The idea of drag racing began to develop after World War II. Initially, the races were done on country roads or city streets using their everyday cars. By the 1950s, drag racing had become an organized sport with members, grounds, and skills. Races were held on dedicated drag strips. Drag strips today are a quarter mile in length with two cars in an acceleration contest. The idea is to go from a standing start to the end of strip to see who goes the fastest. One of the key skills a driver needs is fast reaction time: a driver with a faster reaction time often beats a faster car. By the way, in drag racing there is no gender barrier: women have been involved in the sport since the 1950s. Women are not segregated: they race against men as well as other women.
Since the 1950s, the cars have evolved: the tires have changed, the fuel has changed, the materials used in the bodies have changed. Drag racing is about experimentation.
At the end of a quarter mile each car is going as fast as possible and then---it has to stop. For cars going over 150 mph a parachute is required. Most tracks provide at least half a mile for stopping. For cars that go over 100 mph, the driver must wear a helmet and a driving suit.
Shown below are some of the dragsters on display at the World of Speed.
These half-scale dragsters were creation for kids aged 8-17.