The first ever, American series pits the Chicago Fire against the Texas Scrap Daddies. They'll have to build a one-passenger dragster in which they'll race three heats, the team with the fastest time, against the computer & not each other, wins it all. They aren't allowed to build 2 wheeled dragsters and they must meet racing standards for safety.
 

A dragster is a unique vehicle. Most dragsters have a powerful engine driving large rear wheels. The wheels aren't just large size-wise but wide with no tread. The idea is to provide the most surface area to make contact with the asphalt to provide the most drive. Weight is also an issue. The lighter you are, the faster you can go...theoretically. You also want your weight over the rear axle for maximum traction and you need to be concerned with your power-to-weight ratio. An engine that weighs 400 pounds and generates 160 horsepower is equal to a 200 pound engine putting out 40 horsepower.
 
 
 

The Chicago Fire clockwise captain Michael, Mike, Joe & expert Rob Hamilton	The Texas Scrap Daddies clockwise captain Ken, Mark, Sean & expert Dan Labinsky
I didn't know they had Oldsmobiles in England...	Ouch! Is your insurance going to cover that?
The judge this week is Pat Foster	7 hours left teams!
Uh Ken? Where's your car?	The Chicago Fire welds a rear wheel to their dragster
The Texas Scrap Daddies have a short conference	A nice, delicate adjustment to that tire with a 15 pound sledge hammer
This is the Chicago Fire's massive V8 powered dragster	The Texas Scrap Daddies have built a classic-looking dragster