Twenty-five-year-old Donnie Hagar is known throughout his home state of Michigan as a skilled bottom-bulb bracket racer . He showed the world just how good he is when he became the first footbrake racer in the 28-year history of the Mickey Thompson Million Dollar Race to win the ultimate prize . A few weeks later , Hagar backed it up by going undefeated at the WDRA World Finals en route to the first WDRA No Box championship . BY NATE VAN WAGNEN

PHOTO : CHRIS SIMMONS

4 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 185