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by graphicalmistrz on June 23rd, 2006

graphicalmistrz

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Why do they drag race on a quarter mile? What is significant about that exact distance?

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  • by Henry Hascup on June 23rd, 2006

    Henry Hascup

    Apparently, Southern California is the birthplace of organized legal drag racing. In the 1940s and '50s, there were races on dry lake beds in the Mojave Desert. Some of these were held on the same lake bed that the Space Shuttle lands on today. Still, a lot of hot rodders wanted to be able to race closer to home. In an effort to cut down on illegal street racing, some early races were held on abandoned airstrips. This was apparently the reason why drag races standardized on a quarter-mile. In racing on airstrips, they found that that was the longest distance they could race, and still be able to stop safely before running out of pavement.

    http://www.1134.org/adventures/dragrace/

    Comments

    • Apparently the Top Fuel cars have outrun the length of the drag strip track. In July 2008 NHRA Top Fuel competition will be run over a 1000 foot track, less than a quarter mile. The shutdown section of most tracks is too short for cars going more than 200 miles per hour.

      bcooke1234

      by bcooke1234 on July 12th, 2008

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