shark Car” to the win. A killer on the West Coast, Nelson won numerous non-hot rod association titles, including the 1961 PVTA Southern California Championships aboard the “Dragmaster Arrow.” Nelson also took part in a genuine drag racing rarity at the 1963 AHRA Winternationals when darkness caused officials to call the race. Nelson, Bob Sullivan and Danny Ongais took part in a coin flip to determine the winner and Ongais won.

48. JIM “JAZZY” NELSON

The “other” Jim Nelson was one of the great pioneer drivers of the 1950s. His greatest work came aboard the Edelbrock Equipment Company ’48 Fiat, which was powered by 315-cid, fuel-burning Mercury flathead. His great year was in 1955 when he won 17 Top Eliminator trophies, competing against dragsters and roadsters, and ranging in locales from Great Bend, Kansas, to Santa Ana, Calif. He consistently outran the competition running as quick as a 9.68 at San Fernando in October. At the same track that December, Nelson ran a 9.10 winning Top Eliminator and blasting Lloyd Scott’s 9.44 best ever. Later in his career he won titles on the order of the first DRI Invitational (Drag Racers Inc.), the Drag News Invitational, and the Bakersfield Challenge.

49. “DYNO” DON NICHOLSON

One of the greatest of all drag race drivers. Where to begin? “Dyno Don” was a winning Stock driver, winning back-to-back NHRA Winternationals Stock Eliminator titles (1961-1962). In 1966, he debuted his flip-top Mercury Comet, running the first seven-second Funny Car time at a 7.96. He probably won over 90 percent of his match races that year, numbering the Olympics of Drag Racing in his folder. He ran the first match-race seven in Pro Stock, clocking a 7.99 in 1978. He was the 1977 U.S. Nationals Pro Stock champion, and later the 1977 NHRA Pro Stock World Champion. For real trivia freaks, Nicholson was likely the first drag racer to clock a 120-speed with a 120.00 lap in his and brother Harold Nicholson’s roadster in 1950. Nicholson won many diversified titles. . .how about a 1969 Street Eliminator title aboard a ’69 Mustang at the NHRA Springnationals. \

50. JIMMY NIX

Jimmy “the Grin” Nix of Oklahoma first struck the big time with a 1964 NHRA Winternationals Top Gas title and then graduated to Top Fuel in 1965 winning the 1966 NHRA Springnationals Top Fuel crown. He stayed with Top Fuel to 1970 and then retired, but returned in the late 1980s. He made then made the Cragar Four-Second Club with a 4.96 at the 1990 Arizona Nationals in Phoenix. Nix died in a Top Fuel crash at the Texas Motorplex in the early 1990s.

And now four more drivers who have the credentials to be in any Hall of Fame.

MARK OSWALD

Oswald belongs to that elite group of drivers that have won NHRA and IHRA national events as a driver in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. He has also won World Championships in both the NHRA and the IHRA. He won the Winston World Championship for Fuel Funny cars in 1984 in just his second year in the class and is a four time IHRA Funny Car World Champ. In 41 NHRA final round appearances he won a remarkable 20 times.

DAVE BOERTMAN

Boertman has to rate near the top of just about anyone’s Stock/Super Stock list from the years roughly from 1959 through 1990. He won his first NHRA national event by taking the 1959 Stock World Championship and would follow with 16 more NHRA wins and two more world championships. Boertman was big time in IHRA, winning 12 of their national events.

JOHN MYERS

Myers trails only Schultz on the “most NHRA motorcycle wins” list. He scored 33 wins in a 12-year career, taking the NHRA Pro Stock World Motorcycle three times, and three U.S. Nationals titles (1989-1996-1997). He also won the NHRA World Finals five times (1989-1991 and 1994-1995.)

“SLAMMIN’ SAMMY” MILLER

Miller began his pro career in a couple of low-dollar Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars. In 1970, he bought Don Prudhomme’s Barracuda and did well, winning the inaugural 1971 NHRA LeGrandnational Molson. A year later, he made a decision that would turn him into the sport’s quickest and fastest driver ever. He entered the world of rocket exhibition dragsters and funny cars and racked up what very well be all-time (as in forever) low E.T.’s and perhaps speeds. Miller was the first driver in the Three-second zone for the quarter-mile, the two-second zone in the eighth-mile and yes, the ones, with a 1.67 in Sweden again on the eighth-mile. Overall, he owns the quickest elapsed times and fastest speed in drag racing history, an aggregate 3.58 at 386-mph.