Posted on 04/11/2021 4:50:46 PM PDT by ETL
Southeast Gassers Association
Welcome back to the SEGA 2021 tour!
Winter wasn’t finished with Florida at the time of our season opener. Cold temps and frigid winds may have been uncomfortable for the crew and drivers, but it was perfect for making horsepower. The racers and their winter efforts were on full display with class records being shattered and massive wheel stands along with catastrophic parts failures were on center stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5WJ9mqBsb0
Imagine seeing this ‘55 Chevy Gasser leaping off the line with the front tires hanging in midair. No wonder Gassers have remained favorites in drag racing, and why the Gasser revival has lasted longer than the ‘50s and ‘60s Gasser Wars era that inspired it. ...”
Bodies:
Gasser bodies are stripped to reduce weight. The heavy steel hood on our ‘55 could be replaced with fiberglass, or a whole ‘glass forward-tilt front. Frequently, grilles get replaced or eliminated. Rear wheelwells are radiused to fit slicks, and glass is often replaced with screw-in tinted plexiglass or Lexan. It’s rare to see a front bumper; rear bumpers are sometimes replaced with cylindrical pipe bumpers. Elaborate paintjobs are not as common as basic solid colors, but race decals (on the quarter windows) and lettering are pretty standard. Lettering on the doors would spell the team name or, as here, the car’s nickname.
Chassis:
Chassis are purpose-built for straight-line acceleration, and front leaf springs and rear ladder bars are favorite suspension parts. Our straight-axle raises the front of the car (to shift weight) and makes room for fenderwell headers. Faster Gassers might have some type of wheelie bars, but this ‘55, like many, doesn’t.
It’s a drag car, so it runs slicks in the back with front skinnies on 3- or 4-inch-wide wheels. Cragars, Americans, Ansens, and Halibrands are all popular wheels. Stick with five-spokes or kidney beans and you’ve got the look.
Interior:
The interior is drag car minimal, with rear seats removed. The factory bench seat might be replaced with upholstered ‘glass race buckets. Our blown car, and cars with many ‘glass panels, would require a rollbar to run. That rollbar provides a place to mount cushioned head pads. We’d add a column-mounted Sun tach and Stewart-Warner gauges below the dash, and replace our factory steering wheel and gas pedal with a metalflake wheel and a Moon “footprint” pedal. Either way would look correct, but our way could take a tenth off our elapsed time. That’s how we imagine it.”
—Hot Rod Magazine
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/1211sr-anatomy-of-a-gasser/
Trad Gassers, retro Fuel Coupes and ancient front-engine rails are the only things worth still going to the strip for once you stop running your own car.
I raced in the 60’s & 70’s in the lower stock classes. I have always loved drag racing. I have not been to a national meet since they closed Englishtown raceway park. I live 10 miles from Island drag way but rarely go there. However I have been driving 2 1/2 hours to Beaver Springs in Pa. for their annual Ford FE show. They do a good job and I enjoy the day with my son.
Southeast Gassers are good folks.
Run hard. Have fun. Close in prayer.
Like the most amazing church men’s group on planet Earth.
Tell you what. It’s ALL business on the track, though. Lots of camaraderie back in the paddock, but three and green and you’d best have your A game queued up.
LOTS of awesome video recaps on their YouTube channel, too. I could watch for hours.
At this point, I dig the nostalgia meets, but modern big-time drag racing has almost as little appeal to me as NASCAR (which has ZERO appeal to me).
DO NOT OVERLOOK the fact ol’ Donovan’s “White Trash” has an empty can of Pabst Blue Ribbon zip tied to the radiator as a coolant overflow container.
That’s Old School! LOL!
Gasser bump
Excellent!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.