Who was the first NHRA driver to win championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car?

Kenny Bernstein was the first NHRA driver to win championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. He completed the distinction by adding the 1996 Top Fuel championship to his four Funny Car titles from 1985 through 1988.

Bernstein’s Funny Car success came with crew chief Dale Armstrong and the Budweiser King team. After returning to Top Fuel in the early 1990s, Bernstein won the 1996 title and later repeated as champion in 2001. NHRA describes the achievement as becoming the first driver to win championships in both nitro classes.

This record is sometimes confused with simply winning races in both categories. Several drivers have competed successfully in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, and Gary Scelzi later matched Bernstein’s championship feat. John Force and Don Prudhomme are legendary Funny Car champions, but neither was the first to claim season titles in both of NHRA’s premier nitro divisions.