# Why is it called "drag racing?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 3, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-drag-racing/689957 "2014-06-03T20:24:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-drag-racing/689957/1 "2014-06-03T20:24:28Z")
Two cars line up on a starting line. At the “go” signal, they both accelerate toward the finish line, a 1/4-mile away in a straight line; first one across the finish line wins. Why is this called drag racing? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-drag-racing/689957/2 "2014-06-03T20:26:12Z")
It started on main street, aka the main drag. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-drag-racing/689957/3 "2014-06-03T20:28:25Z")
> **[drag | Etymology of drag by etymonline](https://www.etymonline.com/word/drag)** > > "to draw a grapnel along the bottom of a river, lake, etc., in search of something;" late… See origin and meaning of drag. > [@](#): > > Drag racing (1947), is said to be from thieves’ slang drag “automobile” (1935), perhaps ultimately from slang sense of “wagon, buggy” (1755), because a horse would drag it. By 1851 this was transferred to “street,” as in the phrase main drag (which some propose as the source of the racing sense).