Door Slammer
A Door Slammer is a type of drag racing car that looks like a regular production sedan or coupe and has working doors that open and close, unlike other race cars that have one-piece bodies you lift off to get inside.
The name "Door Slammer" comes from the fact that these cars have functional doors that actually slam shut, just like the street car they're based on. This might seem like an obvious feature, but in drag racing, many purpose-built race cars called Funny Cars use a single lightweight body shell that tilts forward as one piece. Door Slammers keep the traditional door design, which makes them look more like the cars you'd see in a parking lot.
These vehicles are based on real production cars from manufacturers like Ford, Holden, Chevrolet, and Dodge. While they may look similar to street cars on the outside, Door Slammers are heavily modified racing machines underneath. They're built on racing chassis and equipped with powerful engines, but they maintain the general shape and appearance of the original production vehicle.
Door Slammer racing is especially popular in Australia, where the Top Doorslammer class represents the fastest sedan-based drag racing category in the world. These professional-level cars are regulated by the Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) and compete in what's considered a Group 1 category, meaning it's at the highest professional level of the sport.
Top Doorslammer vehicles typically use massive supercharged V8 engines with displacements around 514 cubic inches (8.5 liters). These engines run on methanol fuel rather than regular gasoline and can produce approximately 3,000 horsepower. To put that in perspective, a typical family sedan produces between 150 and 300 horsepower, making these race cars ten times more powerful.
The minimum weight requirement for Top Doorslammer cars is around 2,700 pounds (1,225 kilograms), which is relatively light considering their size and power. Most of these cars use automatic transmissions, though some racers prefer 3-speed or 5-speed manual transmissions depending on their setup and driving style.
The Door Slammer class evolved from an exhibition category originally called "Wild Bunch," which featured highly modified street cars. Over time, the class became more regulated and professional, eventually becoming one of the premier categories in Australian drag racing. The class is comparable to the Pro Modified category in American drag racing, which is sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).
What makes Door Slammers appealing to many racing fans is their connection to real production vehicles. Unlike top-fuel dragsters or Funny Cars that look completely alien, Door Slammers maintain a visual link to cars people actually drive, making them more relatable while still delivering incredible performance and excitement on the drag strip.