The Second-Quickest Pass in Drag Week History Doesn't Count
So, do we just forget Larry Larson’s 5.977 pass at Drag Week 2026??
As with all things drag and drive, there are certain caveats that have to be made when considering records and feats. We don’t want a racer bringing a legit ProMod with some headlights taped on and blasting the record into oblivion on Day One while never actually driving one mile on the street. That can’t count, right?
But, what if the racer puts 250+ miles on the car before/after the pass, driving through rain, road construction and traffic jams?? Would it count then?
Or a racer is running 6.20s on Day Two but fails to make Day Three? They are 350+ miles into the trip and have proven they have a streetcar. But their runs aren’t on a Top 25 list because they didn’t finish?
It becomes this “Well, yeah, they ran that number but it’s not a record because they didn’t drive the whole trip.” These passes don’t even get mentioned in conversation “because they didn’t finish”. Why??
Should these historic runs be counted as Records?
In our opinion, if that vehicle clocks street miles during the event, the run stands, it will just be added to the “Finished or Not” Top 25. Before his passing, Billy Gebhart would spend hours and hours working through the spreadsheet, separating them into different categories. His lists would be broken down into a “Finished or Not” and Finished Only” Single Quickest Pass standings for each year of Hot Rod Drag Week. Sadly, Billy didn’t see the growth we have experienced. I would have really enjoyed a few conversations with him about this nerdy side of the sport.
So, until we can agree on what “counts”, we’ll run two lists….
Top 25 Single Passes in Hot Rod Drag Week Competition - Finished Only
#1 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 5.974 at 249.16 - 2026 Unlimited
#2 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 5.994 at 245.4 - 2026 Unlimited
#3 Tom Bailey - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 5.998 at 250.46 - 2019 Unlimited
#4 Tom Bailey - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.032 at 249.76 - 2022 Unlimited
#T-5 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.08 at 241.2 - 2026 Unlimited
#T-5 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.08 at 238.89 - 2026 Unlimited
#7 Jeff Lutz - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.106 at 243.51 - 2016 Unlimited
#8 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.114 at 247.57 - 2025 Unlimited
#9 Jeff Lutz - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.147 at 240.89 - 2016 Unlimited
#10 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.166 at 245.81 - 2025 Unlimited
#11 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.178 at 247.38 - 2025 Unlimited
#12 Tom Bailey - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.18 at 239.57 - 2019 Unlimited
#13 Jeff Lutz - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.195 at 240.29 - 2016 Unlimited
#14 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.203 at 247.02 - 2025 Unlimited
#15 Tom Bailey - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.211 at 228.5 - 2019 Unlimited
#16 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.216 at 247.66 - 2025 Unlimited
#17 Jeff Lutz - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.255 at 240.21 - 2016 Unlimited
#18 Jeff Lutz - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.256 at 235.19 - 2016 Unlimited
#19 Tom Bailey - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.27 at 219.54 - 2019 Unlimited
#20 Bryant Goldstone - 1953 Chevrolet Corvette - 6.277 at 235.47 - 2025 Unlimited
#21 Tom Bailey - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.355 at 224.96 - 2015 Unlimited
#22 David Schroeder - 2019 Chevrolet Corvette - 6.462 at 209.11 - 2021 Unlimited
#23 Bryant Goldstone - 1953 Chevrolet Corvette - 6.505 at 197.45 - 2025 Unlimited
#24 Bryant Goldstone - 1973 AMC Javelin - 6.507 at 224.96 - 2024 Ultimate Iron
#T-25 Bryant Goldstone - 1973 AMC Javelin - 6.523 at 223.88 - 2024 Ultimate Iron
#T-25 Will Fair - 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air - 6.523 at 216.65 - 2025 Unlimited
Finishing Hot Rod Drag Week is Goal #1 for every racer after they unload the car onto the grounds. Completing the week is the absolute intention and provides untold motivation as racers work through struggles all week. Cars this fast are not supposed to also drive on the street, let alone 800+ miles, pulling trailers through rain, traffic and neglected highways. The Top 25 list of Finishers is compiled as a testament to a racer’s ability to solve problems while also keeping their car ready to do battle. Congratulations to the six racers that make up this list. Ned Dunphy (9 times), Tom Bailey (6 times), Jeff Lutz (5 times), Bryant Goldstone (4 times), Dave Schroeder and Will Fair (once).
Top 25 Single Passes in Hot Rod Drag Week Competition - Finished or Not
#1 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 5.974 at 249.16 - 2026 Unlimited
#2 Larry Larson - 1996 Chevrolet S10 - 5.977 at 244.74 (Day 1) - 2026 Unlimited DNF Day 3
#3 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 5.994 at 245.4 - 2026 Unlimited
#4 Tom Bailey - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 5.998 at 250.46 - 2019 Unlimited
#5 Tom Bailey - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.032 at 249.76 - 2022 Unlimited
#6 Jeff Lutz - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.057 at 251.95 (Day 1) - 2015 Unlimited DNF - Street Miles (see below)
#7 Bryant Goldstone - 1953 Chevrolet Corvette - 6.073 at 245.14 (Day 1) - 2026 Unlimited DNF Day 3
#T-8 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.08 at 241.2 - 2026 Unlimited
#T-8 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.08 at 238.89 - 2026 Unlimited
#10 Jeff Lutz - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.106 at 243.51 - 2016 Unlimited
#11 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.114 at 247.57 - 2025 Unlimited
#12 Jeff Lutz - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.147 at 240.89 - 2016 Unlimited
#13 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.166 at 245.81 - 2025 Unlimited
#14 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.178 at 247.38 - 2025 Unlimited
#15 Tom Bailey - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.18 at 239.57 - 2019 Unlimited
#16 Jeff Lutz - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.195 at 240.29 - 2016 Unlimited
#17 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.196 at 247.16 (Day 1) - 2024 Unlimited DNF Day 2
#T-18 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.203 at 247.02 - 2025 Unlimited
#T-18 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.203 at 246.44 (Day 2) - 2024 Unlimited DNF Day 2
#20 Tom Bailey - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.211 at 228.5 - 2019 Unlimited
#21 Ned Dunphy - 2013 Dodge Viper - 6.216 at 247.66 - 2025 Unlimited
#22 Jeff Lutz - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.255 at 240.21 - 2016 Unlimited
#23 Jeff Lutz - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.256 at 235.19 - 2016 Unlimited
#24 Tom Bailey - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - 6.27 at 219.54 - 2019 Unlimited
#25 Bryant Goldstone - 1953 Chevrolet Corvette - 6.277 at 235.47 - 2025 Unlimited
Honorable Mention Graham Hayes - 1966 Chevrolet Nova - 6.287 at 224.62 (Day 1) - 2025 Ultimate Iron DNF Day 2
*“DNF Day X” marks the last day the racer turned in a timeslip.
*Racers must have turned in timeslips on at least two different days, or have documented street miles, to show they street drove their vehicle.
It’s wild that there are only five names that cover the Top 25 Finished or Not list. Ned Dunphy accounts for 11 spots in just three years of competition. Ned holds Two of the Top Three spots from his 2026 showing. He has submitted a total of 16 Timeslips at events and 11 of those are on this list. Tom Bailey and Jeff Lutz appear five times each, with Tom’s 5.998 sitting at #4. Larry Larson only appears on this list once, with his 5.977 run from Day One of HRDW 2026. That single pass stood as the All-Time Record for the following four days. Bryant Goldstone holds two places, the #6 spot with his 6.073 pass from the 2026 event, plus the “Bump Spot” at 6.287 from 2025. Graham Hayes holds “Honorable Mention” with his 6.287 from his 2025 appearance.
For Jeff Lutz’s 6.051 pass (#6 on the list) on Day 1 of 2015, we have confirmed that Jeff Lutz drove from St Louis to 50 miles outside Indianapolis after the pass. Therefor, his pass on Day One stands under our guidelines. Link to Hot Rod Magazine article: https://www.hotrod.com/news/drag-week-2015-race-results-day-2
Just Missed: No Street Miles
There is only one pass made on Day 1 that would make the list by the ET, but the caveat being street miles driven, before or after, eliminates it. Tom Bailey’s 6.243 at 224.14 on Day 1 of HRDW 2016 (would rank #21). Hot Rod Magazine states “Tom Bailey cracked a piston and irreparably scorched a cylinder wall in his Pro Mod Camaro.” Source: https://www.hotrod.com/news/gallery-racing-drag-week-day-1
This is why this conversation is so difficult….. What counts????
As the sport grows and we see new racers bring new cars, like the Aston Martin of Joel Kerr, we look for this list to shake up. Make sure you are watching us here at Drag Drive Repeat as we put together more and more lists from the drag and drive events around the world.
Article by Mike Narx. Photos by Eric White, Tim Gourley (Go Fast Photography) and Hot Rod Magazine (Tom Bailey white Camaro)
