Drag Racing in the 1960s: The Evolution in Race Car Technology
by Doug Boyce
Drag racing has existed since the earliest days when two motorists staged an impromptu “which one of us is quickest?” acceleration contest. As local constabulary and citizens frowned upon this on their town’s streets, special areas were eventually set aside for these trials. The urge to win was a powerful motivator leading to purpose-built race machines.
The earliest purpose-built dragsters as the 1950s turned into the sixties were little more than frame rails with a seat, steering mechanism, and a powerful motor. The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) formed in 1951. It quickly recognized dragsters’ popularity, welcoming them into the fold.
Drag racing exploded throughout the sixties. NHRA termed it “Ingenuity in action” as it saw new classes added and home-built cars giving way to purpose-built for those new classes. No surprise: quarter-mile times dropped. Year by year, this book takes the reader through the decade quickly summarizing the stars of each class in words and pictures, lots and lots of well- and informatively captioned photos.
Smack in the middle of the decade, recognizing just how popular drag racing had become, NASCAR introduced a drag racing division of its own. Each of the sanctioning body’s rules largely mimicked one another. Recently instituted included drivers of nitro-fueled cars were required to wear fire suits and those dragsters capable of going 150 mph or greater be equipped with a parachute to bring them to a stop more safely without overshooting the runout area.
As the decade was nearing its end and about to morph into the seventies, it was becoming clearer that dragsters weren’t the sweetheart of spectators they’d once been. The darlings now attracting the crowds were called funny cars; described as “lightweight plastic replica of a passenger car body . . . bear[ing] some resemblance to [an] ordinary automobile.” We’ve an entire book devoted just to them to tell you about.
Curious to your reviewer is the lack of ladies shown or written about. It’s deep into the decade before the first is mentioned and only in passing in a photo caption. Then another, ten pages on, but again only as part of a photo caption. Then, at last, in the chapter six on 1966 there’s recognition of Shirley “Drag-on Lady” Shahan’s achievements over the preceding years in both text and a photo with caption.
As the beginning of the book, author Doug Boyce had noted NHRA has fielded 36 classes. While he doesn’t record the quantity of different classes each year, on the concluding pages he does note that by decade’s end NHRA meets could field as many as 144 classes! “Ingenuity in action,” indeed.
Copyright 2025 Helen V Hutchings, SAH (speedreaders.info)
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