The dragster is a kind of competition vehicle used for speed races, which are still very popular in the USA. The distance to cover, from a stationary position, is a quarter of a mile (402,25 m). The engines and the driver’s seat are placed in a setback position to ensure the highest possible adherence on the drive wheels, while the chassis is reduced to a minimum to obtain maximum lightness. A parachute placed on the back of the car was used to brake. The highest powers developed by dragster engines were around 8,000 HP. By point of comparison, the current Formula 1 single-seaters develop approximately 750 HP. A dragster can reach 450 km/h in 200 meters.
