Bill Mullins mixed it up on the dragstrip in the NHRA’s glorious 1980s with such Top Fuel legends as Joe Amato, Gary Beck, Don Garlits, Darrell Gwynn, Connie Kalitta, Dick La Haie, and Gary Ormsby.
And his exploits aren’t forgotten. Top Fuel newcomer Will Smith, who debuted in the class this past weekend at the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, has made sure of that.
“Bill Mullins was a great friend of mine, was someone I always [regarded] a hero. I was very fortunate to meet him and become best of friends with him. He's helped me in a lot of ways. This weekend, I actually debuted with the number 200 on my car, and I chose that number in honor of Bill Mullins. So trying to keep that in the state of Alabama,” Smith, a University of Alabama graduate and resident of Northport, near Tuscaloosa, said. “We have a great friendship, and it's quite the honor to have that 200 on the side of the car, because that was a great guy that represented Alabama very well.”