Professional organizations like the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) the largest sanctioning body in professional drag racing, were started to counteract illegal street racing, which can be very dangerous due to the speed and power of the vehicles and the magnitude of damage that occurs when something goes wrong and these vehicles malfunction or crash.ĭrag Racing really got its start as a contest in the 1950s with the rise in popularity of hot rods – vehicles with classic bodies ( 1932 Fords, etc) which were modified with modern engines and tuning to create more power and run faster. While most drag racing now takes place on a professional race track, there are both televised staged street contests and illegal street races which still take place. Drag Racing is a contest between two vehicles to determine which can go the fastest from a standing start to full open throttle over an agreed upon distance, which is usually an 1/8 mile, ¼ mile or 1000 feet.
