Ferguson's "Flashback" Dragster: Just Like the Good Ol' Days

Jeffrey Ferguson of Valhalla, Miss., keeps alive the true spirit of the golden age of drag racing with his aptly named "Flashback" slingshot dragster. A full-bodied textbook representation of the way all dragsters looked until "Big Daddy" Don Garlits revolutionized the sport with his world-famous Swamp Rat XIV dragster in 1971, it was built by Indianapolis' Mike Spitzer's Spitzer Enterprises in 2002. With horsepower from an injected small-block Chevy built by former Pro Stock star Steve Schmidt, Ferguson has run as quick as a 7.38, not much slower than what Garlits himself was running in the early 1970s – and Garlits was running a fire-breathing 426 cubic-inch Hemi on nitro. Ferguson's small-block powered digger has the power to approach the six-second zone, but he keeps it slightly detuned to avoid breaking out on the 7.50-second index and being disqualified from the 7.5 Category. The alcohol-burning mechanically fuel-injected setup Ferguson includes an MSD ignition that's a key to making the predictable, repeatable passes required for success in any bracket class. With it, Ferguson was right near the 7.50 standard at the Holley National Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Holley's hometown of Bowling Green, Ky.