Top Fuel Mt. Rushmore (1 Viewer)

[flapjack]

Like the funny car thread, who would you put on a top fuel Mt. Rushmore?

I haven't completed my list, but Dig Daddy and Kenny Bernstein are definitely on it.

Maybe a different thread of fuel crew chiefs, both funny car and top fuel. On my list would be Alan Johnson, Austin Coil, and Dale Armstrong, perhaps Jimmy Prock

 

[Riley7]

So many cool options to choose from!

Big Daddy is obvious. After him, everything else is negotiable.

Tony Schumacher would be on my personal list, due to his dominance over his career.

The Snake would be on both of my lists. He's the coolest, and won an awful lot of TF races over the years in addition to his accomplishments in the floppers.

KB is going to be on a lot of folks lists here, but I'd go in another direction and choose The Surfers. Those dudes have captured the imaginations of an awful lot of drag race fans over the years, and their story is an all-time classic. Plus they did win a lot of races on a nearly non-existent budget back in the day.

Honorable Mention would go to TV Tommy Ivo, along with Roland Leong. In fact, "The Hawaiian" would deserve Honorable Mention for the Floppers, too.

 

[none]

I agree with Tom on Don Garlits and Kenny Bernstein. Then, probably Connie Kalitta and Tony Schumacher, but I'm anxious to see what y'all have to say.

If I had my asbestos underwear closeby I might have stuck Shirley in there but not sure which one she'd replace...?

 

[Just Paul]

How can we be this far in and not have Joe Amato on there??
Don Garlits, Joe Amato are etched in stone. The other 2 are debatable. I would put Shirley before KB.

 

[cantdrive55]

Another tough choice with names like the Greek, Snake, Connie Kalitta, Gary Beck, Eddie Hill, Darrell Gwynn, Gary Scelzi, Larry Dixon, Kenny Bernstein, Antron Brown

I think I'd have to go with
Don Garlits
Shirley Muldowney
Joe Amato
Tony Schumacher

Nitro tuners I think would be
Austin Coil
Dale Armstrong
Alan Johnson

I'm not sure who would be #4, Jimmy Prock? Gary Beck? Bob Brandt? Ed McCulloch? Roland Leong? Rahn Tobler? John Medlen? Tim Richards? Dick LaHaie?

 

[Dennis]

Don Garlits. Period.

Maybe have some honorable mention statues nearby but in my opinion you have Garlits then just about everyone else.

Honorable Mention:

Gary Beck
Snake
LaHaie
Shirley

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

(1) Garlits.....4 sure
(2) Schumacher.....

3 & 4 are tough calls. How many championships for Kenny in top fuel ?
Shirley has 3
Connie ?
Snake ?

 

[Paul]

Garlits, Schumacher, Amato, and I am torn between Shirley, Bernstein, and Dixon for #4.

 

[vegasnitro]

Garlits, Schumacher, Amato and Muldowney.

This one was tough. So many good guys left off the list.

 

[Awk]

The pride of Bakersfield...James Warren
Big
Mike Snively
Bounty Hunter...Connie

 

[none]

Pretty much agree with Miller and Cook.

Garlits
Schumacher
Amato
Dixon or Muldowney

Hard to leave off Brown, all three Kalittas, Cory, Scelzi, Beck, KB, Prudhomme. I could probably go on....

 

[mike]

Another tough choice with names like the Greek, Snake, Connie Kalitta, Gary Beck, Eddie Hill, Darrell Gwynn, Gary Scelzi, Larry Dixon, Kenny Bernstein, Antron Brown

I think I'd have to go with
Don Garlits
Shirley Muldowney
Joe Amato
Tony Schumacher

Nitro tuners I think would be
Austin Coil
Dale Armstrong
Alan Johnson

I'm not sure who would be #4, Jimmy Prock? Gary Beck? Bob Brandt? Ed McCulloch? Roland Leong? Rahn Tobler? John Medlen? Tim Richards? Dick LaHaie?

Lee Beard.

 

[FABMAN]

I don't think there's a mountian of granite big enough to put all the greats on it. Everyone mentioned in Funny Car, Top Fuel, and Pro Stock really deserves a spot. It would be cool if someone with lots of money could make documentary on each catagory with all the stories that followed each of the drivers.

 

[Rajunz]

Another tough choice with names like the Greek, Snake, Connie Kalitta, Gary Beck, Eddie Hill, Darrell Gwynn, Gary Scelzi, Larry Dixon, Kenny Bernstein, Antron Brown

I think I'd have to go with
Don Garlits
Shirley Muldowney
Joe Amato
Tony Schumacher

Nitro tuners I think would be
Austin Coil
Dale Armstrong
Alan Johnson

I'm not sure who would be #4, Jimmy Prock? Gary Beck? Bob Brandt? Ed McCulloch? Roland Leong? Rahn Tobler? John Medlen? Tim Richards? Dick LaHaie?

Totally agree with both of your lists Keith. For the 4th Crew Chief , I would have to add Leonard Hughes, afterall, he was the first Crew Chief to ever win a Championship in both TF and FC.

 

[mick]

wally parks, the greek, the snake, and big daddy and call it good......for the entire sport.

 

[Pete]

Like the funny car thread, who would you put on a top fuel Mt. Rushmore?

I haven't completed my list, but Dig Daddy and Kenny Bernstein are definitely on it.

Maybe a different thread of fuel crew chiefs, both funny car and top fuel. On my list would be Alan Johnson, Austin Coil, and Dale Armstrong, perhaps Jimmy Prock

If you had an overall Mt Rushmore for drag racing, that's where Snake & Bernstein should be. It's hard to add them to either TF or FC solely, because they accomplished so much in both.

My picks (from left to right)

Big Daddy
Connie Kalitta
Shirley (can't put her and Big next to each other )
Joe Amato


Honorable mention, maybe a plaque at the base:
Gary Beck
Darrell Gwynn
Dick LaHaie
James Warren
Gene Snow

 

[JB3]

This has turned into a favorite driver thread vs. its original intent. The men carved on Mount Rushmore are there because in some way or another, they changed the course of history and/or the direction of our great nation.

After Garlits and Muldowney, can anyone tell me what (besides lots of wins) these other drivers did to be on the TF Mt. Rushmore?

Tony Schumacher - Was like the Sandy Koufax of TF for a few seasons, could not be beat. Is that worthy? Maybe
Joe Amato - Could see with the championship dominance for a short period also
Gene Snow - First unofficial 4 second run ?? Not enough in my opinion
Eddie Hill - First official 4 second run ?? Maybe, but not sure
Antron Brown - 2 TF championships?? Not enough, and you can't count PSM
Kenny Bernstein - First 300 mph run certainly gives merit. Probably gets him seriously in the discussion

After that ... not so sure. Larry Dixon, Gary Beck, Darrell Gwynn, Dick LaHaie, James Warren, Cory Mac, Gary Scelzi, Connie Kalitta. Good, accomplished drivers in their career, but historical ... nah

It has to be really objective and not biased to fandom. That's what' wrong with all of the Sports HOF's these days. They have become Hall's of Really Good because voters feel someone has to go in. Why? To that point, any type of Mt. Rushmore discussion can't be watered down. Has to be true greatness based on historical importance.

It is fun though !!

 

[Billy]

Garlits, Schumacher, Amato and Muldowney.

This one was tough. So many good guys left off the list.

I would have to agree with this 4
But yes, that final spot is tough with Dixon's and Bernstein's success. I see Bernstein on the FC Rushmore though.

 

[megadeth]

It would be mostly legends that ran during the 1320 era obviously and when there was no countdown!

 

[cantdrive55]

This has turned into a favorite driver thread vs. its original intent. The men carved on Mount Rushmore are there because in some way or another, they changed the course of history and/or the direction of our great nation.

After Garlits and Muldowney, can anyone tell me what (besides lots of wins) these other drivers did to be on the TF Mt. Rushmore?

Tony Schumacher - Was like the Sandy Koufax of TF for a few seasons, could not be beat. Is that worthy? Maybe
Joe Amato - Could see with the championship dominance for a short period also
Gene Snow - First unofficial 4 second run ?? Not enough in my opinion
Eddie Hill - First official 4 second run ?? Maybe, but not sure
Antron Brown - 2 TF championships?? Not enough, and you can't count PSM
Kenny Bernstein - First 300 mph run certainly gives merit. Probably gets him seriously in the discussion

After that ... not so sure. Larry Dixon, Gary Beck, Darrell Gwynn, Dick LaHaie, James Warren, Cory Mac, Gary Scelzi, Connie Kalitta. Good, accomplished drivers in their career, but historical ... nah

It has to be really objective and not biased to fandom. That's what' wrong with all of the Sports HOF's these days. They have become Hall's of Really Good because voters feel someone has to go in. Why? To that point, any type of Mt. Rushmore discussion can't be watered down. Has to be true greatness based on historical importance.

It is fun though !!

So 8 Top Fuel World Championships, most in class history with 5 consecutive. And, He's the winning-est Top Fuel driver with 81 wally's, all in Top Fuel. Also, he's tied with Bob Glidden at 9 U.S. Nationals victories; most in NHRA history. But Tony is a maybe? C'mon man give Tony Schumacher credit where it's due.