Fair display with Martin's dragster replica earns Award of Merit

A display featuring a dragster replica built in Fallbrook earned the Award of Merit at the San Diego County Fair’s Flower and Garden Show.

The Dragliner replica was built in the garage of Dode Martin, who once drove the original dragster. Rich Risner of Grounded Landscape Architecture designed the fair display featuring the new Dragliner while DC West Construction built the non-floral components of the display.

“We were surprised it got that kind of an award, but it looked awful pretty,” Martin said.

“It’s a good replica of a great car with a lot of history,” said Risner, who lives in Encinitas but was one of the participants in the building of the replica.

The original Dragliner was built in 1957 by Dragmaster, which consisted of Dode Martin and the Nelson brothers, Tom and Jim. “That car had some history,” Martin said. “It didn’t go real fast, but it won its class every time it raced, so we were kind of proud of the old car.”

Dragliner was in the C Dragster class which had a weight specification of 1,585 pounds and a 283 cubic inch motor. “It was always real popular in its day,” Martin said.

Dragliner ran on gasoline. It took approximately 11 seconds to cover the quarter-mile distance and reached approximately 125 mph at the finish line.

Dragliner utilized a Ford chassis, a Ford transmission - and a Chevrolet engine. “I was building the car for a Ford motor,” Martin said.

Martin’s plans for a flathead Ford motor were changed after Jim Nelson recommended the Chevy engine. The car was put together in time for the 1957 National Hot Rod Association nationals in Oklahoma City on Labor Day Weekend.

Martin drove the car at the 1957 NHRA nationals, winning the C Dragster class, and he also drove the car to a win at the 1958 NHRA nationals in Oklahoma City.

Dragliner was the first car built by Dragmaster. After winning the NHRA nationals two years in a row, Dragmaster sold Dragliner to Dick Nicolosi, who subsequently raced the dragster. “You have to go faster,” Martin said. “We didn’t want two cars.”

The Dragmaster group subsequently built “The Two Thing,” winning the 1960 NHRA nationals at more than 170 mph, and the Dragmaster Dart also exceeded 170 mph while winning the NHRA’s 1962 Winternationals. When the NHRA switched from gasoline to racing fuel, Martin and the Nelsons retired from racing rather than make the switch, although Dragmaster continued to manufacture chassis.

The Dragmaster Dart eventually became the first car donated to the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona. In 2009 Martin, the Nelsons, and other volunteers began building a replica of Dragliner after determining that restoration of the actual car would not be possible. “We looked for a couple of years to try to find even the chassis,” Martin said. “We couldn’t find much of the car at all.”

The replica utilizes two frame rods from a 1925 Model T chassis, axles from a Ford Model A, the transmission from a 1939 Ford, grills from a 1940 Ford, and various other components Martin found. “It was kind of a fun job talking to people and finding the parts,” Martin said.

Martin and the Nelson brothers had 12 other individuals and three businesses assist in the building of the car. “I sure had a lot of good help,” Martin said. “I might have done 60 or 70 percent of the work.”

The car has the Grecian Gold paint of the original version along with a red stripe. “It came out 99 percent looking like the old one,” Martin said.

“It’s an honor to be working on stuff like that,” Risner said. “I really admire the guy.”

Risner’s admiration of Martin is in good part due to Martin’s knowledge and his willingness to share car history. “His stories are phenomenal. I love listening to his stories,” Risner said.

Martin’s knowledge also led to the re-creation of Dragliner as close as possible to original standards. “He can remember so many little details about how cars are built,” Risner said. “He can replicate it exactly today the way he did it way back when.”

The Dragliner replica was completed in 2010 and taken to the California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield before being loaned indefinitely to the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum.

This year’s San Diego County Fair theme is “Race to the Fair,” and Risner was informed about a design competition for landscape architects and garden designers based on the theme. The winning design would be placed at the main entry of the Flower and Garden Show.

Risner asked Martin if he could use the Dragliner replica. “When he said yes I drew up a design specifically around the dragster and the theme to the fair,” Risner said.

Risner utilized DC West, which is based in Carlsbad, for the construction portion. “They understand my designs,” Risner said. “They’re really particular about precision.”

The submission was the first for Risner at the fair. “We did okay, I think, as a team,” he said.

Risner hand planted more than 5,000 plants for the display. “I was pretty happy with the end result,” he said.

The San Diego County Fair ends July 4. The Dragliner replica will then return to Martin’s home, where it will be featured at a car party at his house later in July, before being returned to the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum.