A Tribute to a Legend

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hotrodron

Drives the Batmobile... er... Ratmobile!
Joined
Sep 18, 2007
Messages
1,228
Location
Randolph, OH
A local hero to some of us in Ohio has passed away at the age of 81. An Akron native and international drag racing icon Art Arfons died Monday. Art was famous for building cars called "Green Monsters" with his brother Walt. He was a three-time world land-speed record holder with his last record being 576.553mph!!! One of the most impressive things about Arfons and his brother's accomplishments is that he never bought anything! Everything they made was built by them in their shop. If they couldn't build it they didn't run it. I guess in a way Art was sort of a "rat rodder"
If anyone has any cool pics of Art or any of his cars or "tractors" I'd love to see 'em
RIP Art

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Alittle history on the man.......

The Green Monster was the name of several vehicles built by Art Arfons who was often described as a "junk yard genius", and his half brother Walt Arfons. They were initially Dragsters, at first powered by junked automobile engines, then by war surplus piston aircraft engines (Ranger and Allison V-1710), which were plentiful, durable, and cheap, then by jet aircraft engines. The jet powered dragsters developed into jet powered vehicles built to break the land speed record, finally a series of turbine powered pulling tractors.

The first "Green Monster", in 1952 was a three wheeled dragster powered by an Oldsmobile six cylinder engine, and painted with left-over green tractor paint. The name was applied on the car's first outing by the track announcer, who laughingly said "Okay folks here it comes; The Green Monster", and it stuck to all Arfons' creations. The car only reached 85 miles per hour (137 km/h), 20 miles per hour (30 km/h) short of the fastest car, but by 1953 the Green Monster Number 2, a 20 foot (6 m) long six wheeled car powered by a 2000 horsepower (1.5 MW) Allison aircraft engine, was hitting 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) in the quarter mile. Green Monster Number 2 was painted by Arfons' mother to resemble the World War II Curtiss P-40 Flying Tigers fighter airplane, with an open mouth showing large teeth. The top speed of the car was estimated at 270 miles per hour (435 km/h), and it could reach 140 miles per hour (225 km/h) in eight seconds from a standing start. Running on passenger car tires, the car required four wheels on the rear drive axle to withstand the power. At the first World Series of Drag Racing at Lawrenceville, Illinois, it clocked the highest top speed at 132.35 miles per hour (213.00 km/h), and eventually a world record of 145.16 mph (233.61 km/h).

The later cars had various paint schemes where green was not necessary the dominant color. The six-wheeled Green Monster Number 6 became the first dragster to break 150 miles per hour (241 km/h) in the quarter mile. Green Monster Number 11, Art Arfons' favorite, hit 191 miles per hour to beat Don Garlits.

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I welded for a Pulling truck, and got pit passes when they were close to home. The Arfons' had a Tractor that ran on the circut as well. Obviously a man who was looked up to by many a motorsports enthusiast. RIP
 
I remember when him and Breedlove where going head to head on the salt flats back in the day! Now thats racing, I really doubt you'll see anything like it again ! Too bad, this is the first I heard of his passing , seems all our heros are going,
 
Yeah RU Art and Breedlove traded that record back and forth 3 times!

He definately had a few pullin tractors too! His wife got tired of worryin about him goin so fast all the time so he started runnin those
 
Those land speed record swaps with Breedlove were classic. Was lucky enough to see one of his drag cars @ Mason-Dixon Dragway in Hagerstown, Md. in about 69 or 70. Art's was a true racer & legend who will be missed.
 
Yep, just lost him and Evel in the same week almost. He was certainly a hot rod genius who could take anything and make it better and faster. RIP.

Don
 

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