In the olden days, drag race cars were built with a high center of gravity, that is to say, they were high off the ground. Cars originally equipped with A arm suspension were often changed to a straight front axle. Why was the done?

Straight axle was lighter, and allowed them to raise the front up higher for weight transfer. Essentially tires sucked back then and they needed as much transfer weight to plant the rear tires.

This might not be exact but the front plug had to align with a part of the front suspension. This prevented moving the engine rearward but weight transfer could be achieved by raising the engine up higher and the solid axle somehow created a favorable alignment point. As I remember

it was easier to get the ride height and have a simpler working front suspension than with a arms

MadMax is today's winner! Good job.