Edwards & Young Racing – Seattle & Kent, WA.

The Rear Engine Car Had Its Critics; But More Importantly It Had Garlits – Competition 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 Began – Hot 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