As part of NHRA's 50th Anniversary celebration, a panel of drag racing experts, including print and television journalists and longtime historians of the sport, was challenged to create a list of the Top 50 drivers from NHRA's first 50 years. The results will be unveiled throughout the year on NHRA.com, counting down from No. 50 to the announcement of No. 1 at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. Each week in this section, those on the list will be revealed along with biographies of their fabulous careers.

Position	Name
1.	Don Garlits
2.	John Force
3.	Don Prudhomme
4.	Bob Glidden
5.	Shirley Muldowney
6.	Kenny Bernstein
7.	Warren Johnson
8.	Bill Jenkins
9.	Joe Amato
10.	Dale Armstrong
11.	Mickey Thompson
12.	Lee Shepherd
13.	Pat Austin
14.	Eddie Hill
15.	Ronnie Sox
16.	Tom McEwen
17.	Jim Liberman
18.	Don Nicholson
19.	Ed McCulloch
20.	Raymond Beadle
21.	Connie Kalitta
22.	Pete Robinson
23.	Jack Chrisman
24.	Gary Beck
25.	Tommy Ivo
26.	Gene Snow
27.	Jim Dunn
28.	George Montgomery
29.	Art Chrisman
30.	Chris Karamesines
31.	Dick LaHaie
32.	Darrell Gwynn
33.	Brad Anderson
34.	Willie Borsch
35.	Terry Vance
36.	Blaine Johnson
37.	Edmond Richardson
38.	James Warren
39.	Danny Ongais
40.	Frank Manzo
41.	John Mulligan
42.	David Rampy
43.	Frank Hawley
44.	Dave Schultz
45.	Scotty Richardson
46.	Ken Veney
47.	Billy Meyer
48.	Malcolm Durham
49.	Richard Tharp
50.	Elmer Trett