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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 commonly 1⁄4 mi, with a shorter distance becoming increasingly popular, as it has become the standard for Top Fuel dragsters and funny cars, where some major bracket races and other sanctioning bodies have adopted it as the standard. The 1⁄8 mi is also popular in some circles. Electronic timing and speed sensing systems have been used to record race results since the 1960s.
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorsports sanctioning body in the world.
In aviation, a drop tank is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks externally carried by aircraft. A drop tank is expendable and often jettisonable. External tanks are commonplace on modern military aircraft and occasionally found in civilian ones, although the latter are less likely to be discarded except in the event of emergency.
Edelbrock, LLC is an American corporation engaged in the design, development and manufacture of specialty automotive and motorcycle parts. The company is headquartered in Olive Branch, Mississippi, with a Southern California R&D Tech Center located in Cerritos, CA. The Edelbrock Sand Cast and Permanent Mold Manufacturing foundries are located in San Jacinto, CA. Edelbrock has two facilities in North Carolina: the Edelbrock Carburetor Division in Sanford, and the Edelbrock Race Center in Mooresville.
Otis Victor Edelbrock, Sr. was an American automotive aftermarket performance parts engineer, racer and is considered one of the founders of the American hot rod movement Victor, known as "Vic", established Edelbrock Corporation in Beverly Hills in 1938 and is the father to Otis Victor Edelbrock, Jr., who was from 1962 to 2010 president and was CEO of the Edelbrock Corporation until 2017.
Alex Xydias is an influential figure in the early days of the auto racing sport involving hot rods.
Nostalgia drag racing is a form of drag racing using cars from the 1950s, 1960s and lately the 1970s.
The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located on the edge of the Los Angeles County Fairplex. It houses a collection of memorabilia, automobiles and motorcycles related to the sport of hot rodding.
Eddie Hill is a retired American drag racer who won numerous drag racing championships on land and water. Hill had the first run in the four second range (4.990 seconds), which earned him the nickname "Four Father of Drag Racing." His other nicknames include "The Thrill", "Holeshot Hill", and "Fast Eddie". In 1960, he set the NHRA record for the largest improvement in the elapsed time (e.t.) when he drove the quarter mile in 8.84 seconds to break the previous 9.40-second record.
A bobber, originally called a 'bob-job' from the 1930s through 1990s, is a style of custom motorcycle. The typical construction includes stripping excess bodywork from a motorcycle; removing the front fender, and shortening the rear fender, which is "bobbed", and all superfluous parts removed to reduce weight.
The Harley-Davidson VRSC, or V-Rod, is a line of V-twin cruiser motorcycles made by Harley-Davidson from 2001 until 2017. They are often called muscle bikes for their relatively high power output. The V-Rods are first modern Harley-Davidson street motorcycles with double overhead camshafts (DOHC) and liquid cooling.
Mark Whitney Mehran is an author, business owner, land speed racer, Hot Rod and Chopper builder and Pinstriper. Born and raised in California, Mehran attended Eaglebrook School and Cate School, and graduated from Brown University with an honors degree in English and American Literature.
Mendy Fry is an American dragster and funny car driver competing in the NHRA. Under the tutelage of her father, Ron, she began driving quarter-midget sprint cars at age 4. As a teenager, she campaigned in the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster class. She is the only female drag racer to record a 5-second 1/4 mile elapsed time in a front-engined Top Fuel dragster, as well as the only female member of the exclusive "Nostalgia Top Fuel 250 mph Club". In 2019 she recorded the first 5.4 second quarter-mile elapsed time in a AA/Fuel Dragster.
Bobby Meeks was an American hot rod engine builder and chief mechanic to famed hot rod driver and auto parts designer Vic Edelbrock. Meeks was pioneer in the early days of hot-rodding and was considered the first Ford flathead guru.
Ernie McAfee was an early hot rodder who was a member of the 90 MPH club and the SCTA Road Runners club of Southern California. He was killed in a vehicular accident in 1956 in Pebble Beach.
1950s American automobile culture has had an enduring influence on the culture of the United States, as reflected in popular music, major trends from the 1950s and mainstream acceptance of the "hot rod" culture. The American manufacturing economy switched from producing war-related items to consumer goods at the end of World War II, and by the end of the 1950s, one in six working Americans were employed either directly or indirectly in the automotive industry. The United States became the world's largest manufacturer of automobiles, and Henry Ford's goal of 30 years earlier—that any man with a good job should be able to afford an automobile—was achieved. A new generation of service businesses focusing on customers with their automobiles came into being during the decade, including drive-through or drive-in restaurants and more drive-in theaters (cinemas).
Honest Charley was an American businessman and pioneer in the high performance automotive parts industry. Born Charles Edward Card Jr., he was known throughout the racing and hot rod communities by the trade name Honest Charley. In 1948 he created the Honest Charley's Speed Shop in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the United States. The company became well known for its unique and entertaining catalogs which were originally hand drawn. Honest Charley's also attracted the attention of the aftermarket parts industry for its innovative distribution techniques. He was a racing enthusiast, patron and sponsor. He was a USAC Life Time Member with member number 121 and early member of the Indy 500 Old Timers Club. In 1970 he became the second inductee into Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Hall of Fame.
A Lakester is a car with a streamlined body but with four exposed wheels. It is most often made out of a modified aircraft drop tank. The main attraction is the drop tank's excellent aerodynamics, due to it being streamlined for aircraft use. Building lakesters became popular after World War II when surplus drop tanks were available cheaply.
Altered is a former National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing class and a current drag racing chassis configuration that forms the basis of many classes of NHRA Competition Eliminator.
Ed Iskenderian, commonly known by his nickname, "Isky", is an American hot rodder and entrepreneur.
References
- ↑ Madigan, Tom (2005). Edelbrock: Made in USA. San Diego: Tehabi Books. p. 324. ISBN 1-931688-18-4.
- 1 2 So-Cal Speedhop.com History Archived 2008-02-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ so-calspeedshop.com Alex Xydias History Archived 2008-01-17 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved November 10, 2009
- ↑ Oilstick.com NHRA museum article Groak, Bill, 2004.
- ↑ Supercars.net article Retrieved November 30, 2009
- ↑ "2003 So-Cal Lakester". Supercars.net. 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
- ↑ "Annual Quail Gathering" Cyril Huze