who built the first successful rear engine dragster
Don Garlits
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"Pawnbroker", for Dwane Ong, incorporating the lessons of the previous car; it debuted in 1970, and proved consideraby better. In August, Ong won the 1970 AHRA Nationals in the car. "Pawnbroker" won the American Hot Rod Association Summernats in Long Island, New York, the first national event win for a rear-engined car, with a pass of 6.83 at . "Big Daddy" Don Garlits examined the car and was so impressed with the forward view, he could not understand why everyone did not drive one--and why it did not work. Around the same time, Bernie Schacker's rear-engined car, the first with
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the rail was only supplanted by the rear-engined type (which is now standard) when Don Garlits introduced "Swamp Rat XIV" in 1971. He designed the car while in hospital, having suffered from severe injuries caused by an exploding clutch. Front engine dragster The front engine dragster is a type of racing car purpose built for drag racing. Commonly known as a "rail", "digger", or "slingshot", it is now considered obsolete, and is used only in nostalgia drag racing. Wheelbases ranged from . The front engine dragster came about due to engines initially being located in the car's frame in front
Front engine dragster
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Karamesines had the first pass and two years before Don Garlits had the first official rpass. A speed or e.t. record is first certified official after it is backed up by a different pass within one percent. Hill built his first Top Fuel dragster in 1963 using a Pontiac engine. He had nearly completed a jet-engine powered ultralight dragster in 1963 when the NHRA outlawed all aircraft engines. He built two more Top Fuel Hemi-powered dragsters before he had an engine fire at Green Valley Race City in 1966. "It was one of those fireballs that you couldn't see through,"
Eddie Hill
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Don Garlits Donald Glenn "Don" Garlits (born January 14, 1932, Tampa, Florida) is an American race car driver and automotive engineer. He is considered the father of drag racing. He is known as "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. Always a pioneer in the field of drag racing, he perfected the rear-engine Top Fuel dragster, an innovation motivated by the loss of part of his foot in a dragster accident. This design was notably safer since it put most of the fuel processing and rotating parts of the dragster behind the driver. The driver was placed in
Don Garlits
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Frank.) The car took six months to build. It was sold to Barry Setzer for US$15,000 in 1972. In test runs at OCIR, driver Pat Foster experienced a sudden, unexpected wheelstand. Buttera tried to solve the problem, some reporting the engine was moved, and other changes made; nevertheless, the car still had a tendency to what would now be called "blowover". The car is now on display at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Florida. Setzer streamliner dragster The Setzer streamliner dragster is an unusual streamliner dragster built in 1972. Built at John Buttera's shop, and conceived
Setzer streamliner dragster
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people in this country now because they have been so run over through the years that now the pendulum has swung." He supported the Republican candidacy of Ron Paul for President in 2008. Don Garlits Donald Glenn "Don" Garlits (born January 14, 1932, Tampa, Florida) is an American race car driver and automotive engineer. He is considered the father of drag racing. He is known as "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. Always a pioneer in the field of drag racing, he perfected the rear-engine Top Fuel dragster, an innovation motivated by the loss of part of
Don Garlits
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now one of only 2 drag race cars in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution, the other being Don Garlits' rear engine dragster. He was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2006. Larson is remembered for his red, white, and blue USA-1 Chevrolet Camaros Larson began drag racing as a 16-year-old at Linden, New Jersey in a chopped fenderless 1932 Ford coupe. Over the next ten years, he consistently won at local tracks using that car and later a 1954 Oldsmobile and a 1932 Chevrolet A/Gas coupe. In 1965, he switched from the coupes to a
Bruce Larson
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career. In May 2014 at age 82, Garlits set a speed record in an EV dragster, a battery-powered electric vehicle that does not burn fuel. After World War II, in the central and western United States, many air force bases and landing fields were decommissioned. These abandoned runways were perfect for drag racing. Don Garlits's first drag race car was built under an oak tree at his home in North Tampa in 1954. He used an arc welder and a cutting torch to modify an old 1927 Ford Model T Roadster. To this roadster he added a 1948 Mercury engine
Don Garlits
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restored by Petersen in the 1980s, and now resides in the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Florida. Petersen and Fritz dragster The Petersen and Fritz dragster, also known as the Can-Am dragster, is a streamliner dragster. Purchased by Herman Petersen in 1974, it was built on a Woody chassis with a blue-anodized aluminum body, which strongly resembled a contemporary Can-Am car. It was powered by a Donovan Chrysler hemi (when most of the competition was running s). This, plus the weight disadvantage thanks to the full body, meant it was only capable of mid-6 second e.t.s, when
Petersen and Fritz dragster
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Pawnbroker (dragster) Pawnbroker is a pioneering rear-engined dragster built in 1969. In 1969, prodded to action by the death of John Mulligan earlier in the year, Woody Gilmore (following the mid-engined Funny Car he built for Doug Thorley) and Pat Foster developed a rear-engined fuel dragster, which was unveiled in December. Gilmore and Foster built a similar car for Dwane Ong, incorporating the lessons of the previous car; vertical struts, with no wing (yet), prevented side-to-side motion. Powered by a Ramchargers-built engine, "Pawnbroker" ran -wide M&H slicks on -wide rims, rather than the usual and widths. Sponsored by Hastings Manufacturing's
Pawnbroker (dragster)
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Re-Entry (dragster) Re-Entry is a streamliner dragster. Built by Roger Lindwall, "Re-Entry" seems to have benefitted from his experience in hydroplane racing, featuring a semi-enclosed cockpit and enclosed engine and rear end, mated to a typical Top Fuel car's bicycle wheels, dropped axle, and zoomie pipes. The body was all-aluminum. "Re-Entry" was powered by a hemi. "Re-Entry" debuted at Cordova Dragway, Illinois, in 1966, where she turned in the first pass for a rear-engined dragster. At Indianapolis the next weekend, driver Wayne Hill clocked a 9.52 second pass at , only to have the car pirouette through the traps, wrecking
Re-Entry (dragster)
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it. Lindwall did not rebuild the car and quit drag racing. Re-Entry (dragster) Re-Entry is a streamliner dragster. Built by Roger Lindwall, "Re-Entry" seems to have benefitted from his experience in hydroplane racing, featuring a semi-enclosed cockpit and enclosed engine and rear end, mated to a typical Top Fuel car's bicycle wheels, dropped axle, and zoomie pipes. The body was all-aluminum. "Re-Entry" was powered by a hemi. "Re-Entry" debuted at Cordova Dragway, Illinois, in 1966, where she turned in the first pass for a rear-engined dragster. At Indianapolis the next weekend, driver Wayne Hill clocked a 9.52 second pass at
Re-Entry (dragster)
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Videoliner (dragster) Videoliner is a streamliner slingshot dragster, built for built for "TV Tommy" Ivo. Designed by Steve Swaja, "Videoliner" used a Frank Huzar chassis and aluminum body built by Bob Sorrell. It had a dropped front axle and bicycle wheels, a partially enclosed engine (leaving the blower and blower scoop exposed), and enclosed slicks (without wheel covers or skirts). The rear of the cockpit was also closed, but there was no canopy. The exhaust pipes exited flush with the top of the body on either side, ahead of the cockpit. The car was built for "TV Tommy" Ivo, who
Videoliner (dragster)
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new mid-engined car, "Swamp Rat XIV", in 1971. At first, the rodding magazines considered the disadvantages of the new design "obvious". "Swamp Rat XIV" turned in a pass of 6.80 right off the trailer, and was so successful during 1971, Garlits won two of his next three Top Fuel Eliminator titles (the Winternats and Bakersfield), and was runner-up at Lions, all in the new car. Rear engine dragsters have since become the standard dragster design. Dragster (car) A dragster is a specialized competition automobile used in drag racing. Dragsters, also commonly called "diggers", can be broadly placed in three categories,
Dragster (car)
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a best pass of 7.82 seconds at . Videoliner (dragster) Videoliner is a streamliner slingshot dragster, built for built for "TV Tommy" Ivo. Designed by Steve Swaja, "Videoliner" used a Frank Huzar chassis and aluminum body built by Bob Sorrell. It had a dropped front axle and bicycle wheels, a partially enclosed engine (leaving the blower and blower scoop exposed), and enclosed slicks (without wheel covers or skirts). The rear of the cockpit was also closed, but there was no canopy. The exhaust pipes exited flush with the top of the body on either side, ahead of the cockpit. The
Videoliner (dragster)
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Miller Wedge (dragster) The "Miller Wedge" is a pioneering streamliner dragster. Designed by dragster and funny car builder Sammy Miller in 1974, the car was allegedly a product of Miller's dislike of repeated funny car fires. It featured bicycle front wheels, a low-mounted, front-sloping rear wing, and a mid-mounted engine (placed further ahead of the rear axle than most similar dragsters). The body was a pronounced wedge shape, and covered the front of the slicks (unlike "Wynns Stormer", which had a more conventional body and broad wedge fairings over the engine and exhaust, ahead of the rear tires). The exhaust
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375-cubic inch supercharged Chevrolet V8 engine and a Devin bodyshell, and was originally built in 1959. Dante Duce also borrowed an A.C. Shelby Cobra, chassis number CSX2345, from John Wyer, and entered it in the GT class, car number 110 at Brighton. Duce cleaned up that day winning overall in the "Moonbeam" in a time of 21.95 sec, and first in Sports and GT cars over 2,500 c.c., in the Cobra roadster in 24.35 sec. Soon Brighton started holding dragster demonstrations over the quarter mile. In 1972 Clive Skilton produced an 8.18 sec run in his rear-engined Chrysler dragster. In
Brighton Speed Trials
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block, a 1939 Ford floor shift transmission, and a 1948 Ford differential and axle. That early T-Bucket's quarter mile performance was 13.5 seconds, at a top speed of 93 mph. It was this successful, formative roadster that would become the basis for his first rail-job dragster. He cut off the body panels, moved the engine back, and installed the seat behind the drive axle. (A similar design was built that same year by Mickey Thompson.) This was the legendary slingshot dragster with which Big Daddy would win the first NHRA race he entered, the NHRA Safety Safari in Lake City,
Don Garlits
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purely an update of the Ford Mustang (320) first seen in 1965, complete with huge rear wheels and headers resembling organ pipes fitted to the V8 engine. In December 1971 the Ison Brothers "Wild Honey" Dragster (164) was released which was a fully customised 'gasser' based on a 1930s Austin Seven saloon. The Adams Brothers "Drag-Star" (165) released in February 1972 was a four engined machine produced in conjunction with designers the Adams Brothers, and the earlier "Quartermaster" Dragster was updated in October 1972 as the John Woolfe Radio Luxembourg 208 Dragster (170). Corgi Toys introduced the first of the
Corgi Toys
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Wynns Stormer Wynns Stormer is a streamliner dragster. Built in 1972 by Woody Gilmore (who also produced Don Prudhomme's wedge digger), on a Woody chassis, the car had bicycle front wheels and dropped front axle, a very pointed nose, and an engine cover with broad, wedge-like fairings over the exhaust pipes, ahead of the rear tires; the fairings sloped steeply from track level to the top of the tires. In theory, the wedge body offered an aerodynamic advantage, decreasing turbulent airflow over the rear wheels, as well as increasing downforce; in practise, the extra weight exceeded any advantage. Driven by
Wynns Stormer
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oil additive, Torque, it debuted in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1970, and wore livery of white overall with red and blue longitudinal stripes along the si. In August, Ong won the 1970 AHRA Nationals in the car. "Pawnbroker" won the American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) Summernats in Long Island, New York, the first national event win for a rear-engined car, with a pass of 6.83 at . Ong ran the car mostly at AHRA events before switching back to Funny Car. Pawnbroker (dragster) Pawnbroker is a pioneering rear-engined dragster built in 1969. In 1969, prodded to action by the death
Pawnbroker (dragster)
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of the 'rail' dragster variety. The first 'Funny Car' dragster was the Santa Pod "Gloworm" Dragster (163) issued in July 1971, and which was based on the existing Ford Capri 3-Litre casting. Modifications allowed the body to be hinged from the rear, and by pressing a button secreted in the front bumper the entire body rose, by means of a spring, to reveal a roll cage and driver within and a detailed V8 engine. The next release was a figment of the Corgi design team's imagination. The "Organ Grinder" Mustang Funny Car (166), which was issued in October 1971, was
Corgi Toys
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Front engine dragster The front engine dragster is a type of racing car purpose built for drag racing. Commonly known as a "rail", "digger", or "slingshot", it is now considered obsolete, and is used only in nostalgia drag racing. Wheelbases ranged from . The front engine dragster came about due to engines initially being located in the car's frame in front of the driver. They did not use (and current dragsters still do not use) any form of suspension. Because of this, these types of vehicles were prone to becoming unstable at speed. This is due to their making ,
Front engine dragster
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2007 models had a 130/60–13 rear wheel. The wheelbase was 1310 mm. The mark "Dragster 50" was re-edited in 2007 in addition to the mark "Dragster 250". The forkless front suspension was criticised as leading to "non-harmonic and wobbly dynamics at lower speeds." Some critics complained about the noise level of the large water cooled two stroke engine, which had a catalytic converter. Italjet Dragster The Italjet Dragster (1998–2003) of the Italian manufacturer Italjet Moto is the only mass-produced scooter with a RAAD forkless front suspension and a spaceframe. Alessandro und Leopoldo Tartarini obtained a patent for this combination in
Italjet Dragster
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Joe Amato (dragster driver) Joe Amato (born June 13, 1944 in Exeter, Pennsylvania) is an American dragster driver, who won the NHRA Top Fuel championship five occasions and scored 52 event victories, most of them with crew chief Tim Richards. He was the first driver to exceed 260 mph and 280 mph in competition. Amato began racing cars as a teenager, when he worked at his family's auto parts store. He dropped out of high school to help run the store when his father had serious heart problems; eventually, Amato built the business into Keystone Automotive, a large and successful
Joe Amato (dragster driver)
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1964, and with Frank on the "Flying Wedge" streamliner dragster built for Don Prudhomme in 1971. Perhaps his most notable restoration was the engine for the Cooper Type 54-Climax, which, in the hands of Jack Brabham, began the "rear engine revolution" at Indianapolis. The restoration earned the car the coveted Monterey Cup at the 1991 Monterey Historic races, when, driven again by Sir Jack, it performed perfectly. It has since traveled to the Festival of Speed at Goodwood in 1993, to Australia in 1995 for the CART Surfer's Paradise race, to Michigan International Raceway in 1996 for the U.S. 500
Quin Epperly
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Kenney Goodell (nicknamed "Action Man"), the car turned in routine 6.67 second e.t.s, no better than Goodell's contemporary funny car (and so much higher than competing T/F dragsters). Wynns Stormer Wynns Stormer is a streamliner dragster. Built in 1972 by Woody Gilmore (who also produced Don Prudhomme's wedge digger), on a Woody chassis, the car had bicycle front wheels and dropped front axle, a very pointed nose, and an engine cover with broad, wedge-like fairings over the exhaust pipes, ahead of the rear tires; the fairings sloped steeply from track level to the top of the tires. In theory, the
Wynns Stormer
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new A/Gas low e.t. at 8.84 seconds and set the speed record in the class at 161.29 mph (259.57 km/h). Hill spent four months designing and seven months building another home-built dragster called the Double Dragon. The machine had two engines, with each engine having its own ring gear and pinion, clutch, and driveshaft. He used four rear racing slick tires in open competitions for faster passes, and two rear slicks in match competitions to produce smokier passes. The machine ripped up the starting line at the 1961 NHRA Nationals at Indianapolis. In 1962, Hill ran two years after Chris
Eddie Hill
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Roger Lindwall's 1966 Top Fuel "Re-Entry" and Kent Fuller's fueller "Sidewinder III", both in 1969. In mid-1969, "Drag Wedge", built by Logghe Brothers for Andy Granatelli, debuted, and later that year, prodded to action by the death of John Mulligan, Woody Gilmore (following the mid-engined Funny Car he built for Doug Thorley) and Pat Foster developed a rear-engined fuel dragster, which was unveiled in December. Driven by Foster, the Gilmore car ran just once, getting up on its single rear wheelie bar and breaking in two at around , at Lions Drag Strip. Gilmore and Foster built a similar car,
Dragster (car)
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Setzer streamliner dragster The Setzer streamliner dragster is an unusual streamliner dragster built in 1972. Built at John Buttera's shop, and conceived by Buttera and body man Louie Teckenoff, the car was an unusual magnesium monocoque (rather than the more commonplace tube chassis). The body panels were -thick sheet, fastened with adhesives and over 5,000 rivets; the inner and outer skins were separated by high-density foam. It had full-enclosed front wheels, cockpit, and engine, with a winglet ahead of the front axle and a low wing, just above the rollbar, in back. (The wings were designed and positioned by Nye
Setzer streamliner dragster
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restored. Goldfinger (dragster) Goldfinger is a pioneering streamliner slingshot dragster. Built by Pete Ogden to promote Tognotti's Speed Shop (Sacramento, California), the car debuted at the NHRA March Meet in 1964. It had a wheelbase, with dropped front axle and bicycle wheels, and a gold-painted aluminum body (hammered by Arnie Roberts) which left the engine exposed but fendered the slicks. Power came from a supercharged Chrysler hemi built by Ron Welty. The car was driven by Lyle Kelly, and turned in low-8s e.t.s at over . The car was sold in 1965, becoming "Bushwacker". In that guise, in 2006, it
Goldfinger (dragster)
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Goldfinger (dragster) Goldfinger is a pioneering streamliner slingshot dragster. Built by Pete Ogden to promote Tognotti's Speed Shop (Sacramento, California), the car debuted at the NHRA March Meet in 1964. It had a wheelbase, with dropped front axle and bicycle wheels, and a gold-painted aluminum body (hammered by Arnie Roberts) which left the engine exposed but fendered the slicks. Power came from a supercharged Chrysler hemi built by Ron Welty. The car was driven by Lyle Kelly, and turned in low-8s e.t.s at over . The car was sold in 1965, becoming "Bushwacker". In that guise, in 2006, it was
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Santos. However, on August 31, 1996 Johnson died from injuries sustained in a crash at the NHRA U.S. Nationals held at the Indianapolis Raceway Park. Johnson's engine exploded right as he reached the finish line. Debris from the engine cut down the rear tires; the thick rubber from the tires in turn sheared off the rear wing, causing a loss in aerodynamic downforce at the rear of the dragster, which caused Blaine to lose control. His out-of-control race car then slammed into a guardrail apex (an opening in the guardrail that existed for safety vehicles to enter the track), at
Blaine Johnson
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an industrial technology degree from Texas A&M University. Hill's entered his first drag race at the Flying Fish Lodge in Karnack, Texas in 1955. Hill drove his home-built hot rod to the track and won the event. The hot rod had a Model T frame and an Oldsmobile V8 engine. In 1958, he built his second dragster using parts that his employer allowed him to scavenge while working as a sales engineer at a foundry in Wichita Falls, Texas. He used the dragster to set the Texas state low elapsed time (e.t.) that year with a 9.93-second pass. The following
Eddie Hill
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in 1955, however, it became the first single-engined fueller to exceed , recording a speed of . Panorama City Special (dragster) The Panorama City Special is a pioneering streamliner dragster. Believed to be the first "slingshot" dragster, the "Panorama City Special" (designed by hot rodder Mickey Thompson) had a full body, including skirted rear wheels, and a cockpit windshield wrapping around and over the driver. The steel front wheels were covered by lakester-style wheel discs (Moon discs). The car debuted in 1955, at the first NHRA Nationals at Great Bend, Kansas. The wheelbase was only . In its initial outing,
Panorama City Special (dragster)
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the FG4B engine. Six units were provided to the taxi companies in Isesaki, Ota and Honjo Cities for private testing, with successful results. It was Subaru's first (and until the introduction of the BRZ in 2012), only front engine rear drive vehicle. Subaru 1500 The first vehicle built by the automotive division of Fuji Heavy Industries was called the Subaru 1500, with the development code-name of P1. The prototype used a monocoque body structure and adopting the "ponton" style appearance, with an independent front wishbone suspension and a rear leaf spring suspension with three plates and a live rear axle.
Subaru 1500
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divisional meets throughout the United States. Chrisman changed to Mickey Thompson's team in 1962. The Tommy Ivo-built machine ran on either gas or nitro. Chrisman set new top speed record of at York, Pennsylvania and a new e.t. record in A/GD (A/Gas Dragster) with an 8.34 second pass. The team debuted a new Pontiac Hemi engine a few weeks before the U.S. Nationals at Indy, and won the Top Eliminator crown. During a regular afternoon event at Pomona in May 1963, the dragster's rear end broke. Chrisman spent 42 days in the hospital recovering. After he had recovered, he started
Jack Chrisman
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various wins and track records. Ruth captured the NHRA Division 6 title five times between 1964–69 and began referring to himself as "The King". He quickly made a name for himself and in 1971 set a Top Fuel elapsed time of 6.43 seconds, tied for the quickest in history at the time, in his Don Long Mustang Funny Car which he built himself. In 1972, Ruth sold his funny car and adopted a rear-engine dragster powered by a Keith Black aluminum 426 Hemi. He would gain prominence in 1973 when he defeated two-time U.S. Nationals champion Gary Beck at the
Jerry Ruth
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Panorama City Special (dragster) The Panorama City Special is a pioneering streamliner dragster. Believed to be the first "slingshot" dragster, the "Panorama City Special" (designed by hot rodder Mickey Thompson) had a full body, including skirted rear wheels, and a cockpit windshield wrapping around and over the driver. The steel front wheels were covered by lakester-style wheel discs (Moon discs). The car debuted in 1955, at the first NHRA Nationals at Great Bend, Kansas. The wheelbase was only . In its initial outing, it proved much slower than the competition, hitting only , when others were reaching almost . Later
Panorama City Special (dragster)
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a cockpit situated between the two rear tires, a design originating with Mickey Thompson in 1954, as a way of improving traction. This position led to many drivers being maimed when catastrophic clutch failures occurred. Due to limited traction, some dragsters with four rear drive wheels were attempted as well as designs with twin engines. The drawbacks of front-engine designs (including fatalities) led to several attempts at rear-engined cars, and there were several attempts at rear-engined cars. Among them were pioneering rear-engined dragsters (and funny cars, including Doug Thorley's and Dave Bowman’s) were Steve Swaja's AA/Gas "Wedge I" from 1963,
Dragster (car)
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Thompson-Voight dragster The Thompson-Voight dragster is a twin-engined streamliner dragster. Mickey Thompson collaborated with Fritz Voight in building the dragster, which had a fully enclosed body (except the steel front wheels), including a closed canopy. It was powered by a pair of Chrysler hemis, one facing forward to drive the rear wheels, the other facing backward to drive the front ones. Wearing number 555, the car debuted in 1958 at Bonneville, after "an impromptu stop", where it achieved on its very first run. The next week, the car turned in a best speed of , but broke a connecting rod,
Thompson-Voight dragster
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Ontario, California. Researcher (dragster) Researcher is a streamliner dragster, sponsored by National Speed Products. Designed by Chuck Tanko in 1971, the car was a fairly conventional rear-engined dragster, except for a winglet (similar to the one Tony Nancy used the same year) between the front wheels. It used a Race Car Specialties chassis with a wheelbase (long, by the standards of the era) and was bodied in aluminum by Kenny Ellis, who also drove it. In testing, it ran 7.20 seconds at . Powered by a Chrysler hemi, it qualified for the last-ever NHRA Top Gas event, the 1971 NHRA
Researcher (dragster)
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Researcher (dragster) Researcher is a streamliner dragster, sponsored by National Speed Products. Designed by Chuck Tanko in 1971, the car was a fairly conventional rear-engined dragster, except for a winglet (similar to the one Tony Nancy used the same year) between the front wheels. It used a Race Car Specialties chassis with a wheelbase (long, by the standards of the era) and was bodied in aluminum by Kenny Ellis, who also drove it. In testing, it ran 7.20 seconds at . Powered by a Chrysler hemi, it qualified for the last-ever NHRA Top Gas event, the 1971 NHRA Supernationals at
Researcher (dragster)
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Yellow Fang (dragster) Yellow Fang is a streamliner slingshot dragster. Designed by Steve Swaja (with some tweaking by owner George Schreiber and his boss, "Big Daddy" Roth) and built by Jim Davis in 1963, the car had a wheelbase. The aluminum body, hammered by Tom Hanna for US$5000, had a very pointed nose, canopied cockpit, and V-shaped "claw" tail, and was painted Diamond T yellow with red lettering (hence the name). The straight front axle had bicycle wheels and wing-like fairings. The engine, a blown Chrysler hemi (bored over, for a total displacement of ) prepared by Bill Demerest (but
Yellow Fang (dragster)
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plus having poor tire technology, short wheelbases, and very light weight. (This was demonstrated to extremes in Fuel Altereds.) The driver sits angled backward, over the top of the differential in a cockpit situated between the two rear tires, a design originating with Mickey Thompson in 1954, as a way of improving traction. This position led to many drivers being maimed when catastrophic clutch failures occurred. Introduced with the start of organized drag racing, they were limited by the availability of traction from their rear tires or "slicks". A number of dragsters with four rear drive wheels were attempted as
Front engine dragster
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pipes were also enclosed. In theory, the wedge body offered an aerodynamic advantage, decreasing turbulent airflow over the rear wheels, as well as increasing downforce; in practise, the extra weight exceeded any advantage. Miller ran the car for the 1974 season, but had "mixed results"; the car had no obvious edge over more conventional rear-engined dragsters. Miller Wedge (dragster) The "Miller Wedge" is a pioneering streamliner dragster. Designed by dragster and funny car builder Sammy Miller in 1974, the car was allegedly a product of Miller's dislike of repeated funny car fires. It featured bicycle front wheels, a low-mounted, front-sloping
Miller Wedge (dragster)
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built the "Glacier Grenade," a rear-engined drag racing special. It was the first "All British" rear engined dragster of its type. Powered by a 2.5litre Daimler V8 it would compete in drag racing from March 1972 until 1989 when the car was outlawed from European racing. Russ began to drive the car in 1974 taking over sole driving duties after Tony's retirement from the sport in 1976 due to a spinal injury. Russ continued the car's development all the way through its racing life. In 1980 it became the first drag car under 5.5 litres, and the first all-British car
Daimler V8 engines
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maximum primary rear wing element angle to 2 degrees positive (measured when the dragster is at rest) to reduce downforce, and required that top fuel cars install a 2mm (0.090-inch) thick titanium shield behind the driver's head to block shrapnel from reaching the driver. They also required that rear tires have no less than the minimum manufacturer recommended tire pressure, which is 7psi, and to enforce this, Goodyear officials check, and if needed, adjust rear tire pressures at the starting line to meet the 7psi minimum requirement. Darrell Russell (dragster driver) Darrell J. Russell (September 20, 1968 – June 27,
Darrell Russell (dragster driver)
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Top Thrill Dragster Top Thrill Dragster is a steel accelerator roller coaster built by Intamin at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. It was the sixteenth roller coaster built at the park since the Blue Streak in 1964. When built in 2003, it was the first full circuit roller coaster to exceed in height, and was the tallest roller coaster in the world, before being surpassed by Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in May 2005. Top Thrill Dragster, along with Kingda Ka, are the only strata coasters in existence. It was the second hydraulically launched roller coaster
Top Thrill Dragster
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Junior Dragster The Junior Dragster is a scaled-down version of the top fuel dragster. Also known as the Jr dragster, it reaches speeds of up to 85 mph. The cars were developed in New Zealand in 1988, with classes developed by the New Zealand Hot Rod Association . The NHRA began sanctioning the class in 1991, with the JDRL (Junior Drag Racing League). The JDRL is a division of the NHRA, which consists of two different dragster classes, traditional Jr. Dragster having a wheelbase between 90-150 inches and a single-cylinder, five brake horsepower Briggs & Stratton engine, and the larger
Junior Dragster
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Allison V-1710 engines, due to their abundance, cheapness, and great reliability. They were the first drag racers to reach 150 miles per hour in the quarter mile. In the late 1950s, however, the brothers amicably split up. On August 6, 1960, Walt introduced the first jet-engine dragster. He used a parachute to stop the car since, unlike the piston engines, the jet engine did not provide braking when shut off. Arfons is also credited with being the first to incinerate a junked car with the exhaust from his jet dragster, in order to provide entertainment for the crowd at Indianapolis
Walt Arfons
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end of 1969, a pass recorded by Mulligan to qualify #1 at the Nationals. Other accidents included a flip (what today would be called "blowover") by Jim Nicoll at the 1970 Nationals after a clutch failure. The slingshot's advantages, putting weight over the rear tires, now served to cause the front end to lift, as tire technology improved, to the point ballast, sometimes hundreds of pounds worth, had to be added over the front axle, while others, like Ronnie Scrima (on his "Scrimaliner") and Tony Nancy, would mount a winglet. The drawbacks led to several attempts at rear-engined cars, but
Front engine dragster
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Porche (sic) engine. Kristi of Washington developed a new model called the KT7 snowcat, of which only 4 were built and only 1 was successful #002. The KT7 used a Ford Anglia gasoline engine controlled by governor over hydrostatic Vickers drive with body tilt. The industrial engine has a 104 cu.in V-4 configuration generating 80 hp. While never produced, the brochure also offered a V-6, 171 cu.in. engine as an option. The engine was mounted in the middle of the snowcat with the driver and front passenger forward, and the rear passengers aft, facing the rear. There were access doors
KRISTI snowcat
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of its competitors (aside from the rear-engined Porsches), from Ferraris to Aston Martins, were traditional front-engined, rear wheel drive grand tourers. The Pontiac Fiero was a mid-engined sports car that was built by the Pontiac division of General Motors from 1984 to 1988. The Fiero was the first two-seater Pontiac since the 1926 to 1938 coupes, and also the first and only mass-produced mid-engine sports car by a U.S. manufacturer. Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout In automotive design, a RMR or Rear Mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout (now simply known as MR or Mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout) is one in which the rear wheels
Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout
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leaving Thompson unable to back up his speed to make it official. While a reasonable success in land speed racing, the car proved too slow for drag racing, never able to top high-9 second passes or (even with its body removed), when contemporary slingshot fuellers were routinely hitting mid-9s. Thompson-Voight dragster The Thompson-Voight dragster is a twin-engined streamliner dragster. Mickey Thompson collaborated with Fritz Voight in building the dragster, which had a fully enclosed body (except the steel front wheels), including a closed canopy. It was powered by a pair of Chrysler hemis, one facing forward to drive the rear
Thompson-Voight dragster
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version with a Belgian Vivinus engine he travelled through the Far East from 1901 to 1903 and built Wenkelmobils adapted to the tropical climate in Java, where petrol was very cheap. The construction followed that of light American steam cars, with a standing engine in the rear and friction drive. After his return to Berlin Schneider & Co produced several models of the Wenkelmobil, which was at first a reasonably successful small car. The construction of the car was described in a contemporary automobile magazine with reference to the picture alongside: "The engine "a" sets the face plate "b", which
Max Wenkel
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new 87 BX line up style and also featuring new accessories that were not available before, such as rear spoiler and side skirts. The 1.8 liter engine produced running on gasoline or running on ethanol. The GTS was a very successful model and was kept in production alongside the upcoming GTI. Known as the first Brazilian built car equipped with electronic fuel injection, the Gol GTI was presented in January 1989 and featured a larger 2.0 liter engine with power of running only on gasoline. Claimed top speed is . This engine was the same as used in the larger
Volkswagen Gol
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failure." At Brighton on 15 September 1962 the Allard dragster clocked two runs at 22.30 and 22.04 seconds. A respectable performance but no outright win or record. "Motor Sport" reported: "It appears that before the end of the Brighton kilometre the Allard dragster had burst the pipe between supercharger and engine, a common problem with such an installation and the reason why the Americans bolt their blowers on the engine, eliminating a long induction pipe." Sydney Allard was joined on 14 September 1963, by Dante Duce in Dean Moon's "Mooneyes" gas dragster and Mickey Thompson with his Ford-powered "Harvey Aluminum
Brighton Speed Trials
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Scuderia (dragster) Scuderia is a streamliner dragster. In 1963, Jack Williams' Vancouver, British Columbia–based drag racing team (Williams-Devine-McDougall) rebuilt Williams' old slingshot rail with a new aluminum body (painted in blue metalflake), with a very long, pointed nose, faired-in engine, and blue-tinted Lexan canopy over the cockpit. The car's front wheels were spoked motorcycle wheels, the exhausts long "weed cutter"-style pipes (exiting horizontally, rather than vertically). The engine was a Chrysler hemi with a front-driven Potvin supercharger. Ron Lowe replaced Devine and McDougall. "Scuderia" made her debut at the 1963 NHRA Winternationals at Pomona, California in Top Gas, recording a
Scuderia (dragster)
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Italjet Dragster The Italjet Dragster (1998–2003) of the Italian manufacturer Italjet Moto is the only mass-produced scooter with a RAAD forkless front suspension and a spaceframe. Alessandro und Leopoldo Tartarini obtained a patent for this combination in 1997. The forkless front suspension is very unusual for motorcycles, and the Yamaha GTS 1000 (1993–1997) might have been the inspiration for the Tartarini brothers. They applied a very innovative technology and an unusual design to their scooter. All "Dragster" marks are based on a space frame, which was designed for more power. The wheel dimensions are 120/70–11 front and 130/70–12 rear. The
Italjet Dragster
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a rear wing, was the first to run in the sixes, with a 6.98 at , at New York National Speedway’s Spring Nationals (an event sanctioned by none of the national bodies). In April 1970, Mark Williams' car, built for Mike Dollins and Dan Widner (at a cost of only US$2,111.16), first appeared; its wheelbase was significantly longer than the usual for fuellers at the time. The car ran well, but required new driving techniques; Dollins and Widner lacked the money to continue racing it, and it was sold to a Colorado team, which switched to a hemi (rather than
Dragster (car)
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Offsetting these disadvantages is the benefit that batteries in an electric dragster can be evenly placed along the floor to keep the centre of mass low. Electric dragster An electric dragster is a drag racing vehicle which contains an electric propulsion system which is powered by batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors (ultracapacitors), and sometimes they include a combustion engine to recharge their ESS (Energy Storage Systems). Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly common because electric propulsion systems have recently been gaining recognition as a replacement for gasoline and diesel powered propulsion systems. They are being considered as replacements for gasoline and diesel
Electric dragster
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Hart Fighters by one flight of 23 Squadron during 1931 was successful, and larger orders followed for the fighter Hart, now known as the Hawker Demon. The Demon's first flight was on 10 February 1933. 305 Hawker Demons were built, including 232 for the RAF. The Demon was powered by varying versions of the Kestrel engine. It had an armament of a single rear .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun with two fixed .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns in the nose. Many were fitted with a hydraulically-powered turret in the rear gunner's position, which had been tested on
Hawker Hart
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ACE Cougar The ACE Cougar was a type of midibus built by Alternative Chassis Engineering (ACE) in England in the early 1990s. It did not prove successful and only two were built. The ACE Cougar was designed to use Leyland National components wherever this was possible. The chassis was powered by a 6-cylinder rear in-line mounted Perkins Phaser turbo engine coupled to an Allison automatic transmission and air suspension. Both models built were 10.5m long and 2.3m wide. The Cougar was built in ACE's factory in Huddersfield being launched in October 1990. The first Cougar was bodied by Wadham Stringer
ACE Cougar
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have been built, based on photographic evidence. The prototype was first flown in 1945 and the engine's torque, coupled with the short rear fuselage, resulted in poor longitudinal stability characteristics. To correct the problem the second prototype had the rear fuselage lengthened , the area of the vertical tail was increased and the rudder was given a trim tab. These changes were successful in improving the aircraft's flight characteristics, but the engine proved troublesome and prolonged flight testing into 1946. Its problems proved intractable and the program was canceled in the summer of 1946. Ilyushin Il-16 The Ilyushin Il-16 (Cyrillic
Ilyushin Il-16
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had been significantly redesigned with a new aluminum cylinder head and barrel of much larger proportions, to improve cooling. The new-look engine produced significantly more power, and while only 37 Mark VII KTTs were built, they are considered among the most beautiful of the series, as well as being very successful racers. Following the introduction of swingarm rear suspension on the factory race team in 1937, Veloce introduced the Mark VIII KTT in 1938, which was the first production motorcycle to use a swinging-arm rear fork with enclosed suspension units ('shocks'), although these were 'oleo pneumatic' and used air as
Velocette KTT
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about over the duration of the race and with a peak of over . Before their run, racers often perform a "burnout" in order to clean and heat tires. Additionally, the burnout applies a layer of fresh rubber to the track surface, which greatly improves traction during launch. At maximum throttle and RPM, the exhaust gases escaping from a dragster's open headers produce about of downforce. The massive airfoil over and behind the rear wheels produces much more, peaking at around when the car reaches a speed of about . The engine of a Top Fuel dragster generates around 150
Top Fuel
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for ending production were the thin and weak b pillars, which made seat belt installation very difficult. The SEAT 600 was replaced by the far less successful SEAT 133, a modernized derivative of the SEAT 850 designed by SEAT. Technically, the car was basic and not very modern; it was a license-built Italian Fiat 600 of 1955 with a rear-engine/rear-wheel-drive layout. The engine was a 4-cylinder, water-cooled unit formerly with a displacement of 633 cc producing and later 767 cc, yielding at 4600 rpm. There were two initial series:600 and 600 D 2-door saloon, distinguishable by the use of "suicide
SEAT 600
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Power came from a 1-litre Cosworth SCA Inline-4 engine, though larger engines were fitted later such as an Aston Martin V8 but were less successful. The G12 dominated the competition in its class, outclassing Lotus Elan 26Rs and Coventry Climaxes winning the 1,150cc MN series. Outside track racing, the G12 found success at hill climb events as well, before it was replaced by the G16. Approximately 28 were built. In 1967 the G15, utilizing a rear-mounted 875 cc Sunbeam Imp engine, was launched. This two-seat coupé had a glass fibre body bolted to a tube chassis and used Imp rear
Ginetta Cars
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Chevrolet-sponsored Sting Ray. Before TF/FC became an official class, funny cars were run as B/FDs and C/FDs (B and C/Fuel Dragster), an odd classification, since they were bodied cars, not dragsters. In 1965, Ford produced Holman and Moody-built fiberglass-bodied Mustangs for (among others) Gas Ronda, who was the most successful Ford racer. In 1966, Mercury offered a revolutionary flopper-bodied Comet, as exemplified by Don Nicholson's "Eliminator I", which clocked a 7.98 at Detroit Dragway in its debut season, the quickest of the fuel injected cars. The car was built by Logghe Bros. (based in Detroit) (with bodies by Fiberglass Trends),
Funny Car
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Ford Model N The Ford Model N is an automobile produced by Ford Motor Company; it was introduced in 1906 as a successor to the Models A and C as the company's inexpensive, entry-level line. It was built at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant. The Model N diverged from its predecessors in that it was a front-engine car with a four-cylinder engine. The 15 hp straight-four drove the rear wheels via a long shaft. This was also the first American car to use vanadium steel. The car had a wheelbase of . A successful model, 7000 cars were made before
Ford Model N
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“EFI Wizard.” This engine, (the Martin race engine) produces approximately 2,100 horsepower. In addition, Martin holds 10 world patents, and has been profiled by CNN, Speed, Style, and Sound magazine (May 2004), and Ebony magazine (June 2004). Martin has presented many times at various speaking engagements including Eton Academy, Jackson Community College, Hampton Middle School, and the Advanced Engine Technology Conference. He is currently helming an ACDelco-sponsored scholarship program for high school seniors interested in vocational/trade school. Harold Martin (dragster driver) Harold Martin is an American drag racer in the IHRA series. He drives a Pro-Modified Pontiac Grand AM, and
Harold Martin (dragster driver)
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Special" for some match-race style action. It was not to be. The American cars were not really suited to the kilometre, and there were no clocks for a quarter-mile distance. They had no brakes at the front and parachute brakes at the rear, no rear suspension, and advertising on the bodywork. All of this was enough to give the scrutineers (technical inspectors) fits. The cars did demonstrations only, reduced to burnouts and wheelstands, but left a lasting impression on the crowd. The Allard dragster put two rods through the block on Madeira Drive that day. The "Worden" dragster of Tony
Brighton Speed Trials
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MV started work on thrust augmentation. The resulting Metropolitan-Vickers F.3 was the first British turbofan engine to be designed, built and tested. Indeed, it could be said that the F.3 was also the very first 3-shaft jet engine to be built, although the configuration was completely different from that of the much later Rolls-Royce RB211 turbofan series, since the fan was located at the rear of the engine, not unlike that of the General Electric CJ805-23. Using a stock F.2/2, MV added a separate module to the rear of the engine (directly behind the HP turbine) which comprised contra-rotating LP
Metropolitan-Vickers F.2
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numerous races, including NASCAR's first National Drag Race. Later he designed a four-engine, four-wheel-drive dragster he called "Showboat" (with a quartet of Nailheads), but NHRA ruled it the first "exhibition" dragster, and he was unable to race it. Ivo's acting career began in the early 1940s, with notable performances including Cousin Arne in "I Remember Mama" (1948), and William Button in "Plymouth Adventure" in 1952. In 1955 Ivo appeared as Shelby in the "Heart of a Cheater" episode of the "Lone Ranger" TV show. From 1959-61, Ivo appeared as Herbie Bailey on "The Donna Reed Show". Ivo guest starred in
Tommy Ivo
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Dragster (car) A dragster is a specialized competition automobile used in drag racing. Dragsters, also commonly called "diggers", can be broadly placed in three categories, based on the fuel they use: Gas (gasoline), Alcohol (methanol), and Fuel (a mixture of gasoline and nitromethane). They are most commonly single-engined, though twin-engined designs did race in the 1950s and 1960s. The design of dragsters evolved from the front-engined rail (named for the exposed frame rails) of the earliest days of drag racing, into the "slingshot" (with the driver between or behind the rear tires, or "slicks") of the early to middle 1960s,
Dragster (car)
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doppler effect acceleration or taking-off, while a nose down orientation gives the sound of decelerating engines. A button at the rear of the cockpit activates the LEDs at the front of the toy, along with a blast noise, to simulate the firing of its lasers. The button was designed to be pressed by the thumb while the ship was held by the main body or engine piece (in "dragster" configuration). Two simple, detachable drone-like "Interceptors" are provided at the end of each wing. Star Bird also had a rotating laser turret which doubled as an escape-pod/orbiter-type ship. Very much to
Star Bird
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"American Mud Racing Association", and the "National Mud Racing Organization (NMRO)", that oversee each class, develop and maintain the relationship with track owners to provide a racer and fan-friendly facility, ensure the sponsors get a good return, and help govern the sport. A modern top level Class V or VI mud racer is a dragster-style "rail" design, with a supercharged engine and/or nitrous oxide injection. Engines may be in the front or the rear of the vehicles. Vehicles are required to have four wheel drive, in order to assure that the vehicles have the best possibility of avoiding being stuck.
Mud bogging
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drew up the design for the modern, rear-engine Top Fuel dragster. “Most fans remember the ‘Great Burndown’ between me and Steve Carbone at Indy in 1971,” Garlits recalled. “But do you know how much Carbone made when he won, and we’re talking here about one of the most famous Top Fuel finals in history. He got $3,000; that was it. I thought that was terrible and I just knew that NHRA, which was the bigger of the two associations, could afford to pay a lot better than that. So, I came up with the idea of the Professional Racers Association
American Hot Rod Association
8711327
wheels and guards disappeared from the SuperLight, and there was now only the fully floating rear brake to differentiate the 900 SuperSport and SuperLight. 1993 saw the introduction of the (M900) Ducati Monster, a 900 SuperSport motor in a modified 851 frame. It weighed 184 kg, and had a low seat height of 770 mm. It was not a race bike or a tourer, but a naked boulevard cruiser crossed with a traffic light dragster. It was quite a sales success. In 1994 a five speed 600 SuperSport and a five speed 600 Monster appeared. It was the original specification
Ducati L-twin engine
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than 700 kg, and the overall fuel consumption was not to exceed 6-7 litres per 100 kilometres (33-38mpg). The next step was to produce the car as a four-door saloon, which would be built using monocoque construction. Like most leading car manufacturers dating from before the Second World War, Škoda always built their cars using the traditional and well-proven front-engine and rear-wheel drive layout. However, Škoda decided to look at two alternative options. Their first option was to go for the more modern front-engine and front-wheel drive layout, and their second option was to use the rear-engine and rear-wheel drive
Škoda 1000 MB
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followed by the first De Tomaso, the Vallelunga, which mated a tuned Ford Cortina 1500 Kent engine to a VW transaxle with Hewland gearsets. Introduced at Turin in 1963, 58 were built 1964-68. Finally, in 1966, the Lamborghini Miura was the first high performance mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive roadcar. The concept behind the Miura was that of putting on the road a grand tourer featuring state-of-the-art racing-car technology of the time; hence the Miura was powered by a V12 transversely mounted between the rear wheels, solidal to the gearbox and differential. This represented an extremely innovative sportscar at a time when all
Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout
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Jr. Comp dragster being 150-190 inches in wheelbase and using a motorcycle or personal watercraft engine. Junior drag racers may choose to participate in programs run by the NHRA, IHRA, or at an unsanctioned facility. Drivers may be male or female and must be at least five years of age to test, and six years to compete, and be no older than 20 years on December 31 of the competition year (a driver who turns 18 on January 2 is permitted to race in the class until December 31 of the year in question). The track is 1/8 of a
Junior Dragster
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Electric dragster An electric dragster is a drag racing vehicle which contains an electric propulsion system which is powered by batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors (ultracapacitors), and sometimes they include a combustion engine to recharge their ESS (Energy Storage Systems). Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly common because electric propulsion systems have recently been gaining recognition as a replacement for gasoline and diesel powered propulsion systems. They are being considered as replacements for gasoline and diesel powered vehicles for many reasons, including the high efficiency of electric motors, their reliability, as well as their torque curves which can be achieved without a
Electric dragster
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the fastest time possible. Dragster (video game) Dragster, released in 1980 for the Atari 2600, is the first video game developed by Activision. It was programmed by David Crane, who later wrote "Pitfall!" The object of the game is to either beat the player's opponent across the screen, or to race against the clock for best time, depending on the settings used. "Dragster" is an unauthorized adaptation of the 1977 Kee Games coin-op "Drag Race". "Dragster" was reviewed by "Video" magazine in its "Arcade Alley" column where it was described as having "an interesting premise" and as being "undeniably clever
Dragster (video game)
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Dragster (video game) Dragster, released in 1980 for the Atari 2600, is the first video game developed by Activision. It was programmed by David Crane, who later wrote "Pitfall!" The object of the game is to either beat the player's opponent across the screen, or to race against the clock for best time, depending on the settings used. "Dragster" is an unauthorized adaptation of the 1977 Kee Games coin-op "Drag Race". "Dragster" was reviewed by "Video" magazine in its "Arcade Alley" column where it was described as having "an interesting premise" and as being "undeniably clever and, with a lot
Dragster (video game)
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the years, a rear-engine prototype was constructed, while a front-engine prototype was constructed in Richmond. The final decision was to produce the Lifestar only in the front-engine body style, primarily for cost considerations. The front-engine bus program proved more successful than rear-engine development efforts, and saw production with several different chassis. The initial production run of Lifestars were of a front engine (FE) design; production began in 1986. A rear-engine model would have been more costly than a front-engine model, and likely would have achieved lower production volumes. Competitors in that market were the Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER and Blue Bird
Wayne Lifestar
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the rear-engine cars were for drivers who liked to be pushed around, though as Brabham said "It started the rear-engined revolution at Indy". A. J. Foyt, who had won his first 500 in 1961, won the 1964 Indianapolis 500, which was the last ever win for a front-engine car, and since Jim Clark's win driving the rear-engine Lotus 38 in 1965, every winner has driven a rear-engine car. Graham Hill won the following year in his first attempt, eventually becoming the only driver to date to achieve auto racing's "Triple Crown of Motorsport" of winning the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
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was developed for 50 or more European cars in cooperation with an Italian tube company. These were marketed under the Intermeccanica label everywhere but North America, and sold particularly well in South Africa. In North America, they were distributed by Stebro, who eventually made the systems themselves. In 1960, from modifications of Peugeot engines a Formula Junior de-stroked, a counterweighted engine was developed, using the facilities of Conrero. A Formula Junior racing car, one of the first with a rear engine, was also built and sold. When the English Formula Juniors with Ford-based engines in the rear came out a
Intermeccanica
7823912
September 1962 the Allard dragster clocked two runs at 22.30 and 22.04 seconds. A respectable performance but no outright win or record. "Motor Sport" reported: "It appears that before the end of the Brighton kilometre the Allard dragster had burst the pipe between supercharger and engine, a common problem with such an installation and the reason why the Americans bolt their blowers on the engine, eliminating a long induction pipe." Allard then went to Church Fenton "setting up the fastest s.s. kilometre achieved by a four-wheeled vehicle in this country" - 20.86 secs. "Allard also did a s.s. ¼-mile in
Sydney Allard
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dragster, Vampire, that he was piloting. More modern jet dragsters such as Robert Albertson's "Blazing Angel" are capable of reaching over 300mph in a quarter of a mile. Most of these modern cars are powered by the Pratt & Whitney J60 or the General Electric J85 jet engine. Jet car A jet car is a car propelled by a jet engine. A jet dragster is a jet powered car used for drag racing. They are most commonly seen at race shows. Jet powered cars are commonly used for land speed record attempts, after an FIA rule change that permitted them
Jet car
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in the racing business. During the mid-1950s Epperly opened his own shop, where he came up with a radical approach in racing car design, by placing the four-cylinder Offenhauser engine on its side, rather than in the upright position, as was the usual custom for the Indy roadsters of that era. Called the "laydown Offy", it allowed for better high-speed aerodynamics and oval-track weight distribution. He also built the body for the first "Spirit of America" land speed racer, out of his shop in Gardena, California. Epperly worked with Nye Frank and Craig Breedlove on the dragster "Spirit II" in
Quin Epperly
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Green Monster (automobile) The Green Monster was the name of several vehicles built by Art Arfons and his half brother Walt Arfons. These ranged from dragsters to a turbojet-powered car which briefly held the land speed record three times during 1964 and 1965. The land speed record "Green Monster" won the land speed record three times during the close competition of 1964 and 1965. It was powered by a General Electric J79 taken from a F-104 Starfighter. The jet engine had a four-stage afterburner. The first "Green Monster", in 1952 was a three-wheeled dragster powered by an Oldsmobile six cylinder
Green Monster (automobile)
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USA episode 'Cool Cars for Grownups' on July 8, 2014. In 2013, the Bisimoto Honda Odyssey is featured in Autoweek, Examiner, TopGear, Autoblog and Edmunds. Autoblog Ezerioha was featured in 2013 book 'Dragster Drivers'. In 2012, Bisimoto designed and built a 530 HP Porsche 911 Twin Turbo Cabriolet recognized as the world's first drive-by-wire air cooled Porsche engine, with CAN BUS. Bisimoto Engineering is invited by Honda alongside DSO Eyewear/MAD Industries to take part in the 2013 Honda Accord Project Vehicle Program. In 2011, following Honda's launch of a new grassroots racing program they invited three independent vehicle tuners to
Bisi Ezerioha
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Petersen and Fritz dragster The Petersen and Fritz dragster, also known as the Can-Am dragster, is a streamliner dragster. Purchased by Herman Petersen in 1974, it was built on a Woody chassis with a blue-anodized aluminum body, which strongly resembled a contemporary Can-Am car. It was powered by a Donovan Chrysler hemi (when most of the competition was running s). This, plus the weight disadvantage thanks to the full body, meant it was only capable of mid-6 second e.t.s, when conventional fuellers were running low sixes. The car ran a total of just nineteen times before being retired. It was
Petersen and Fritz dragster
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and coaches also employ a similar design, however the free space is usually used for luggage, and sometimes airconditioning equipment. The Tata Nano, the cheapest ($5800) production car in the world introduced in 2008 and built in India, also features this layout. Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout In automotive design, an RR, or Rear-engine, Rear-wheel-drive layout places both the engine and drive wheels at the rear of the vehicle. In contrast to the RMR layout, the center of mass of the engine is between the rear axle and the rear bumper. Although very common in transit buses and coaches due to the
Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout
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a 1978 Dodge Challenger fuel funny car, powered by a supercharged Arias engine, a “hemi heads on a Chevy block” combination unique to the class. Mendy Fry Mendy Fry (pronounced "mindy") (born May 24, 1969 in Santa Rosa, California) is an American dragster and funny car driver competing in the NHRA. Under the tutelage of her father, Ron, she began driving quarter-midget sprint cars at age 4. As a teenager, she campaigned in the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster class. She is the only female drag racer to record a 5-second 1/4 mile elapsed time in a front-engined Top Fuel dragster,
Mendy Fry
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companion to their successful GT40. Ford declined to supply engines to Ligier for the JS2. A deal was struck with Raymond Ravenel, Managing Director of Citroën, to use the Maserati C114 V6 from the SM in the JS2. This engine was designed by Giulio Alfieri of Maserati, which company Citroën had purchased in 1968. Alfieri produced a 90-degree DOHC V6 with hemispherical combustion chambers and 12 valves. Built from light alloy the engine displaced 2675 cc and weighed , but produced . Têtu redesigned the rear cradle of the chassis to accommodate the Maserati engine, stretching the car by 50
Ligier JS2
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Orbitron The Orbitron is a custom car built by Ed Roth and feared lost until its rediscovery in Mexico in 2007. Built in 1964, the vehicle was powered by a 1955 or 1956 Chevrolet V8 and was backed by a Powerglide automatic transmission. The body was hand-laid fiberglass, hiding Roth's extensive chrome work to the chassis. The cockpit, set at the extreme rear of the vehicle in the manner of a dragster, was lined with fake fur and featured an 11-inch General Electric "1-Touch" portable television inserted in the console. Topping the cockpit was a custom-made, hydraulically operated Plexiglas bubble
Orbitron
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with less initial success. The mid-engined layout was brought back to Indianapolis in 1961 by the Cooper Car Company with Jack Brabham running as high as third and finishing ninth. Cooper did not return, but from 1963 on British built mid-engined cars from constructors like Brabham, Lotus and Lola competed regularly and in 1965 Lotus won Indy with their Type 38. The first rear mid-engined road car was the 1962 (Rene) Bonnet / Matra Djet, which used the 1108cc Renault Sierra engine, mated to the transaxle from the FWD Renault Estafette van. Nearly 1700 were built until 1967. This was
Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout
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Nissan" section underneath. For the first model year, the 810 Deluxe was the only version to receive the five-speed manual, while the luxurious 810 Maxima only came with a three-speed automatic. The Maxima's introduction to North America followed the successful introduction of the Nissan S30, and used the same engine and transmission while offering luxurious accommodations and four doors. The sedans have independent rear suspension while the wagon has a leaf sprung live rear axle. The wagon also received rear drums rather than disc brakes. The second generation retained the same 2.4-liter base engine as the previous Datsun 810, although
Nissan Maxima