{"product_id":"drag-racings-rebels-top-fuel-dragsters-of-the-1970s-photo-archive-2-book-set","title":"Drag Racing's Rebels \u0026 Top Fuel Dragsters of the 1970s Photo Archive (2 Book Set)","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Hot Rod Association (NHRA)\u003c\/strong\u003e was formed in 1951 by \u003cstrong\u003eWally Parks\u003c\/strong\u003e, the reasoning for the formation was to “create order from chaos” by instituting safety rules and performance standards that helped legitimize the sport of drag racing. Some organization was certainly necessary. A postwar boom in automotive enthusiasm was reaching new heights, and \u003cstrong\u003eHot Rod magazine\u003c\/strong\u003e and the NHRA were right in the thick of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe NHRA hosted its first drag racing event in 1953, and in 1955, the organization staged its first national event, which was simply called \u003cstrong\u003e“The Nationals.”\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003cstrong\u003eAHRA\u003c\/strong\u003e formed in 1956 as an alternative to the NHRA, where the drivers voted on the rules (rather than sanctioning bodies and tracks), and their influence on the sport was felt almost immediately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the NHRA denied the use of \u003cstrong\u003enitromethane\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1957, the AHRA approved it. When the NHRA banned aircraft-powered dragsters in 1961, the AHRA welcomed them. When the NHRA said no to the emerging \u003cstrong\u003eFunny Car\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1965, the AHRA said yes. When fans and racers screamed for a heads-up \u003cstrong\u003eSuper Stock\u003c\/strong\u003e category in 1968, the AHRA delivered. The AHRA was called a rebel association. Some say that it was more of an association that got things done—to the delight of fans and racers. The AHRA was on equal ground with the NHRA by the 1970s, drawing enormous crowds and racer entries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this fascinating history, veteran author \u003cstrong\u003eDoug Boyce\u003c\/strong\u003e tells the story of the AHRA: the rise, the competition, the events, and the eventual downfall of the organization. After AHRA President \u003cstrong\u003eJim Tice\u003c\/strong\u003e passed away in 1982, internal fighting for control of the association resulted in its doom. Get the whole story here, and add this wonderful volume to your drag racing library\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe early '70s were a pivotal time for rear-engine dragsters. \u003cstrong\u003e\"Slingshots\"\u003c\/strong\u003e were front engine fire-breathing diggers where the driver sat just three feet behind the motor. This set-up proved to be very dangerous, so in 1970 at \u003cstrong\u003eLions Drag Strip\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\"Big Daddy\" Don Garlits\u003c\/strong\u003e vowed, after a horrific transmission explosion in his slingshot \u003cstrong\u003eWynns Charger\u003c\/strong\u003e, that he would formulate a design that would put the fuel motor behind him. The emergence of the rear-engine dragster rekindled the interest in \u003cstrong\u003eTop Fuel Eliminator class\u003c\/strong\u003e. Legendary championship drivers like \u003cstrong\u003eTV Tommy Ivo, Tony Nancy, Gary Beck, Don Prudhomme, Jerry Ruth, Carl Olson, Tom McEwen, Shirley Muldowney, James Warren, Jeb Allen, Herm Peterson, Steve Carbone\u003c\/strong\u003e and many more, are all portrayed in sensational fire-and-smoke belching action at the race track.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MidlifeClassicCars.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47248338714904,"sku":"KIT9781613257661\/B03488","price":48.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0057\/9813\/3831\/files\/kit9781613257661b03488.jpg?v=1772256191","url":"https:\/\/www.midlifeclassiccars.com\/bs\/products\/drag-racings-rebels-top-fuel-dragsters-of-the-1970s-photo-archive-2-book-set","provider":"MidlifeClassicCars.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}