NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The colloquially-named "mud flaps" on today's Top Fuelers, more correctly defined as side air deflectors, have a history dating back to 1990.

The late Dana Kimmel, who was a crewmember on Don "the Snake" Prudhomme's Skoal Bandit Top Fueler in the early 1990s, recounted the story to me a few years ago and actually called them “Eaker Flaps,” after their designer, which was Gary Eaker, who worked in General Motors’ Aero Lab.

“These common accessories were designed, built, and tested in about 30 minutes at the NRC Lab Ottawa just days prior to the Montreal race where 'Snake' crashed in yet another incident of the forgettable 1990 return to Top Fuel season,” said Kimmel.

"We were testing the use of canard wings just behind the driver, and after about three tests, the NRC engineers suggested we turn them up over 45 degrees to see some positive results. Pontiac’s Gary Eaker (of the GM Aero Lab), who was overseeing the project, suggested we just add flat plates and lose the wings. So myself, Larry Dixon, and Willie Wolter went off to the fab shop within the wind-tunnel facility and sheared out the pieces needed. The existing body panel dictated the angle, and a break in the large square part allowed it to pick up the two existing Dzus fastener holes. The triangle piece was cut to fit, and the whole assembly was taped together for the next series of tests. Not very scientific, but a solid approach that yielded a big return in offsetting the 1,000-plus lift generated by the rear tires.

"We debuted them in competition at Denver 1990, with the one-piece composite versions arriving on the scene for the 1991 season. Within a year, they were standard-issue accessories, and by 1992, 100 percent adoption.”