Mike Green, DSR crew chief for Tony Schumacher when he won the Top Fuel championship in 2009 has been trying to enhance the safety of dragsters since Darrell Russell died in his open cockpit in 2004, after apparently being hit with debris during a race at a track outside St Louis. Shortly after Russell's death, NHRA mandated roll cage shrouds to be added behind the driver - but that still doesn't protect against oncoming foreign objects.

The canopy concept goes back to Green's days racing 200-mph drag boats. He contacted longtime friend James Brendel, who owns Hondo Boats and Bendel Safety Capsules, based in Riverside, CA. When he joined DSR, Green finally had the resources to build a canopy-based dragster and an innovative owner to back his play.
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