In 1996, T.J. Tracey took a huge gamble when he risked his mortgage payment to enter the inaugural B&M Million Dollar Drag Race, but the payoff exceeded his wildest dreams when he topped 157 other racers to win the $175,000 first place prize.
Overnight, Tracey went from being a little-known E.T. racer from Memphis, Tennessee, to enjoy a successful E.T. career, and has attended all three editions of the Million Dollar Drag Race in Huntsville.

As the owner of a large and successful construction company, George Tamasi, Sr.'s lifestyle wasn't significantly impacted by the record $235,000 payout he earned for winning the 1997 B&M Million Dollar Drag Race, but the prestige and notoriety he gained after winning the largest single-day payout in drag racing history proved to be priceless. Tamasi, who has since gone on to win several major E.T. racing titles, continues to spend much of the year on the road, racing with his son, George, Jr., and their teammate, five-time NHRA champion Scotty Richardson.

As the son of longtime Florida track operators Troy and Jeanette Williams, Troy Williams, Jr., was literally raised at the drag races. In a 1998 season that was filled with highlights, Williams scored the biggest win of his career when he claimed the $201,000 top prize at the third annual B&M Million Dollar Drag Race. Driving for former NHRA Super Comp champion, Ed Richardson, and the Mullis Race Cars team, Williams went on to win a number of other large E.T. racing titles, but none were as large, or as rewarding as his victory in Huntsville.