Pete Robinson & Bill Word’s new Dragmaster Dart shows off Pete’s Engineering Company’s new “pruned” (machined for weight loss) 6-71 blower case and drive. This April ’62 photo at Covington, GA shows the blower drive idler pulley in use. This was later discarded, saving 3.5 pounds!  (Charlie Wilkins photo)

Not surprising, the rules makers often disagreed with Pete’s unconventional thinking. The single-disc idea violated their conservative and unyielding mind-set. Not long after NHRA rules required a minimum of two rear brakes.

Pete’s visions were often at odds with rules makers and there were several rules specifically directed at Pete’s intelligent yet unorthodox innovations. As an example, any car capable of exceeding 150 mph was required to run a drag chute. Pete thought a racecar should have brakes capable of safely stopping without a parachute. He argued that drag chutes were unreliable and in a crosswind, dangerous. Not impressed with Pete’s argument, the new NHRA rules required a chute. It did not, however, specify its size. Pete had a toy-like, mini-chute made, complete with a chute release. This diminutive “drag chute” complied with the rules until a hastily added “Pete clause” quickly tightened the regulations, specifying a minimum parachute size! Pete complied and added a drag chute, but he continued to rely mainly of his car’s brakes.

The new Dragmaster Dart chassis was a definite improvement over the Type I. Over a foot longer in wheelbase, it had a gently tapering front end, unlike the box-like Type I. The added length, lighter weight tubing and fewer uprights also made the Dart more flexible.

Dragster chassis designs in 1962 were considerably different from today. In ’62 most cars were built by the owner, on the concrete floor of a garage, often using mild steel instead of chromemoly steel tubing. Many were welded using oxygen-acetylene gas torches. Only a few were heliarc welded.  Wheelbases were short, frames built rigid and heavy.

Dragmaster was one of a few firms that offered professionally designed and built, ready to run dragster chassis. Within just a few years chassis design would greatly advance and builders such as Kent Fuller, Woody Gilmore, Roy Fjstad, Frank Huszar, Rod Pepmuller, Don Garlits, Rod Stuckey and others would become well known. In 1962, most racers relied on their own hands for safe racecars.

As in all motorsports, drag racing performance was directly tied to tire development. In ’62-63 chassis designs such as the Dragmaster Dart were competitive. By late ‘63 drag tire advancements exceeded the Dragmaster Dart chassis. Racers demanded longer, lighter, more flexible cars and quickly deserted Dragmaster. By ’64 Nelson and Martin were mainly doing chassis repairs, and had begun to focus on the very popular VW and Corvair powered dune buggy market.

Pete and Bill had solid success in ’62 and ’63 with their updated Dart chassis, but bowing to the need to go quicker and faster, ordered their first non-Dragmaster car in late 1963. They chose Woody Gilmore’s Race Car Engineering. Woody’s chassis were strong, light, safe and long. Pete appreciated Gilmore’s approach and craftsmanship, remaining an RCE customer to the end.