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265:(at a cost of only US$ 2,111.16), first appeared; its 235 in (6,000 mm) wheelbase was significantly longer than the 180 in (4,600 mm) 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 354 cu in (5,800 cc)
60:
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, to the "modern" type common in the 1970s.
134:
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.
216:) 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 220 mph (350 km/h), at
254:'s rear-engined car, the first with a rear wing, was the first to run in the sixes, with a 6.98 at 192.70 mph (310.12 km/h), at New York National Speedway's Spring Nationals (an event sanctioned by none of the national bodies).
138:
The final Top Fuel driver to win a
National Hot Rod Association national event in a front engine dragster was Art Marshall on August 6, 1972 at the Le Grandnational outside of Montreal, Canada.
146:
The drawbacks of front-engine designs (including fatalities) led to several attempts at rear-engined cars. Among them were pioneering rear-engined dragsters (and funny cars, including
76:), with a variety of possible engines. The engines are most often derived from automobiles'; some early examples used surplus aircraft engines. Today, they may also be electric.
716:
118:
The front engine dragster came about due to engines initially being located in the car's frame in front of the driver. The driver sits angled backward, over the top of the
239:
250:
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,
559:
Taylor, Thom. "Tony Nancy Gas
Dragster", "Roger Lindwall Re-Entry", and "Kent Fuller Sidewinder III", in "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone", pp.34, 38, and 42.
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231:
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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
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164:
292:, it was overweight, at 1,375 lb (624 kg), and could only achieve 7.20s at 210 mph (340 km/h), never running in competition.
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230:, incorporating the lessons of the previous car; it debuted in 1970, and proved considerably better. In August, Ong won the
303:, a slingshot rail, when the vehicle suffered a catastrophic failure, and the car broke in half in front of the cockpit.
352:, built by George "Ollie" Morris, first purpose-built rear-engined dragster and first car to use a Chevrolet V8 engine.
57:. They are most commonly single-engined, though twin-engined and quad-engined designs did race in the 1950s and 1960s.
772:
131:
45:
Dragsters, also commonly called "diggers", can be broadly placed in three categories, based on the fuel they use:
246:, the first national event win for a rear-engined car, with a pass of 6.83 at 219 mph (352 km/h).
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310:, in 1971. At first, the rodding magazines considered the disadvantages of the new design "obvious".
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543:"Gallery: The Best of 1970s Drag Racing", written by Dave Kommel on April 25, 2017, at
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editor. "Front to back: The rear-engine transition", written 20 February 2015, at
217:
182:
158:
342:
204:, debuted, and later that year, prodded to action by the death of John Mulligan,
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127:
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staff writers. "The
History Of Hot Rodding – 1970s", written 29 August 2013, at
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Rear engine dragsters have since become the standard dragster design.
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80:
19:
759:
High
Performance The Culture and Technology of Drag Racing 1950-2000
108:
An example of a front engined dragster, driven by Tom McEwen in 1967
318:
and
Bakersfield), and was runner-up at Lions, all in the new car.
50:
46:
24:
288:) on a stunning 254 in (6,500 mm) wheelbase; driven by
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An example of a rear engined dragster, driven by Cory McClenathan
155:
123:
763:. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp.
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situated between the two rear tires, a design originating with
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Street
Thunder Flashback: "Big Daddy" and his "Swamp Rat XIV"
306:
Garlits returned to Pomona with a brand new mid-engined car,
721:
269:(rather than the usual 392 cu in (6,420 cc).
295:
On March 8, 1970, at Lions Drag Strip, Garlits was driving
64:
Depending on the class they run in, dragsters can be
374:), first successful rear-engined dragster, built by
756:
79:Dragsters are distinct from "bodied" cars such as
363:digger, with the best win record in NHRA history.
842:
272:Others rear-engined cars included ones built by
38:is a specialized competition automobile used in
30:, on display at the California Automobile Museum
499:Burgess, Phil; Editor, NHRA National Dragster.
457:
257:In April 1970, Mark Williams' car, built for
827:Taylor, Thom. "Beyond the Twilight Zone" in
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276:(before working with Garlits on his), the
220:. Gilmore and Foster built a similar car,
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441:"Florida Icon: Don 'Big Daddy' Garlits"
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338:built by George "Ollie" Morris in 1954
238:won the American Hot Rod Association
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13:
386:, an aluminum copy of the Chrysler
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341:1954 — first slingshot, built by
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278:National Speed Products Research
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16:Automobile used in drag racing
1:
501:"The slingshot's last hurrah"
730:, 12/86, p. 29 sidebar.
7:
609:(retrieved 1 November 2018)
208:(following the mid-engined
150:'s and Dave Bowman's) were
10:
867:
173:and Kent Fuller's fueller
111:
94:
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23:An early example, a 1958
755:Post, Robert C. (2001).
625:(retrieved 19 June 2017)
467:. Jul 1990. p. 143.
439:Levy, Art (2012-10-03).
390:
831:, April 2017, pp.30-43.
685:. Dec 1986. p. 28.
650:. Dec 1986. p. 28.
637:(retrieved 24 May 2017)
571:(retrieved 24 May 2017)
550:(retrieved 22 May 2017)
407:. Dec 1986. p. 29.
248:"Big Daddy" Don Garlits
339:
187:
109:
31:
837:, 12/86, p.29 sidebar
790:, 12/86, p.29 sidebar
740:"Smokin' White Owl".
334:
244:Long Island, New York
185:
132:Panorama City Special
114:Front engine dragster
107:
22:
286:Race Car Specialties
382:introduces the 417
232:1970 AHRA Nationals
529:has generic name (
340:
299:, also called the
188:
110:
87:, as well as from
32:
698:Missing or empty
663:Missing or empty
603:National Dragster
480:Missing or empty
420:Missing or empty
355:1962 — the Greer-
350:Smokin' White Owl
336:Smokin' White Owl
167:'s 1966 Top Fuel
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851:Drag racing cars
829:Hot Rod Magazine
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744:. November 1954.
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218:Lions Drag Strip
179:, both in 1969.
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343:Mickey Thompson
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252:Bernie Schacker
202:Andy Granatelli
198:Logghe Brothers
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128:Mickey Thompson
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635:NHRA.com photo
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297:Swamp Rat XIII
176:Sidewinder III
165:Roger Lindwall
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112:Main article:
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15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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812:Street Rodder
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770:
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691:cite magazine
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445:Florida Trend
442:
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427:
414:
413:cite magazine
406:
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381:
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373:
372:Swamp Rat 1-R
369:
368:Swamp Rat XIV
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325:Historic cars
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312:Swamp Rat XIV
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308:Swamp Rat XIV
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280:car built by
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212:he built for
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206:Woody Gilmore
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190:In mid-1969,
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700:|title=
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527:|last2=
508:. Retrieved
504:
494:
482:|title=
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448:. Retrieved
444:
434:
422:|title=
404:
399:
384:Donovan hemi
371:
367:
349:
335:
320:
311:
307:
305:
301:Wynnscharger
300:
296:
294:
282:Frank Huszar
277:
271:
259:Mike Dollins
256:
235:
234:in the car.
222:
214:Doug Thorley
191:
189:
174:
169:
159:
148:Doug Thorley
145:
137:
120:differential
117:
100:Front engine
78:
74:turbocharged
70:supercharged
63:
59:
55:nitromethane
44:
35:
33:
376:Don Garlits
290:Chuck Tanko
196:, built by
163:from 1963,
152:Steve Swaja
142:Rear engine
40:drag racing
510:2019-07-30
450:2014-03-21
380:Ed Donovan
316:Winternats
274:Art Malone
263:Dan Widner
240:Summernats
236:Pawnbroker
223:Pawnbroker
193:Drag Wedge
81:funny cars
361:Prudhomme
228:Dwane Ong
210:Funny Car
845:Category
607:NHRA.com
569:NHRA.com
519:cite web
170:Re-Entry
89:Altereds
66:injected
51:methanol
47:gasoline
36:dragster
835:Hot Rod
800:Hot Rod
788:Hot Rod
742:Hot Rod
728:Hot Rod
683:Hot Rod
648:Hot Rod
619:Hot Rod
546:Hot Rod
465:Hot Rod
405:Hot Rod
366:1971 —
359:–
348:1954 —
160:Wedge I
124:cockpit
95:History
85:gassers
822:Source
771:
548:online
226:, for
156:AA/Gas
53:, and
391:Notes
357:Black
122:in a
769:ISBN
704:help
669:help
531:help
505:NHRA
486:help
426:help
370:(or
267:hemi
261:and
200:for
83:and
72:(or
28:rail
25:Fuel
242:in
154:'s
130:'s
68:or
847::
767:.
765:38
695::
693:}}
689:{{
660::
658:}}
654:{{
576:^
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517:{{
503:.
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471:{{
443:.
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411:{{
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49:,
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484:(
453:.
428:)
424:(
345:.
284:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
