Front engine dragster
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Front engine dragster or F.E.D, is now considered and used in nostalgia drag racing. They are a purpose built race car, for drag racing, they range in length from 180 inch wheelbase to 210 inch wheelbase. They were originally used in the highest class of drag racing, Top Fuel, which uses nitromethane as a fuel and is usually blended with alcohol to dilute it which in turns slows down the cars. The front engine dragster naturally came about due to engines for the most part, being in front of the driver. However they used and still do not use any form of suspension, so the top fuel and alcohol cars became very unstable. This due in part to their making 2000 to 3000 horsepower (1.5 to 2.2 MW) and having poor tire technology, being shortwheel based and very light. The driver sits angled backward, over the top of the rear differential in a cockpit that is situated between the two rear tires. This position, led to many drivers being maimed when catastrophic clutch failures occurred. This led to the development of the rear engine dragster by Don Garlits, which he designed while in the hospital, himself suffering from severe injuries caused by an exploding clutch.
Time period used: 1950s to 1970s, saw a resurgency in popularity in recent years and has entire tour its own. Usually ran on nitromethane (pure nitro at the time), in the beginning used Cadillac, Flathead Ford engines. Eventually all of the engines streaming from Detroit in the 1960s were used, The Big block Chevrolet and Chrysler Hemi became the mainstays until its demise. Variants of the Chrysler Hemi are still used today by Top Fuel and are now producing over 8000 horsepower (6 MW).
