Which organization did Wally Parks found in California in 1951 to govern drag racing?

Wally Parks founded the National Hot Rod Association in California in 1951 to govern and organize drag racing.

Parks was a hot-rod enthusiast, writer, and editor of Hot Rod magazine. He saw that racing was growing quickly but often lacked consistent rules, safety standards, and suitable venues. The NHRA was created to bring order to the sport and give racers a recognized organization.

Its early work included publishing rules, promoting organized events, and sending Safety Safari teams around the country to demonstrate safer drag-racing practices. The association held its first official race in Pomona in 1953, before staging its first national event in Great Bend, Kansas, in 1955.

A common mix-up is confusing the NHRA with the Sports Car Club of America, which governs and sanctions many forms of road racing, or with other hot-rod organizations. NHRA specifically became the major sanctioning body for drag racing.