The Advent of the Rear Engined Dragster

The Rear Engine Car Had Its Critics; But More Importantly It Had GarlitsCompetition Plus.com – February 3, 2010

Comment:  This story is misleading in my opinion.  The reason Don Garlits designed the rear engined dragster was because of safety issues, not for improved visibility!  He lost part of his foot in a clutch explosion and decided that moving the engine to the back would greatly enhance the driver’s safety from fires and explosions.

A short read by Hot Rod magazine helps set the record straight:

Don Garlits Top Fuel Dragster – Where It All BeganHot Rod – Feb 2009

And more on the subject by NHRA:

http://www.nhra.net/50th/top50/index.html

“…The 1970s opened badly for Garlits when a transmission explosion — in the fatefully tagged Swamp Rat XIII — in the final round of an AHRA national event in Long Beach, Calif., cut his car in half and took a portion of his right foot with it. That was the last straw for Garlits, who had been sitting behind the oil- and fire-spewing supercharged, nitro-burning engines for more than 10 years. Having already reached a speed of 240 mph two years before, Garlits was faced with quitting or making the novel rear-engine dragster design competitive. He chose the latter, resulting in his second major accomplishment…”

Roger Young – Edwards & Young Racing

Don Garlits’ website

About Roger

Driver of our '57 Chev from 1972-2019, Vietnam veteran (A Troop, 3/17th Air Cavalry Scout helicopter Line Chief and later Cobra Periodic Inspection team leader), retired ASE rated automotive mechanic. Roger became involved in drag racing during his high school days and after his stint in the Army ran E & F/MP [Modified Production] here in Division 6 before switching to bracket racing when the '57 became obsolete for class racing. He often raced at Puyallup, Kent-Pacific Raceways, Bremerton, Portland & the original Mission, B.C. track.
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2 Responses to The Advent of the Rear Engined Dragster

  1. Roger Young says:

    There were many critics of the rear engined dragster. Many said it would never go straight. And Garlits did have some early problems, if memory serves correctly, getting it down the track.

    Let’s give credit where credit is due! Garlits was very innovative and probably saved many lives over the years developing the dragster. Not all his ideas were successes, but he certainly opened the door for the performance we see today.

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