Believed to be the first "slingshot" dragster,[2] the Panorama City Special (designed by hot rodderMickey Thompson) had a full body, including skirted rear wheels, and a cockpit windshield wrapping around and over the driver.[3] The steel front wheels were covered by lakester-style wheel discs (Moon discs).[3] The car debuted in 1955, at the first NHRA U.S. Nationals at Great Bend, Kansas.[2] The wheelbase was only 97in (2,500mm).[2]
In its initial outing, it proved much slower than the competition, hitting only 142mph (229km/h), when others were reaching almost 150mph (240km/h). Later in 1955, however, it became the first single-engined fueller to exceed 150mph (240km/h), recording a speed of 151.26mph (243.43km/h).[2]
Notes
↑ Taylor, Thom. "Mickey Thompson Panorama City Special", in "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone", p. 32.
Donald Glenn Garlits 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 of drag racing, he perfected the rear-engine Top Fuel dragster, an innovation motivated by the loss of part of his foot in a dragster accident. This design was notably safer since it put most of the fuel processing and rotating parts of the dragster behind the driver. The driver was placed in front of nearly all the mechanical components, thus protecting him and allowing him to activate a variety of safety equipment in the event of catastrophic mechanical failure or a fire. Garlits was an early promoter of the full-body, fire-resistant Nomex driving suit, complete with socks, gloves, and balaclava.
The front-engine dragster is a type of racing car purposely built for drag racing. Commonly known as a "rail", "digger", or "slingshot", it is now considered obsolete, and is used only in nostalgia drag racing. Wheelbases ranged from 97 to 225 inches.
Marion Lee "Mickey" Thompson was an American auto racing builder and promoter.
A dragster is a specialized competition automobile used in drag racing.
Super Mustang is the name given to a Ford streamliner slingshot dragster project.
Glass Slipper is a pioneering streamliner dragster.
Sammy Miller was a dragster and funny car builder in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Miller Wedge is a pioneering streamliner dragster.
Wynns Stormer is a streamliner dragster.
Re-Entry is a streamliner dragster.
Researcher is a streamliner dragster, sponsored by National Speed Products.
Top Gas (T/G) is a former NHRA drag racing professional class.
Steve Swaja is an American dragster designer in the 1960s.
Nye Frank is an American dragster builder in the 1960s and 1970s.
Scuderia is a streamliner dragster.
More Aggravation III is a streamliner slingshot dragster.
Bushwacker is a pioneering streamliner slingshot dragster.
The Thompson-Voight dragster is a twin-engined streamliner dragster.
Scrimaliner is a streamliner slingshot dragster.
The Logghe Stamping Company is a dragster and funny car fabricator based in Detroit, Michigan.
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