The National Hot Rod Association was founded in 1951.
Wally Parks formed the NHRA in California during a period when drag racing was changing from informal hot-rodding contests into an organized motorsport. Parks, who was closely associated with Hot Rod magazine and the Southern California Timing Association, wanted a national body that could establish safety rules, technical standards, and consistent competition.
The organization’s founding preceded its first official race by about two years. That inaugural sanctioned event was held in April 1953 at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona. In 1954, the NHRA introduced its Safety Safari, helping communities stage controlled races and encouraging racers to leave public roads and improvised venues.
The year 1951 is sometimes confused with 1953, because 1953 marks the first official NHRA race rather than the organization’s creation. The first NHRA national event came later, in 1955, at Great Bend Municipal Airport in Kansas.