How top fuelers lost the title kings of speed to funny cars
FROM ITS VERY BEGINNING AS A COMPETITIVE MOTORSPORT, SPEED HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE MARQUEE ATTRACTION AND THE MEASURE OF GREATNESS FOR ITS COMPETITORS IN DRAG RACING, FOR BOTH THE PROFESSIONAL AND SPORTSMAN CLASSES. Speed was king and the champions were Top Fuel cars.
For the past 60 years, drag racers have expended most of their energy and money attempting to figure out how to develop more horsepower and make their cars faster than their competitors. Until the last 10 years or so, racers, especially professional racers, and fans regarded the most significant accomplishments in the history of the sport to speed.
The first 200-mph-plus quarter-mile laps in Funny Car, Top Fuel and Pro Stock are mega-historical in the minds of racers and fans. Chris Karamesines, Don Garlits, Gene Snow, Bill Kuhlmann and Warren Johnson are all hugely important, ground-breaking figures in drag racing because each broke major speed barriers at a time where being the fastest car in a pro class was often as important as a national event win. For six decades, a nitroburning Top Fuel car has generally held the title of fastest car in drag racing. Occasionally, at some national events, nitro Funny Cars would record Top Speed of the meet, besting dragsters for the title, but overall, it was the dragsters that went fastest.
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Denne historien er fra November 2017-utgaven av Drag Racer.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Todd Atkinson, Sportsman Extreme
Riding the tsunami of fast bracket racers
Art Chrisman
Henry Arthur Chrisman died on july 12, 2016 at the age of 86. He was a driver, fabricator, race engine builder and pioneer in post-world war ii speed tests and drag racing.
Still Climbing Mountains
SHERMAN ADCOCK KEEPS ADDING TO HIS HALL OF FAME CAREER
Hauler High-Country
Bud Preuss Doing It His Way
David Rampy
While the sport of drag racing provides ample opportunities for competitors in the pro ranks to earn their livelihood doing what they love, there are precious few chances for sportsman racers to do the same.
The Best Day Ever
MIKE BOWMAN’S ODYSSEY TO A $100K PRO MOD PAYDAY.
This Beauty Is A Beast
THE WARDELLS’ RIGHTEOUS RIDE
Carrying The Brand Forward
CHEVROLET’S COPO CAMARO AND HOLLEY CONTINUE TO OPEN NEW DOORS
Bill Holland
IN DRAG RACER’S “BEHIND THE SCENES” COLUMN, VETERAN MOTORSPORTS JOURNALIST BILL HOLLAND ENDEAVORS TO SHINE THE SPOTLIGHT ON THOSE DESERVING RECOGNITION.
Pro Mod Updates
Underdog Mike Bowman snatched up the $100,000 prize at the World Series of Pro Mod event held at Bandimere Speedway.
