Filed under: EV/Plug-in, USA, Racing



Drag-racing legend "Big Daddy" Don Garlits didn't quite reach his goal of getting his electric dragster to break the 200-mile-per-hour mark. But he did come close enough to get his team to keep trying. And 184 miles per hour is nothing to sneeze at.

The 82-year-old Garlits, racing his SR-37 dragster at Florida's Brandenton Motorsports Park on Wednesday, did a half-dozen quarter-mile runs, with the final trip down the asphalt resulting in late chute deployment and a bit of vehicle damage (Garlits was unhurt). And while his first trial run topped out at a relatively leisurely 129 mph (the car was only throttled at 30-percent power), and a couple more saw a breaker pop, he made his final run in 7.26 seconds and maxed out at 184.01 mph. The driver might look the part but no, this isn't your grandpa's Prius.

In fact, Garlits's team, which includes High Tech Systems LLC and Lawless Industries, has been working for more than two years on the dragster. The vehicle boasts a massive lithium-polymer battery pack that delivers peak power of 1,500 kilowatts, or more than 2,000 horsepower. Garlits, who has 17 drag-racing world championships to his name, first broke the 200 mph mark in a more traditional dragster 50 years ago. Check out the press release from the Garlits camp below along with a couple videos from the day.Continue reading Garlits hits 184 mph in 'Quest for 200' electric dragster

Garlits hits 184 mph in 'Quest for 200' electric dragster originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 02 May 2014 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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