The Greatest All Time?????

Howdy Folks...& Mr. Hanna:
kinda new to the Insidetopalcohol.com site....and wanted to post this question to ya'll.....Who in your opinion, is/was the greatest Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car driver of all time...... maybe you can also give your top 5 in each class????? OH and BTW Current drivers on this site can do their best "GORDO" Cooper Impression and say.."Who's the best Pilot I ever saw....Well you're lookin at him"....if you'd like, but...really think about this one. So many to consider....Even go Pro Comp day's if ya really wanna make it interesting?
If I had to pick my top 5 of all time.....It might look something like this....
TAD:
1) Rick Santos.....
2) The Late Blaine Johnson:
3) Joe Amato
4) Brian Raymer
5) Chess Bushey....(HUH??? Yeah..the guy who really helped bring out the A/Fuel cars...Him and that Gene Adams Dude!), Plus his shop (Adams) was right down the street from ours in Oceanside, Ca for the longest time. I learned a lot from him!
TAFC:
1) BAD BRAD ANDERSON
2) PAT AUSTIN
3) BOB NEWBERRY
4) ACE MANZO
5) Dale Armstrong (Pro Comp Days!)
Honorable Mention: Gary Scelzi, Cruz Pedregon, Joe Nawosinski(Warsaw Express Front motored TAD), Al Dapazzo (Evil Spirit), Chuck Beal, Tom Conway, and Bill Barney

 

Mr. Reichert is definently in the top 5!

Not being biased, just the truth.

 

conway...stark...gallant...santos....too many!!

 

TAD -

1. Blaine Johnson
2. Rick Santos
3. Bill Walsh
4. Tom Conway
5. Bill Barney

TAFC -

1. Pat Austin
2. Frank Manzo
3. Bob Newberry
4. Brad Anderson
5. Tony Bartone

 

Not biased? Are you serious?

 

ok...just a little...Haha

 

Dale Armstrong
Gene Adams
Billy Williams

 

What about Moats

What about Vern Moats? He's got to be in the top 5, not only a great driver but also an inspiration to the sport itself.

 

This list could be never ending.
To add a few more names to the list. Marty Thacker, TJ & Tony Zizzo.
Winning UDRA championships wasn't easy.
If I had to pick 2 in each class it would be.
Veney, Anderson in Funny Car
Conway, B. Johnson in Dragster

 

I wont argue that Pat Austin won alot of races but for me personally he gets tossed off the list because of the body pole and weighted helmet incidents. Why would anyone want to win like that.

 

i know this is going to stir up alot of controversy, but i'll add my 2 cents. on the pat austin thing, i think everyone who is dominant in there class at one time or another has bent the rules (i won't say cheated). i know i am probably going to step on alot of toes here, but this is only my opinion. if you take a look at ALL the classes you fill find this at some point in time.
remember the RUMORS that manzo and santos were using an ILLEGAL PSI blower a few years back? the bob glidden wreck in atlanta in '86, when he barrel-rolled the car 8 times and got out real quick and covered what was left of the manifold and carbs? jerry eckman blowing the oil pan off his car in columbus, and the nitrous bottle rolling under the trailer next to him? everbody knows about the propelyne oxide deal in the alky classes years ago. when that one came out the next years rulebook mentioned it in every class. the list goes on and on.
all i am saying is if you see someone in ANY class who is consistently outrunning everyone, there is definately a reason. I AM NOT SAYING THAT ANYONE IN DRAG RACING CHEATS, but alot of people bend the rules from time to time.

i almost forgot my list(in no particular order)
tad
blaine johnson
tom conway
rick santos
dale armstrong
bill barney
tafc
pat austin
vern moats
frank manzo
bob newberry
brad anderson

 

Three years ago I posted the top 25 TAFC drivers and top 25 TAD drivers of all time here are the links:
Funny Car:
http://www.speedzonemagazine.com/zones/alkyzone/04alkyzone/04febalky/top alcohol funny car list.htm

Dragster:
http://www.speedzonemagazine.com/zones/alkyzone/04alkyzone/04janalky/04jantop25tad.htm

Dean

 

Going in to the finals in Mission in 1999 we had a problem with our car after beating Bucky in the semi's that took some extra time to fix and we were short handed that weekend. The team we were supposed to race in the final towed up behind our trailer and threw it in park until we were ready to go, even though the officials were telling them to get moving. They just sat there waiting until we were ready. In the end we won, but it was one of the most exciting races I've ever been a part of.

That was the team of Walt and Pat Austin. For their true sportsmanship and desire to race to win even if it means waiting quite a while to do it, they will always be #1 in my book.

Randy G.

 

One of the very best drivers there is and a good freind Danny Townsend.

 

DT told me you would say that was him (him meaning "DT").

LOL

 

i remember when danny almost beat pat out for the championship one year. he used to race with my dad in comp eliminator years ago. that guy can drive! i've seen him do some pretty amazing things in a racecar. he also is a nice person, and will help you in any way he can.

 

Thanks for the kind words Bob, we are very fond of our days in UDRA. Back when we thought Alky racing was alot of work.

 

T.
No problem.
Damn I miss those days. I was racing with Eric Hinderberger back in the day. And I still am.
I forget what race, but we had you guys in the final round. The round before we won but bent some valves & broke the reverser. We couldn't fix the problems. In the finals we had to push the car back because of the broken reverser, we staged anyway hoping we could win if you made a mistake. But it was not our day. When we switched feet the car shut itself off and you guys won.
Congrats

 

TS...now we know it IS a lot of work!

RG