![1958 Fuel Dragster](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/1958_Fuel_Dragster.jpg)
A dragster is a specialized competition automobile used in
drag racing
Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most c ...
.
Dragsters, also commonly called "diggers", can be broadly placed in three categories, based on the fuel they use:
gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...
,
methanol
Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical and the simplest aliphatic alcohol, with the formula C H3 O H (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often abbreviated as MeOH). It is a ...
, and
nitromethane
Nitromethane, sometimes shortened to simply "nitro", is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest organic nitro compound. It is a polar liquid commonly used as a solvent in a variety of industrial applications such as in ...
. They are most commonly single-engined, though twin-engined and quad-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, to the "modern" type common in the 1970s.
Depending on the class they run in, dragsters can be
injected or
supercharged
In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement.
The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
(or
turbocharged
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
), 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.
Dragsters are distinct from "bodied" cars such as
funny car
Funny Car is a type of drag racing vehicle and a specific racing class in organized drag racing. Funny cars are characterized by having tilt-up fiberglass or carbon fiber automotive bodies over a custom-fabricated chassis, giving them an appea ...
s and
gassers, as well as from
Altereds.
History
Front engine
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
differential in a
cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft or spacecraft, from which a Pilot in command, pilot controls the aircraft.
The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the ...
situated between the two rear tires, a design originating with
Mickey Thompson
Michael Lee "Mickey" Thompson (December 7, 1928March 16, 1988) was an American auto racing builder and promoter.
A hot rodder since his youth, Thompson increasingly pursued land speed records in his late 20s and early 30s. 's
Panorama City Special 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 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.
Rear engine
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
Doug Thorley Doug Thorley was an American Funny Car drag racer, hot rodder and businessman. In 1967, he won the NHRA Nationals' first Funny Car Eliminator title, and was given ''Car Craft''s All-Star Drag Racing Team Funny Car Driver of the Year Award in 1968 ...
's and Dave Bowman's) were
Steve Swaja's
AA/Gas ''Wedge I'' from 1963,
Roger Lindwall
Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ...
's 1966 Top Fuel
''Re-Entry'' and Kent Fuller's fueller ''
Sidewinder III
''Sidewinder III'' is a streamliner dragster.Taylor, Thom. "Kent Fuller Sidewinder III", in "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone", p. 42.
Built by Kent Fuller in 1969, it used a transversly-mounted supercharged 350 Chevy (hence "sidewinder") in ...
'', both in 1969.
In mid-1969, ''
Drag Wedge
Drag or The Drag may refer to:
Places
* Drag, Norway, a village in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, Norway
* ''Drág'', the Hungarian name for Dragu Commune in Sălaj County, Romania
* Drag (Austin, Texas), the portion of Guadalupe Street ad ...
'', built by
Logghe Brothers for
Andy Granatelli
Anthony "Andy" Granatelli (March 18, 1923 – December 29, 2013) was an American businessman, most prominent as the CEO of STP as well as a major figure in automobile racing events.
Granatelli was born in Dallas, Texas. Along with his brot ...
, debuted, and later that year, prodded to action by the death of John Mulligan,
Woody Gilmore Woody Gilmore is a dragster and funny car chassis builder in the 1960s and 1970s.
Gilmore built the chassis for the top fuel streamliner '' Hustler VI'' in 1965.
In 1968, Doug Thorley bought a rear-engined Javelin funny car from Gilmore, pow ...
(following the mid-engined
Funny Car
Funny Car is a type of drag racing vehicle and a specific racing class in organized drag racing. Funny cars are characterized by having tilt-up fiberglass or carbon fiber automotive bodies over a custom-fabricated chassis, giving them an appea ...
he built for
Doug Thorley Doug Thorley was an American Funny Car drag racer, hot rodder and businessman. In 1967, he won the NHRA Nationals' first Funny Car Eliminator title, and was given ''Car Craft''s All-Star Drag Racing Team Funny Car Driver of the Year Award in 1968 ...
) 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 Lions Drag Strip was an American raceway in the Wilmington district of Los Angeles, California, adjacent to Long Beach that existed from 1955 to 1972. The track was named after its sponsors Lions Clubs International and featured many races that we ...
. Gilmore and Foster built a similar car,
''Pawnbroker'', for
Dwane Ong Dwane is a given name and an alternative spelling of Duane, Dwayne, Dewayne, Dwain, Dwaine and similar.
Notable people by that name include:
* Dwane Casey
* Dwane Husbands
* Dwane Lee
* Dwane Morrison
* Dwane Wallace
Dwane Leon Wallace (Octob ...
, incorporating the lessons of the previous car; it debuted in 1970, and proved considerably better. In August, Ong won the
1970 AHRA Nationals
Year 197 ( CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 '' Ab urbe con ...
in the car. ''Pawnbroker'' won the American Hot Rod Association
Summernats
Summernats (a portmanteau of "Summer" and "National"), is an annual car festival held in Canberra, Australia since 1987, except 2021. Summernats, which is usually held at the start of the year, is the best known specialist car enthusias ...
in
Long Island, New York
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18th ...
, 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 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
Hemi may refer to:
People Surname
* Jack Hemi (1914–1996), New Zealand freezing worker, rugby union and league player, shearer
* Ronald Hemi (1933–2000), New Zealand rugby union player
Given name
* Hemi Bawa, Indian painter and sculptor
* H ...
(rather than the usual .
Others rear-engined cars included ones built by
Art Malone (before working with Garlits on his), the ''National Speed Products Research'' carbuilt by
Frank Huszar (
Race Car Specialties) on a stunning wheelbase; driven by
Chuck Tanko, it was overweight, at , and could only achieve 7.20s at , never running in competition.
On March 8, 1970, at Lions Drag Strip, Garlits was driving ''Swamp Rat XIII'', also called the ''Wynnscharger'', a slingshot rail, when the vehicle suffered a catastrophic failure, and the car broke in half in front of the cockpit.
Garlits returned to Pomona with a brand 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
The Winternats is a competitive on-road gas powered radio controlled car race attended by racers from around the world. It is held annually in Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county se ...
and Bakersfield), and was runner-up at Lions, all in the new car.
Rear engine dragsters have since become the standard dragster design.
Historic cars
*
![White owl rear shot](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/White_owl_rear_shot.jpg)
1954 — first slingshot, built by
Mickey Thompson
Michael Lee "Mickey" Thompson (December 7, 1928March 16, 1988) was an American auto racing builder and promoter.
A hot rodder since his youth, Thompson increasingly pursued land speed records in his late 20s and early 30s. .
[''Hot Rod'', 12/86, p. 29 sidebar.]
* 1954 — ''Smokin' White Owl'', built by George "Ollie" Morris, first purpose-built rear-engined dragster and first car to use a Chevrolet V8 engine.
* 1962 — the Greer-
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
–
Prudhomme
Prudhomme or Prud'homme, may refer to:
* Prudhomme (surname), a surname of French origin. The surname derives from the Old French prud'homme, meaning a wise, honest or sensible man.
* Prud'homme, Saskatchewan, a Canadian village
* Prudhomme Lak ...
digger, with the best win record in NHRA history.
* 1971 — ''Swamp Rat XIV'' (or ''Swamp Rat 1-R''), first successful rear-engined dragster, built by
Don Garlits
Donald Glenn Garlits (born January 14, 1932, Tampa, Florida) is an American race car driver and automotive engineer. Considered the father of drag racing, he is known as "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. A pioneer in the field o ...
;
Ed Donovan introduces the 417
Donovan hemi The Donovan hemi is an American Top Fuel drag racing engine, designed and built by Ed Donovan and first appearing in 1971. In the 1970s, it was the most popular engine in Top Fuel dragsters.
History
Donovan developed the hemi- head V8 to over ...
, an aluminum copy of the Chrysler
[''Street Rodder'', 7/94, p.144.]
Notes
{{reflist
Source
* Taylor, Thom. "Beyond the Twilight Zone" in ''Hot Rod Magazine'', April 2017, pp.30-43.
* ''Hot Rod'', 12/86, p.29 sidebar
Drag racing cars