NHRA Indefinitely Suspends Larry Dixon

Larry Dixon

The National Hot Rod Ass’n has indefinitely suspended three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon.

The NHRA said in a statement that Dixon violated Section 1.3.1 Participant Conduct and Section 1.6.3 Chassis Inspection of the NHRA rulebook.

During last week’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Dixon debuted the Larry Dixon Top Fuel Experience NitroX2 two-seat dragster and the NHRA suspension appears to stem from the chassis Dixon used to create his two-seat dragster.

NHRA officials said in a statement that they discovered the use of an NHRA chassis tag on the two-seat dragster that had not been approved.

“For over two decades, I have been asked ‘What’s it like to go down the drag strip in a Top Fuel dragster?’" Dixon said in a press release announcing the venture. “Well, ask no more. You can find out for yourself. After we went through the proper steps to ensure that the NitroX2 dragster could be designed and constructed with the utmost regard to rider safety. Then we went forward with the car build."

Dixon won the NHRA Top Fuel championship in 2002, ’03 and ’10 and has captured 62 national event victories in the Top Fuel class. He debuted his own Top Fuel team earlier this year during the Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Florida.

Dixon also butted heads with NHRA officials at Gainesville when series officials ordered him to remove the World Series of Drag Racing logo from his Top Fuel dragster. Dixon complied with the order, covering the logo with masking tape.

The 51-year-old Dixon can appeal the suspension per the NHRA rulebook.