High Performance: The Culture and Technology of Drag Racing, 1950-2000

by Robert C. Post

High Performance is a dramatic, firsthand history of this daring sport, from the earliest "legal" drags run on rural airfields to the spectacular―and sometimes tragic―careers of drag racing's most daring innovators. Post, a former racer himself, was an eyewitness to many of the episodes he describes. He has interviewed many of drag racing's legends and superstars, such as "Pappy" Hart, who opened the first commercial strip in Santa Ana, California, in 1950, and Florida's "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, the first person to define himself as a professional drag racer. Post looks at all aspects of drag racing: the sport, the business, the means of personal affirmation. But most of all he explores it as a case study of technological enthusiasm, tracking the innovations that permitted racers to disprove on pavement the "laws of physics" authorities had laid out on paper. What emerges is a compelling look at the men and women who have devoted their lives to this extraordinary pursuit. In this revised edition, Post continues the story into the present, surveying the dynamics of the sport during the past decade.

452 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Robert Post is Sterling Professor of Law at Yale Law School. He served as the School's 16th dean from 2009 until 2017. Before coming to Yale, he taught at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.

Reviews

[Harron68 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating history of drag racing. From the technology to the evolution of the sport's organization to the world of the drivers, this is a remarkable book. For those not interested in racing and engine technology this would not be of interest, but for even the casual racing fan, it gives depth to the culture as well as life. Four well earned stars.