For the third time in less than two weeks we are sad to report the passing of another legend in the world of drag racing. Jim Nelson, one of the pioneering chassis men in the sport, a member of the NHRA Drag Safari, and someone integral to the evolution of drag racing has died. Jim Nelson and Dode Martin formed the legendary Dragmaster Chassis company in 1959 and made an immediate impact with their infamous “Two Thing” dragster. This was during the NHRA’s “nitro ban” period and the twin front mounted blower equipped small block Chevy engines, along with their ground breaking new chassis design got the men immediate accolades and notice. The machine turned 171mph at the 1960 NHRA Nationals, which was the top speed of the meet.

Their Dragmaster “Dart”  quickly became the chassis of choice for guys running the popular twin engine machines of the early 1960s, but the twin engine revolution would end nearly as quickly as it started and that end came from lightweight dragster based around Dragmaster chassis. While Martin and Nelson were the first to break Art Arfons quarter mile speed record, going over 174mph at the Winternationals in 1961, the writing was starting to show up on the wall for the twins. At the NHRA Nationals in 1961 lots of guys still showed up with twin engine rigs, Eddie Hill had a twin with four rear tires even, but a funny thing happened. A guy from Atlanta named Pete Robinson showed up with a flyweight single engine Dragmaster chassis and whipped everyone’s ass. Dode and Martin took notice and in 1962 they had their own lightweight chassis and single engine  dragster ready for the Winternationals, which they won.

The men continued to develop their chassis business through the 1960s moving from their “Dart” model into the Mark I, II, III, IV, etc.Their work was purchased by racers all over the country. Even here in New England, Dragmaster chassis were the hot ticket in the 1960s.

They were also commissioned by Chrysler to build what are arguably the first funny cars, the Dodge Chargers in 1964. These machines were campaigned by the likes of Jimmy Nix and Jim Johnson as full time employees of Chrysler. Dragmaster was also the constructor of the famous “Flying Barn Door” Dodge pickup drag truck of Dick Boynton which won the NHRA Winternationals B/FX class in 1963. One of Dragmaster’s finest moment’s came in 1960 when Mickey Thompson used one of their chassis for the basis of the Assault I car that set a multitude of FIA acceleration records in both 1960 and 1961 with aerodynamic bodies.

Lots of people think that this Jim Nelson and the also famous Jim “Jazzy” Nelson are the same man. They are not. Jazzy died several years ago. This Jim Nelson was an active member of the early NHRA Safety Safari and had a lifelong relationship with Wally Parks and other giants whose shoulders the sport of drag racing is built on. We’re dorks for this old history but it is really tough to see how quickly the people who created this sport we all love so much are passing into the great beyond.

We’re sure that Jim and Wally shook hands and then Nelson picked up the torch, some rod, and started building himself one hell of a bad ass twin engine gas dragster.