NHRA has named Antron Brown, Ron Capps, Greg Anderson, Matt Smith, and Dan Fletcher as the second group of inductees into the Top 75 Drivers list as part of the organization’s 75th anniversary celebration in 2026. The announcement continues a weekly rollout, with five new additions revealed each Monday through Feb. 2.
The five join the first group of honorees previously announced — Tony Schumacher, Robert Hight, Erica Enders, Andrew Hines, and Peter Biondo — as NHRA expands its original Top 50 Drivers list from 2001 to recognize 75 competitors from its first three-quarters of a century.
A panel of drag racing experts selected the additions to reflect sustained excellence, competitive impact, and historical significance across NHRA’s Professional and Sportsman ranks. The expansion adds 25 drivers whose careers largely unfolded during the past 25 years, bridging modern competition with the sport’s foundational eras.
Brown’s path to the Top 75 is defined by both speed and significance. A former Pro Stock Motorcycle standout, Brown became NHRA’s first Black champion in the Professional ranks in 2012 and the first driver to win championships on both two wheels and in Top Fuel, finishing the 2025 season with four Top Fuel titles and 80 career victories.
“I’m overwhelmed by this,” Brown said. “It’s a pretty awesome accomplishment to be mentioned among all my heroes that I grew up watching in the sport. I was just a kid from Chesterfield, N.J., with a dream, and now, to be a part of that club, man, it’s kind of like putting the coat on as part of the NFL Hall of Fame. This is something that you always dream about, but you just never know that you’re going to achieve that. I am truly honored.”
Capps, a three-time Funny Car world champion, has assembled one of the most complete résumés in NHRA history. With 77 career wins and two victories at the NHRA U.S. Nationals, his career has spanned early Top Fuel success, championship seasons as a hired driver, and the launch of his own team in 2022, which is set to expand to two cars in 2026.
“This is a huge honor,” Capps said. “I remember when the Top 50 list came out, there were people that were legitimately heroes of mine that didn’t make that list, and it just showed you how the sport has been throughout the years, so to be mentioned with those original 50 drivers is beyond what I ever dreamed of. It doesn’t even calculate to me that I’m in that same group … just a kid who grew up in the sport, loved it, and got to make a living doing it, but also very lucky to have been around Wally Parks at the beginning of my career, when Don Prudhomme hired me, so it means even more to me.”
Anderson’s induction reflects unmatched longevity and production in Pro Stock. The Minnesota native has surpassed 100 national event wins, logged more than 1,000 round victories, and claimed six world championships after transitioning from crew chief to driver, while also leading the powerhouse KB Titan Racing operation.
“Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is that the original list is full of legends who were heroes of mine,” Anderson said. “I certainly never considered myself to be in that category. I can’t lie, this honor is certainly not expected on my side. I’m still having fun trying to do this. I’m not worried yet about what’s happened in the past, or numbers or anything like that, but when I get done, that’s when I’ll look back at it and say, ‘That’s really awesome.’ But I am shocked and honored. It’s fantastic just to be mentioned with those kinds of guys.”
Smith has become the defining figure of modern Pro Stock Motorcycle racing. With six championships earned between 2007 and 2022, along with 42 wins, 59 No. 1 qualifiers, and a 205.04-mph record run, Smith remains a rider, tuner, and team leader whose influence extends well beyond his own entry.
“It’s truly an honor to be named to such a prestigious list of racers,” Smith said. “When I started in 2005, my goal was to just win a Wally. After 20 years, I’m tied for the most championships in Pro Stock Motorcycle with six, and I’m the only current racer striving to get seven NHRA titles. If I can accomplish the seventh championship, then that will leave an even larger footprint in the history of NHRA. I’m very thankful that I’ve been able to dedicate my life to this NHRA journey.”
Fletcher’s selection recognizes one of the most decorated Sportsman careers in NHRA history. A three-time world champion with more than 100 national event wins across six different classes, Fletcher has remained competitive for decades, often sharing victories with his sons in his iconic 1969 Camaro.
“This is quite an honor,” Fletcher said. “As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m not big on being in the spotlight, but this is different. It’s truly humbling. I was recently inducted into the Division 1 Hall of Fame, and that was pretty awesome, but to make the list of 75 greatest drivers in NHRA history is on a whole different level. To be included with so many legendary names, I could not be more honored. It was cool to win 100 races, but this is probably the biggest honor of my career. When you think of all the people who have raced, and who have been successful, the gravity of this isn’t lost on me.”
The expanded Top 75 list preserves the original Top 50 from 2001, which includes pioneers and icons such as Don Garlits, John Force, Don Prudhomme, and Shirley Muldowney, while integrating modern-era standouts who shaped NHRA’s last quarter-century.
The 25 new additions were selected for excellence across NHRA’s Professional and Sportsman categories, emphasizing championships, longevity, and competitive impact during the sport’s modern era.
When the full list is unveiled, NHRA will release a commemorative book featuring photos and profiles of all 75 drivers, offering fans a comprehensive look at the competitors who defined the sport’s first 75 years.
“This is probably the biggest honor of my career,” Fletcher said.
