The legendary Green Monster is back!

Tim Arfons, the son of three-time world land speed record holder and one of the most outside the box thinkers in the history of motorsports, Art Arfons, recently unveiled a modern recreation of the iconic Green Monster No. 19 front engine turbine-powered dragster and gave fans at the Quaker City Motorsports Park in Salem, Ohio their first look at the machine on Sunday in its first public appearance during the track’s annual Nostalgia Classic. Arfons’ machine is a modern adaptation of the Green Monster that he and his father had campaigned for a short period back in the early 1970’s in Top Fuel with limited success. The original car used a General Motors T-58 turbine engine that made somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,300 horsepower and tipped the scales at just 250 pounds. You can imagine the power-to-weight ratio!

The second-generation member of the famous Arfons family has spent the last two years meticulously recreating the famed dragster from the ground-up, hiring the Dustman brothers to build a new front engine chassis just like that of the original No. 19, while Keith “Rooman” Burgan fabricated the body, seat, and the wings. “We’ve had the dragster at several car shows since we completed the build last fall,” says Arfons.

For those that remember the original car, or have seen photos of it in action, one difference you’ll find is in the aerodynamics department, where the original bodywork that formed up and over the rear tires has been done away with in lieu of more modern canard wings like that found on many nostalgia Top Fuel dragsters to help keep it stable and planted to the race track. The rest of the car through, has a fairly period-correct appearance.

Arfons plans to campaign the car at nostalgia and exhibition events following its debut. In the video shown here, Arfons takes us along for the ride on a recent test hit in the Green Monster at Quaker City, clocking a 7.42-second elapsed time at a pretty stout 192 mph after visible tire shake early in the run.

Image credit: Quaker City Dragway

“It’s incredible the number of people who come up to me and tell me about the first time they ever saw this car run… or the first time they met my father. I think this car brings back as many memories for drag racing fans as it does for me. I can’t wait to debut our modern Green Monster #19 turbine-powered dragster at Quaker City this weekend and make some full-power passes for everyone who comes out to see it.”