Which NHRA professional class was added in 1966?

The NHRA professional class added in 1966 was Funny Car.

Funny Cars grew out of the experimental and altered-wheelbase machines that modified production-bodied cars for drag racing. Their unusual proportions and stretched wheelbases made them look “funny,” while powerful engines and increasingly specialized chassis pushed them far beyond ordinary showroom vehicles. NHRA first hosted Funny Car as an official eliminator at the 1966 World Finals, where Eddie Schartman became the first official winner.

The timeline has a small historical wrinkle. Funny Cars appeared in several forms before 1966, and the class was not immediately a full championship category. NHRA ran additional dedicated events in the late 1960s before Funny Car became championship-eligible in 1970. That distinction explains why some histories describe 1966 as the class’s introduction and others emphasize 1970 as its formal professional-series debut.

Modern Funny Cars are purpose-built nitro-burning machines with composite replica bodies, while Top Fuel dragsters use an open-wheel-style layout. Pro Stock, another major professional class, arrived later, in 1970, with a stronger emphasis on production-based cars.