Posted on 02/20/2021 6:21:24 AM PST by ETL
Old school “Gasser” drag racing from Knoxville, Tenn: Oct 2019 (YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0lMIauFaWo
"Old School GASSER and ALTERED Drag Racing at the “Out-a-Sight Drags” event Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove, Wisconsin. Check out some great old school burnouts, Vintage Drag Racing and wheelies all from cars pre-1967 and older."
I like the flag on the Dixie twister.
Where is the Tesla? Just kidding.
Man, that brings back memories.
A statement of regional pride.
The 2nd video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DouakH_h7EU&t=0s ) is really good. Fast-paced and nothing but beautiful cars and roaring engines. Some very nice cars and sounds there.
Yeah. A race-ist ‘Cuda. Mid 60’s a buddy of mine had a 55 chevy we named the “Giggle Car” he’d race in Albuquerque. Tilt front end etc. Fun stuff, good times.
the good ole days...sunday!...sunday!...sunday! at Detroit Dragway! Sibley at Dix.
dad (rip) used to take the family car...a black ‘55 ford and race it.
(seems like another lifetime ago)
nitro-methane, top-fuel eliminators and such
thanks for posting, ETL
hey watta ‘bout them demolition derbys too? fun times.
SWEET!!!!!
The Dumb-o-crats are turning our country into a DEM-o-lition Derby!
Love the White Trash! What exactly is a “gasser”? When I was a kid I used to go see the “hardtops” race at the county fairground. They looked like dune buggies with a wing assembly on top. The grandstand had a metal roof — lord, it was noisy! Fond memories of time spent with my delightfully odd grandparents.
“A gasser is a type of hot rod originating on the dragstrips of the United States in the late 1950s and continued until the early 1970s.[1][2] In the days before Pro Stock, the A/Gas cars were the fastest stock-appearing racers around.[3]”
Gassers are based on closed body production models[clarification needed] from the 1930s to mid-1960s, which have been stripped of extraneous weight and jacked up using a beam axle or tubular axle to provide better weight distribution on acceleration (beam axles are also lighter than an independent front suspension), though a raised stock front suspension is common as well. Common weight reduction techniques include fiberglass body panels, stripped interiors, and Plexiglas windows (sometimes color tinted).
The 1933-36 Willys coupés and pickups were very popular gassers.[4] The best-known would be the 1933 Willys 77.[4] It was never built in large numbers, making it a puzzle why it became popular: it was neither cheap nor plentiful.[4] Keith Ferrell’s Dogcatcher, for instance, was a 1936 delivery with a fuel injected small-block Chevrolet, built for the class; in 1967, Ferrell deliberately left something off to run it in B/Altered (later, with a supercharger, in BB/A).[5]
After the company revived, the 1937-42 coupés, sedans, and pickups were again popular with hot rodders and gasser teams, and again, comparatively low production leaves unexplained why they gained so much attention.[4] Ollie Olsen’s 1940 coupé Wil-A-Meaner (driven by Bob “Rapid” Dwyer[citation needed]) won the 1961 Nationals’ A/G title.[4][6] Between 1962 and 1964, the Hassel & Vogelsong 1940 coupé “was the scourge of B/Gas”, winning the 1963 and 1964 Nationals and setting a 1964 national record at 11.34.[7] In 1967, the Hrudka Brothers’ 1933 panel delivery was a popular wheelstander.[7]
Postwar Willyses were also used (such as the Bremerton, Washington-based Speed Sport Specialties 1954 Willys in B/Gas), but, despite being a better chassis than the 1955-7 Chevrolet, were never as popular as the prewar cars.[8]
Combinations could be unusual. Fujimo, Too! was a B/G 1950 Plymouth business coupé (run by Adler and Trout) with an injected Oldsmobile and Hydro-Motive transmission.[9]
NHRA first licensed women drivers in gas classes in 1963, when Roberta Leighton, member of the Dust Devils Car Club and driver of an injected El Camino, was first admitted.[10]
Throughout the 1960s, the Stickle and Riffle Anglia, based out of the Rod Shop and driven by Bob Riffle, were frequent winners. Their only national title, however, was the B/G title at the 1967 Nationals and C/G at the 1968 Nationals.[7] Riffle’s best pass in B/Gas was 10.54 seconds at 128.20 mph (206.32 km/h).[7]
At the 1965 NHRA Nationals, held at Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Indiana, 1941 Willyses driven by Dick Bourgeous (owned by “Big John” Mazmanian, sponsored by Engle Cams) and Doug “Cookie” Cook (the Stone-Woods-Cook gasser, sponsored by Isky Cams) faced off in A/GS.[11][12] (Cook took the win with a pass of 14.20 seconds at 116.53 mph (187.54 km/h).[13])
Stone-Woods-Cook abandoned A/GS for Top Fuel Funny Car by the start of the 1967 season.[12]
Late model cars were first allowed in the Gas classes in 1967.[12]
Mazmanian would quit the gas classes for fuel funny car in 1968.[12]
Gas classes were eliminated by NHRA in 1972.[14] ...”
lots more at link...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasser_(car)
Thanks for that post brought back some old memories.
You’re welcome.
Did you watch either of the videos?
Or are you referring to the pics I posted?
Both videos are great.
You mean these things...
I’d like to know how they set up that Falcon (unibody) to handle the torque without twisting it apart.
I keep looking at a late 50’s Rambler 2 door wagon near the house and thinking that would make a cool Gasser...
Wife would probably kill me.
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