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  1. Joe Amato (born June 13, 1944) is an American dragster driver, who won the National Hot Rod Association 's Top Fuel championship five occasions and scored 52 event victories, most of them with crew chief Tim Richards.

  2. May 12, 2020 · From a ‘53 Ford for his first car, Amato was soon dabbling in drag racing, and he won five NHRA national events in the Pro Comp ranks in a ride that would now be classified as Top Alcohol Dragster. In 1982, he and crew chief Tim Richards made the move up to Top Fuel eliminator, and Amato finished in the top 10 in points every year he raced.

  3. In 24 years of competition as an owner and driver in the NHRA’s Top Fuel category, Joe Amato has achieved immense success behind the wheel of a dragster as well as at the helm of a major corporation such as Keystone Automotive.

  4. Dec 22, 2023 · When Amato retired at the end of 2000, he did so at the time as the winningest driver in Top Fuel with 52 national events. He was also a five-time NHRA Top Fuel champion. The thrill of driving in competition is something Amato knew he’d miss, but he replaced that with being a team owner, something he retired from as well.

  5. Amato made the sport’s first 280-mph run in 1987 and won the Winston championship again in 1988, but arguably his most successful season was 1990, when he won six national events, tying the NHRA record for most Top Fuel dragster victories in one season (since bettered by Gary Scelzi).

  6. Oct 25, 2017 · Joe Amato joined NHRA reporter Lewis Bloom via Skype in the Wally Parks NHRA Studio delivered by Papa John’s to talk about what he has been up to since his retirement from drag racing.

  7. He's also fifth on the all-time Number 1 qualifiers list and the only five-time points champion in NHRA Top Fuel history. When he wasn't winning the championship outright, Amato was easily finishing in the Top 10, a consistency he maintained for 18 consecutive seasons.

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