While drag racing would ultimately become one of the world's most popular motorsports, it had quite humble beginnings. Drag races after World War II were held on military runways. The site of the first organized drag race is commonly said to be Goleta Air Base in California, in the year1949. These early drag strips featured no safety barriers or grandstands. Early racers run 10-second elapsed times (E.T.s) on the measured quarter-mile-a distance chosen because it was about the length of a city block.

The NHRA was founded in 1951, but the sport was not an immediate success. Even a decade later, NHRA still only had two competition classes: unmodified Stock or Top Eliminator. Besides, there were no rules laid down yet. The year 1963 proved to be a turning point in the development of drag racing as tracks replaced flag starters with the "Christmas tree" lights and NHRA removed its nitro ban.

In 1962, NHRA introduced Factory Experimental (FX) making the distinction between street cars and race cars. Some of the hottest early FX cars included "Dyno" Don Nicholson's Comet and the Malco Gasser.. By 1966, the paucity of rules allowed manufacturers to build even more radical machines.

By 1970, Pro Stoc cars had arrived, and in the year 1975, NHRA got its first Series sponsor, helping boost prize money and establishing an annual points fund. Drag racing had entered the big time and there was no turning back.

As drag racing entered the 1980s, Funny Cars had surpassed Top Fuel as the most popular class. By 1985 however, Top Fuel was again the fan favorite thanks to sponsors like Mr. Gasket. The NHRA celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2001 and the sport is still gong strong.