Kings of the Quarter-Mile: Rail-Jobs, Slingshots & Mid-Engine Dragsters (A Photo Gallery) [Paperback]

Lou Hart (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Photo Gallery | Publication Date: June 15, 2009

When our young heroes began returning from World War II, they applied the knowledge gained from Uncle Sam towards the fledgling hot rod movement. While speeds increased, rodders learned the hard way just how dangerous it was to “drag it out” on the city streets. In the mid ‘50s, organized drag racing gave hot rodders a safe place to race. Cars evolved from pre-war coupes and sedans to crude “rail jobs,” which were stripped and narrowed frame rails with nothing more than an engine, driveline, seat, and steering gear. As hot rodders were the true Mothers of Invention, the cars later became hand-made, finely crafted “Slingshot Dragsters.” Dubbed the “Kings of the Sport,” these supercharged, fuel-injected Slingshots burned exotic fuels and captured the attention of every young enthusiast from coast to coast. The cars dazzled with gleaming chrome, Candy Apple, Pearlescent, and Metalflake® paint jobs, while the nitromethane fuel produced an unforgettable thunderous sound. This new volume contains all the stars that waged war on quarter-mile strips of asphalt from California to Maine. It’s a vivid pictorial display that captures the true essence of extreme acceleration in all its glory.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

As early hot rodders were the true Mothers of Invention, the cars later became hand-made, finely crafted “Slingshot Dragsters.” Dubbed the “Kings of the Sport,” these supercharged, fuel-injected Slingshots burned exotic fuels and captured the attention of every young enthusiast from coast to coast. This new funny car gallery contains all the stars that waged war on quarter-mile strips of asphalt from California to Maine—a vivid pictorial display that truly captures the essence of extreme acceleration in all its glory.

About the Author

Lou Hart has been covering the sport of drag racing for over 30 years. He started going to the drag strips in the heyday of drag racing with his camera and has collected a large amount of vintage drag racing photography. This will be his seventh successful book in the subject of drag racing.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Iconografix (June 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583882340
• ISBN-13: 978-1583882344
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #576,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great pictorial history of the front engined top fuel dragsters of my day ., March 22, 2011

By 

Charles Seymour "A Gasser" (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kings of the Quarter-Mile: Rail-Jobs, Slingshots & Mid-Engine Dragsters (A Photo Gallery) (Paperback)

This book has excellnt color and B&W photos of the slingshot top fuel dragsters with very accurate descriptions of the rails and drivers along with the early dragstrips.