It was common in the '60s to refer to a FED as a "digger" can anyone comment on the origin of the term? Calling them a "rail" or "rail job" is fairly self-evident.
Probably goes back to when guys drag raced on old dirt surfaces, and the most powerful engines dug deep ruts when they launched.
From my research I think this may very well be the best explanation. I’ve never heard of dig racing. https://www.enginebasics.com/What's Hot/Dig_vs_Roll_Racing.html#:~:text=Dig Racing is when two,we talk about drag racing.
I remember back in high school, when a kid would have a quick car, we would yell "make her dig". Simply meant spin the tires.
I watched an interview with many drag racers back in the early 80's about the origination of the term " drag racing". Nobody knew. I called them diggers from the late 60's forward. I believe the person that knows the answer has been gone for sometime.
It was called "go dig out" in my day-just meant spin the wheels any way you could. Morphed into the term "digger" for cars that could go a good distance spinning the tires.
"Who is the idiot that calls it a dizzy?" Us Aussies that don't take life as seriously as those that want everyone to speak like them.
When you shift the center of gravity further to the rear of the car as some classes are allowed to do, it increases traction on take off. And what happens? It wants to DIG! A rail dragster is the epitome of shifting weight to the rear. The ultimate digger.
Australians have called them that for ever. From before I was a child. We shorten all words. It’s a principle.
Haven't you seen people digging there feet into loose ground to get traction so they can go, hell even bulls do it before blasting off to stick their horns in something.
Indeed.I know several racers from the PNW who refer to The National Dragster newspaper as The Digger.
I'm not sure I agree with everything in that poorly written article. Ronnie Sox won with a four speed over and over again. FYI, since some might read this before the next post by @MCjim I am editing it to mention that the link on his post is flagged by my security software. Here's what it says: This site looks a little risky to us, so we flagged it just in case. Make sure you trust this site if you choose to proceed. Better safe than sorry! Consider yourself warned., and proceed a your own risk.
Here is another non explanation; and if anyone knew , this would be the guy. http://georgeklass.net/dragsters.html WARNING: if you open this link, you may find yourself pulled into a rabbit hole hard to escape.
In this documentary they ask the question, Tommy Ivo and Art (can't remember last name) give a pretty good explanation, the Art guy was land speed racing in 40's
It goes all the way back to the roots of the sport when Aussie and Kiwi soldiers [called Diggers] returned from WW2 and started Racing stripped down cars up and down the main drag ["drag racing" soon spread around the world eventually to the USA]
From the "Traditional images that need no explanation", page 857, post #25688 by @Sky Six . Looks like the term "digger" has been around since at least 1956. Picture of Art Chrisman's #25 "digger" dragster.
So many people died in them back in the day that if you drove one you were "digging" your grave with it. Hence Digger -
The Jalopy Journal
