The National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) is the official book keeper for the battery-powered few that are successful in their quest for quicker quickness. It's pretty fastidious about getting all the facts and documentation together before engraving those records in stone, and so sometimes it takes a while before they dig out the ol' chisel and mallet. Case in point: the very speedy maiden voyages of Don Garlits' Swamp Rat 37.
Though his tarmac-tearing time of 7.26 seconds at 184.01 miles per hour didn't qualify as a record – his next-fastest run wasn't within one percent of that mark – his slower run did. So, in fact, with a legit 7.526 second quarter-mile cruise to his credit, Mr. Garlits is now the proud owner of the DR/A3 (Dragster / 382.9V - 448.8V) record and is officially the quickest human in that electric car class. As a side note, Kristen Stacy's recent record also still stands, as it is in the slightly-lower-voltage DR/A2 class.
With Don Garlits expected to soon take to the track again in an effort to break the 200-mph mark, we are pretty sure this feat will be bested sooner than later. For his part, the veteran racer seems to be taking this electric revolution in stride and is set to address the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) at its "Night at the Track - Gala Reception" at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, part of its ongoing conference in Indianapolis this week.
The "Quest for 200 mph on batteries" team has put together a great video, which you can watch by scrolling below, featuring footage from that first attempt that not only includes Garlits assaulting the strip in his SW-37, but also the a very nice black example of a Tesla Model S. As a bonus, we've also included video of an appearance by Garlits on Fox Car Report getting the electric message out to the mainstream.
Though his tarmac-tearing time of 7.26 seconds at 184.01 miles per hour didn't qualify as a record – his next-fastest run wasn't within one percent of that mark – his slower run did. So, in fact, with a legit 7.526 second quarter-mile cruise to his credit, Mr. Garlits is now the proud owner of the DR/A3 (Dragster / 382.9V - 448.8V) record and is officially the quickest human in that electric car class. As a side note, Kristen Stacy's recent record also still stands, as it is in the slightly-lower-voltage DR/A2 class.
With Don Garlits expected to soon take to the track again in an effort to break the 200-mph mark, we are pretty sure this feat will be bested sooner than later. For his part, the veteran racer seems to be taking this electric revolution in stride and is set to address the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) at its "Night at the Track - Gala Reception" at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, part of its ongoing conference in Indianapolis this week.
The "Quest for 200 mph on batteries" team has put together a great video, which you can watch by scrolling below, featuring footage from that first attempt that not only includes Garlits assaulting the strip in his SW-37, but also the a very nice black example of a Tesla Model S. As a bonus, we've also included video of an appearance by Garlits on Fox Car Report getting the electric message out to the mainstream.
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