![]() Department of Energy but returned to car building and opened Attebury’s Street Rods in Morgan Hill, Calif. Attebury quit car building for a short time and began working for the U.S. She went on to win her first NHRA world championship in that car. This attention to detail caught the attention of Shirley Muldowney who, in 1976, bought her first Attebury car. Attebury cars were known for being notoriously safe and he was known for his great attention to detail when building cars. All of a sudden, he was building cars for the likes of Gary Beck, James Warren, Roger Coburn, and Dennis Baca. Bradley’s 1976 NHRA Winternationals Top Fuel win kickstarted Attebury’s car building and the demand for an Attebury car was on. At 24, Attebury had his first paying customer, Frank Bradley. In 1973 he won the Bakersfield WCS, the WCS finals at Sears Point, and was named the Most Improved Pro Driver in Division 7. He and his brother campaigned a front-engine Top Gas dragster for two years. He built and raced his first car at the age of 20. His excuse was he was making the tractor lighter so it would go faster. Renowned chassis builder Attebury began his car building at the age of 5, when his mother found him taking body panels off the family tractor. In 2021, she began cheering on her daughter, Madison, and son Toby Payne as they began their drag racing careers. She stayed involved in the sport by becoming a crew chief as the family continued racing. After driving, Shelly went on to ESPN as a drag racing commentator. She suffered two terrible crashes in 2005 but returned in 2006 and had a solid campaign that season. In the early 2000s, she moved into the Pro Mod series, where she remained competitive. She continued to be a formative opponent throughout the years. While in Top Fuel she won four national events and set a speed record in 1996 that stood for several years. A few years later, she switched to Top Fuel dragsters, where she not only drove the car but also worked on it. She began her driving experience in Alcohol Dragsters, where she won the 1992 Southern Nationals. ![]() She began as a crew member for her father’s team by cleaning parts and working on the car. The daughter of IDRHoF member and champion Alcohol Funny Car driver Brad Anderson, grew up in the sport of drag racing. The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing has announced its newest inductees for its 2023 Hall of Fame and boy is it a list! John Force, Shelly Anderson Payne, Ron Attebury, Sonny Messner, Carol “Bunny” Burkett, Graeme Cowin, Vinny and Richard Napp, Bob Frey, and Linda Jones will be honored this year.
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