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Pat Bilbow called his new dragsters “Lyndwood Welding Eliminator” chassis, and showcased the complete, rolling cars and his Altered chassis in this catalog.
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Surviving records from both point to an almost dead-heat in 1957 as the time for the first pro built dragster chassis. The question of who was “first” remains important only for a friendly game of “Drag Racing Trivial Pursuit”. Pat Bilbow retained his firm’s already established name, Lyndwood Welding Co. Scotty Fenn called his new company “Chassis Research”. Back east, a Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania based welding and fabrication shop owner, Patrick Bilbow likewise decided it was time to build a safe dragster chassis. A couple years later, in California, Scotty Fenn decided it was time for a dragster chassis built of quality materials and welded by professionals. Built using tube steel pipes, these cars gained the nickname “rail jobs”. Most featured a refinement of the “slingshot” concept.
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M/T’s creation was said to be a “slingshot”, because it appeared the driver would be propelled forward, slingshot-style, between the rear tires should an obstacle be encountered!īy 1954 the true dragster shape had emerged. From that cobbled-up pile came the defining shape of the early dragster chassis. Mickey is credited, perhaps inaccurately, as the first to place the driver out behind the rear axle, surrounded by welded pipes. The iconic California hot rodder Mickey Thompson, began his storied racing career as a So-Cal drag racer. “Stick That Driver Out Back And It’ll Go Faster!” “The Snake” stuffed in a blown 392 Chrysler and tried to keep it off the guardrails! This Buick powered “rail job” was later purchased by Ivo’s crewman, Don Prudhomme.
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This shorty car was built by TV Tommy Ivo, reflecting the late 50’s, early 60’s wheelbase length theories. This epiphany likely took place when someone realized that 150-200 pounds of bite-enhancing “ballast” needed only to be repositioned to gain traction! Traction was the single greatest challenge, even for the relatively minimal power being generated by flathead Fords and inline six and eight cylinder engines. Somehow the idea of placing the driver’s weight behind the rear axle took shape. All were built in home garages, using rudimentary designs and piecemeal techniques in both materials and assembly. Nearly all were cobbled-up, stripped-down cars with the driver located ahead of the rear axle. Back East, a similar movement was attacking quarter-mile strips in similar cars. Those earliest days of drag racing were also heavily influenced by that group.īy 1950 the first dragster chassis were being purpose-built and competing in various So-Cal drag racing events. Skills they acquired as members of “The Greatest Generation” were now put to use building hot rod race cars. Post WW-II soldiers and sailors were re-entering civilian life across the nation. The point is that it happened across the country and the common denominator were the ex-military men from WW-II. It remains unknown “who did it first”, and the date remains a mystery. A similar revolution in drag racing was also taking place in the East.
All unnecessary items were stripped from its carcass making it as light and fast as possible. A crude, ratty car named “The Bug” rests today in the Wally Parks Museum, in Pomona, CA, and many claim this to be the genesis of the dragster. There is no argument that the concept of the “dragster” came about on the West Coast, in California.
Past and present dragsters reflect the creative talents of the industrial artist as well as the science of structural engineer.
Much of the performance advancements in drag racing speeds and ET’s can be credited to those uniquely specialized vehicles known as “dragsters”, and the art of designing and building dragster chassis. Lyndwood dragsters were simple, sturdy-built cars that handled well and were tough enough to survive the often rough drag strip surfaces of eastern tracks.
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