CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• 1967 Received the Keys to the City of Daytona Beach
• Car Craft Magazines All-Star Team, “Top Fuel Driver of The Year” 1969,’70,’72,’73,’75,’76,’77,’78,’86
• Car Craft Magazines “Man of the Year” - 1969, ’71, ’72, and 1973
• Voted into Auto Racing All-American Team by the AARWBA -1970,’71,’72,’73,’74,’75,’79,’84,’85,’87
• Car Craft Magazines All-Star Team, as “Chassis Builder of the Year,” (Top Fuel) 1970 and 1971
• Drag News Magazine voted Don as, “Man of the Year” - 1971, 1973, and 1975
• American Hot Rod Association (AHRA), “Fuel Driver of the Year” - 1971, ’72, ’73, and 1974
• 1971 - Presidential Guest at the White House - Also received the Chris Schenkel Award
• 1972 Popular Hot Rod Magazine declared Swamp Rat “The Dragster of the Decade,” 1960-1970
• Founder and President of the Professional Racers Organization (PRO) - 1972, ‘73,’74,’75, and 1976
• 1973 - Inducted into the Florida Pro Sports Hall of Fame - Race Drivers Hall of Fame, Ontario, CA
• 1974 - Honorary President of the Cragar 5 -second Club - Motorsports Hall of Fame, Ontario, CA
• 1975 - Elected to the Goodyear Motorsports Advisory Board - Key to the City of Tampa
• 1984 - Received the Keys to the City of Las Vegas
• 1985 - Inducted into Motorsports Hall of Fame, Talladega, AL - Received the Sid Collins Award
• 1985 - Chosen by Racers for Christ and NHRA Division 2 as “Person of the Year”
• National Hot Rod Association Division 2, “Professional Category Driver of the Year” 1985 and 1986
• 1989 - Inducted into the National Hot Rod Associations, Southeastern Hall of Fame
• 1989 - Inducted into Motorsports Hall of Fame, Novi Michigan
• 1997 - Inducted into International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Talladega Alabama
• 1997 - Hot Rod Magazine Hall of Fame
• 1999 - Voted Top Ten driver of the Century
• 1999 - California Cruising Hall of Fame, San Bernardino California
• 2001 - Returned to the sport, drove Gary Clapshaw's T/F car to 303.37 MPH with an ET of 4.720 Seconds
• 2001 - Voted the number 1 Drag Racer for the last 50 years by the NHRA
• First Dragster to top 170, 180, 200, 240, 250, 260, and 270 MPH - First to top 200 in the 1/8 mile
• 17 World Champion Titles, 8 U.S. National Championships, and a total of 144 National Event Wins
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