Top 11 Drag Failures:

[JustaRacer]

Interesting look back at things not allowed today.

http://bangshift.com/blog/the-top-11-banned-or-failed-innovations-in-drag-racing.html

[Freud]

That's an enjoyable post.

FREUD

[Stan Back]

Pete Robinson was a true innovator -- but he certainly didn't invent drop-in-on-the-ground technology.  Just watched an old Santa Ana video of the first meets and a flathead had one in whatever year that was (1951?).

[Glen]

That was Creiton Hunter, the car crashed later but he survived. I saw the car run several times. The car had a split front axle that pivoted in the center. The side winder chain drive was interesting to watch launch and the front end lift. Not many rules back then.

[dick elliott]

Pete Robinson was killed by one of his ideas. The blower air intake ran foward and then down to to the ground to work like a vaccum cleaner. Worked too good, and sucked the car down too much and crashed.

[interested bystander]

Couple things re: CREIGHTON Hunter and car.  He dropped the car to the ground (launched) by moving a lever with his right elbow as I recall.
And
Only time yrs truly saw the car is when it appeared at Morrow Field to challenge the Gene's Brake Shop dragster of "Mr Flathead" John Bradley (whose memorial service is Friday morning at 10:30 at the VA cemetery near March Field).

Anyway, Hunter promptly SPANKED Bradley!

Johnny B, who had something like a 36 race win streak going, hauled down to Santa Ana the next day, and got the same treatment!

[panic]

E.J. Potter used jackstands to launch his SBC/Harley bike.

[panic]

12. The "Scotty's Muffler" (flathead Ford?) success elevated him to the forefront of technical innovation. He capitalized on this by pronouncing to his eager audience that the secret to his chassis design was: "the wheelbase is exactly equal to the rear tire circumference. A 30" tire requires a 94.25" WB".
Since most cars were short, it appeared to work and there were far fewer engineers involved at the time (pre-Ramchargers).

Tried, and worked too well:
"Bronco Buster" SBF with aluminum chassis
BuIck GNX in Super Stock (no, they weren't happy with a full-bodied steel car running high 8s in 1990)
Flynn's turbo Pinto

[JustaRacer]

Fire burnouts. 

[Stan Back]

Scotty Fenn of Chassis Research had the wheelbase idea.  Scotty's Muffler (Charles Scott, no relation to Fenn) in the early days usually ran Arduns.  He drag raced his tank with high gear only and runnered-up at an early Santa Ana.

We had a drag roadster, partially sponsored by Scotty's Muffler Service, with Chassis Research parts on it.

[Stan Back]

Here's Scotty's Muffler lakes roadster, early 50s.  Notice the filled rear wheel wells.  Show-quality car as every one I saw was.  Probably Evans flathead powered.

[Stan Back]

And here's his famous Ardun-powered T in a parade in Oklahoma City at the '58 Nationals.  It won Best Appearing Car.