Remembering Wally Parks and the Drag Safari: How NHRA Made Racing Safer

Wally Parks was the visionary founder of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and is widely considered the father of modern drag racing. His mission was to get street racers off of public roads and into safe, organized competition. To achieve this, he created the "Drag Safari," a traveling team that toured the country in a station wagon and a purpose-built trailer. This trailer, prominently labeled "Drag Safari," contained all the necessary timing equipment and a public address system needed to set up and run a drag race meet, helping to establish new, sanctioned dragstrips and teach local car clubs how to run safe events.
The NHRA Motorsports Museum, which now bears Wally Parks' name, serves as the ultimate tribute to his legacy and the sport he built. Located in Pomona, California, the museum houses a vast collection of historic drag racing vehicles, hot rods, and memorabilia, including the famous Drag Safari station wagon and its trailer. The presence of these three elements—Wally Parks, the "Drag Safari" trailer, and the museum—illustrates a clear and powerful narrative: Parks's initial vision to legitimize the sport was literally carried across the country in that trailer, and his enduring legacy is now permanently preserved and celebrated in the museum that he helped found.

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