Gatornationals, she won with a 5.412-second, 273.22 mph run – then among the quickest and fastest performances in class history.
But the Whiteleys’ greatest influence reaches well beyond YNot Racing.
Through J & A Service, their Colorado-based oil-and-gas service company, Jim and Annie have poured resources back into drag racing for years. J & A Service served as the title sponsor of the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series for several seasons. NHRA officials credited the Whiteleys’ involvement as integral to the category’ s growth. J & A Service has also backed Keith Haney’ s Mid-West Drag Racing Series as the presenting series sponsor, investing what Haney described in 2026 as“ hundreds of thousands of dollars” toward providing racers a place to compete and a meaningful purse. The company has also been a longtime partner of the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod dating back to the inaugural event in 2017 at Bandimere Speedway.
Their support has extended to individual racers and teams, including multi-time Top Alcohol Dragster world champion Joey Severance. Cory Reed, Annie’ s son and Jim’ s stepson, have flown the J & A Service flag in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle and multiple small-tire classes. Last winter, Jim offered Scott Palmer a competitive Pro Mod ride for the 2025-26 Drag Illustrated Winter Series after Palmer destroyed his own car in a crash.
The Whiteleys have won plenty themselves. Their greater contribution has been making sure others have the opportunity to do the same. – NATE VAN WAGNEN
DI
Alan Johnson
Few people have influenced modern drag racing from as many directions as Alan Johnson.
As a tuner, Johnson’ s résumé spans generations of Top Fuel dominance. He and his late brother, Blaine, first established themselves in Top Alcohol Dragster, winning
DI
Tommy and Judy Franklin
The PDRA was founded on the idea of being racer-owned and racer-operated. More than a decade later, Tommy and Judy Franklin remain a clear embodiment of that philosophy.
The Franklins were part of the original ownership group when the PDRA launched in 2014 and eventually became the series’ sole owners. Under their leadership, the organization has developed into one of the most stable homes for professional eighth-mile doorslammer racing, along with highly competitive Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, and Jr. Dragster programs.
Their commitment was tested again after the 2025 season, when rumors circulated that the PDRA could change hands amid IHRA’ s aggressive expansion. Instead, Tommy and Judy publicly reaffirmed their commitment with a simple message:“ After 12 seasons of PDRA Drag Racing, we are not ready to stop here. See you in 2026.” They later sold Virginia Motorsports Park to IHRA while retaining ownership of the PDRA, allowing the family and key staff to focus more heavily on the series itself.
For the Franklins, PDRA racing is also a family pursuit. Tommy is a three-time Pro Nitrous world champion and remains a frontrunning competitor. Daughter Amber Denton now races alongside him in Pro Nitrous, younger daughter Ashley Franklin competes in Top Dragster, and son-in-law Blake Denton has become a winner and championship contender in Pro Street.
The PDRA is more than a business for Tommy and Judy Franklin. Their family races there, their friends and customers race there, and their continued investment has ensured hundreds of racers still have a premier place to compete. – NATE VAN WAGNEN
four consecutive NHRA world championships from 1990-1993 before moving to Top Fuel. After Blaine’ s death in 1996, Johnson continued building one of the greatest tuning careers in the sport. Gary Scelzi won three Top Fuel championships under Johnson’ s direction between 1997 and 2000, while Tony Schumacher’ s historic run with Johnson included five consecutive championships from 2004-2008. Johnson later guided Larry Dixon to the 2010 title and has influenced championship-winning programs involving Del Worsham, Shawn Langdon, and Brittany Force.
As crew chief for Doug Kalitta, Johnson helped produce a 3.628-second run and 341.34-mph blast at Seattle in 2025 – career bests for Kalitta during his second championship season – and remains at the helm of Kalitta’ s Top Fuel program in 2026.
Johnson’ s influence goes equally deep on the manufacturing side. Founded as Johnson Racing in 1985, Alan Johnson Performance Engineering has spent four decades developing billet cylinder heads, blocks, and complete engine combinations for nitro, Top Alcohol, and doorslammer applications. Innovations have ranged from successive generations of Top Fuel cylinder heads to the 481X platform.
For years, Johnson’ s also served as the president of the Professional Racers Owners Organization, a trade organization that provides services and other benefits to pro drag racing team owners and drivers.
Johnson’ s legacy isn’ t simply that he has tuned some of the quickest cars in drag racing history. For decades, he has also helped design and manufacture the parts that allowed the entire sport to go quicker. – NATE VAN WAGNEN
DI
Glen Cromwell
Glen Cromwell, the president of the NHRA, joined the organization in 1997 as a Division 7 director, worked his way through national event marketing, media, and sponsorship roles, and became NHRA president in 2018. That
September / October 2026 DragIllustrated. com | Drag Illustrated | 111