Over time, dragsters and hot rods divided. Hot rods
had normal engines. They used gasoline. Dragsters had
supercharged engines. They used special fuel. Dragsters
also had
modified
chassis. This made them faster than
hot rods.
Drag racing became popular. Race tracks were built.
Crowds didn’t have to watch from the ground. People sat in
bleachers. They loved watching the cars burn rubber.
Don Garlits was an early drag racer. Traditionally,
engines were in the front of the car. But that was more
dangerous. In 1970, something went wrong. Part of the
engine exploded. This caused Garlits to lose part of his
foot. He helped design a new style of dragster. The engine
was behind the driver.
Most drag racers are white men. But people
of color and women are starting to become
stars. In 2012, Antron Brown became the
first African American racer to win a major
title. Courtney Force is another drag racer. In
2017, she won her one hundredth race. She
was the first woman to do so.
DIVERSITY IN DRAGSTERS
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