Nothing more badass than a gasser!

[rrrr]

No comment needed.

 

[rrrr]

Notice it's a real quarter mile race too!

 

[4Waters]

No comment needed.

Just watched the video again and no joke could smell the race fuel

 

[rrrr]

Just watched the video again and no joke could smell the race fuel

Dunno about everyone else, but I found myself grinning like an idiot when the car launched.

 

[4Waters]

Dunno about everyone else, but I found myself grinning like an idiot when the car launched.

Yore not alone

 

[Willie B]

…Was nothing better… when I was in high school than going to Long Beach… Lions… On a Saturday night… leaning on the fence about mid track…and watching the gassers run…

 

[ChiliPepperGarage]

I'm a big fan of real gassers as well as the "fake" recreations (most would really be considered street freaks). Some are a little too over the top for me but most are pretty cool.

Big fan of SEGA too. You can spend hours watching this:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sega+drag+racing

 

[Shlbyntro]

Im gonna have to piss off the grammar nazis here and suggest a title edit.

"Nothing Badasser than a Gasser"

 

[playdeep]

I'm a big fan of real gassers as well as the "fake" recreations (most would really be considered street freaks). Some are a little too over the top for me but most are pretty cool.

Big fan of SEGA too. You can spend hours watching this:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sega+drag+racing

That SEGA bunch is the real deal...
4 speeds only/cars must be hand lettered.
They're truly traditional gassers.
They're getting excellent car counts&crowds.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Of the gasser Era, I'm going to possibly ruffle a few feathers...I really wish I could have seen the altereds run. Pure Heaven, Pure Hell, The Winged Express...short wheelbase, poor suspension and high center of gravity...and big fuel motors...perfect!

 

[Wheeler]

No comment needed.

Of the gasser Era, I'm going to possibly ruffle a few feathers...I really wish I could have seen the altereds run. Pure Heaven, Pure Hell, The Winged Express...short wheelbase, poor suspension and high center of gravity...and big fuel motors...perfect!

You didn't last long on the Hokey Ass Message Board did you.

 

[4Waters]

Of the gasser Era, I'm going to possibly ruffle a few feathers...I really wish I could have seen the altereds run. Pure Heaven, Pure Hell, The Winged Express...short wheelbase, poor suspension and high center of gravity...and big fuel motors...perfect!

Those altereds were definitely started with the words "Hold my beer"

 

[pixrthis]

Gassers are cool but an Alterreds are scary which makes them the coolest.

 

[Willie B]

Of the gasser Era, I'm going to possibly ruffle a few feathers...I really wish I could have seen the altereds run. Pure Heaven, Pure Hell, The Winged Express...short wheelbase, poor suspension and high center of gravity...and big fuel motors...perfect!

… Great description of quite a few of the alterteds… Watched Wild Willie Borsch wheel the Winged Express in the 60s…his left arm always hanging over the drivers door…Saw Mike Boyd end up in the wrong lane in the ‘90’s… Bakersfield…in the Winged Express… he never lifted… scary stuff… but highly entertaining… he got a standing O…

 

[rrrr]

… Great description of quite a few of the alterteds… Watched Wild Willie Borsch wheel the Winged Express in the 60s…his left arm always hanging over the drivers door…Saw Mike Boyd end up in the wrong lane in the ‘90’s… Bakersfield…in the Winged Express… he never lifted… scary stuff… but highly entertaining… he got a standing O…

During the match race era around 1969-1973 a few AA/FA pairs came through Albuquerque. Several were name cars like Pure Hell, Nanook, and Magnificent 7.

I've told the story before how beginning at age 13 my Mom would drive across town early on Sunday morning to drop me off at Albuquerque Dragway. She would go back home and get ready for church before 10:00 Sunday school and sermon, while listening to my Dad complain about me missing the services and drag racing. She just would just roll her eyes, and and pick me up around 5:00. My Mom was the coolest ever.



I miss her.

 

[monkeyswrench]

You didn't last long on the Hokey Ass Message Board did you.

I may or may not have been the focus of a shit storm 10-12 years ago. It had nothing to do with altereds...had to do with me building this car

Apparently building a gasser to look cool and old is ok, but building a 32 to look old is sacrilege over there!

 

[Willie B]

… I got what I just posted about Mike Boyd driving the Wing Expresd…Wrong… Gotta remember I’m getting old…
Here is a video of what really happened… Now I remember …I was there
…On his burnout he crossed out of his lane…passed his competitor in the right lane, and went right around,him…got back in his lane…did his backup…and beat the guy …his competitor in the Fiat in their elimination, race… I also had forgotten that Mike Boyd died last year… that’s a sad deal… He was a great driver… pretty sure Willy, Borsch would’ve been proud of him for being able to really handle the Express beast…(most of the time)

 

[rrrr]

I may or may not have been the focus of a shit storm 10-12 years ago. It had nothing to do with altereds...had to do with me building this car
View attachment 1267859
Apparently building a gasser to look cool and old is ok, but building a 32 to look old is sacrilege over there!

That is a very cool ride. It probably pissed off all of the rat rod builders of that era too. You coulda rubbed the paint off, gutted it, channelled it down to the ground and had a real hot rod.

 

[monkeyswrench]

That is a very cool ride. It probably pisses off all of the rat rod builders of that era too. You coulda rubbed the paint off, gutted it, channelled it down to the ground and had a real hot rod.

It's bits and pieces, and some new metal here and there. It was my friend Bill's favorite car...and he had a bunch.

 

[rrrr]

… I got what I just posted about Mike Boyd drivig the Wing Expresd…Wrong… Gotta remember I’m getting old…
Here is a video of what really happened… Now I remember …I was there
… He passed his competitor in the right lane, and went right around,him…got back in his lane…did his backup…and beat the guy …his competitor in the Fiat in their elimination, race… I also had forgotten that Mike Boyd died last year… that’s a sad deal… He was a great driver… pretty sure Willy, Borsch would’ve been proud of him for being able to really handle the Express beast…(most of the people ime)

Here's a quote from Willie Borsch about driving an altered:

"Try putting a blown fuel Chrysler engine into a car the size of a Volkswagen. Then drop a brick on the throttle and hang on!"

 

[Wheeler]

I may or may not have been the focus of a shit storm 10-12 years ago. It had nothing to do with altereds...had to do with me building this car
View attachment 1267859
Apparently building a gasser to look cool and old is ok, but building a 32 to look old is sacrilege over there!

Reminds me of what went on with this car only worse! They should have tarred and feathered you!

 

[WYRD]

Well that was a 20-minute rabbit hole.

I like the lane Dames too

 

[jetboatperformance]

GASSERS and such, Love em

The SEGA stop at Kil-Kare was a great one! We had new faces in the winners circle, a gasser brought back to life after 53 years, and a fans from all over. We had fans fly over from Europe, California and one even drive over 1800 miles from Arizona ju

72K views, 2.4K likes, 40 comments, 1K shares, Facebook Reels from DH Media: The SEGA stop at Kil-Kare was a great one! We had new faces in the winners circle, a gasser brought back to life after 53...

fb.watch

 

[jetboatperformance]

During the match race era around 1969-1973 a few AA/FA pairs came through Albuquerque. Several were name cars like Pure Hell, Nanook, and Magnificent 7.

I've told the story before how beginning at age 13 my Mom would drive across town early on Sunday morning to drop me off at Albuquerque Dragway. She would go back home and get ready for church before 10:00 Sunday school and sermon, while listening to my Dad complain about me missing the services and drag racing. She just would just roll her eyes, and and pick me up around 5:00. My Mom was the coolest ever.



I miss her.

At about the same age (60's) I would ride my Schwinn 10 speed to the San Luis airport (a few miles away) and watch the drags , Was car crazy from a very early age

 

[Familyties]

Of the gasser Era, I'm going to possibly ruffle a few feathers...I really wish I could have seen the altereds run. Pure Heaven, Pure Hell, The Winged Express...short wheelbase, poor suspension and high center of gravity...and big fuel motors...perfect!

Was fun watching

KOHLER BROS 'KING KONG' ANGLIA vs Shores & Hess Anglia at Irwindale​

 

[Willie B]

… Willys gasser’s at Long Beach/Lions… there were so many Willys gasser’s back in the 60s… coupes…pick ups… four doors… kind of makes you wonder how many 33 Willys and 41 Willys were actually built… the most popular years for Willys gasser’s… then along came the English Ford Anglias…

 

[Willie B]

I may or may not have been the focus of a shit storm 10-12 years ago. It had nothing to do with altereds...had to do with me building this car
View attachment 1267859
Apparently building a gasser to look cool and old is ok, but building a 32 to look old is sacrilege over there!

… If that car were to have been raced in the day…would’ve been an altered… No fenders… I can’t remember exactly how the altered classes were laid out… But they did run from AA/fuel/altered all the way down to a class for flatheads…6 cylinder's and straight eights…which may have been F/altered???…

 

[rrrr]

Was fun watching

KOHLER BROS 'KING KONG' ANGLIA vs Shores & Hess Anglia at Irwindale​

I always liked the Anglia and Fiat gassers.

 

[Willie B]

I always liked the Anglia and Fiat gassers.

…Hmmm???… I could be wrong, but I don’t think any Fiats were run as gassers…but they were a prime ticket for they alterted classes
…And yes the crank came right out of the bottom of the Magic Muffler Fiat…yikes

 

[rrrr]

…Hmmm???… I could be wrong, but I don’t think any Fiats were run as gassers…but they were a prime ticket for they alterted classes
…And yes the crank came right out of the bottom of the Magic Muffler Fiat…yikes

View attachment 1268021

You're right about that. I meant altereds, and with the thread subject being gassers I just brain farted.

One of our members, @Racer56, has ties to the Ansen Automotive family. His grandfather founded the company. This Fiat ran the SoCal circuit back in the day.

I think Ansen slots are the best looking wheels ever made. They are in my 20th Century Hall of Fame with the Cragar S/S and Torq Thrust wheels.

 

[Willie B]

You're right about that. I meant altereds, and with the thread subject being gassers I just brain farted.

One of our members, @Racer56, has ties to the Ansen Automotive family. His grandfather founded the company. This Fiat ran the SoCal circuit back in the day.

I think Ansen slots are the best looking wheels ever made. They are in my 20th Century Hall of Fame with the Cragar S/S and Torq Thrust wheels.

View attachment 1268046

… I do remember the Ansen Fiat… can’t quite place the Ansen slots???… gonna google them…I was big on American Torque Thrusts and Halibrands… In my minds eye… I want to remember a Fiat that was full fendered that may have a run as a Gasser… But I’m just not quite getting there???… whatever class it was running …what I do remember is…I thought it was quite odd at the time???…maybe ‘65 or ‘66???…

 

[rrrr]

… I do remember the Ansen Fiat… can’t quite place the Ansen slots???… gonna google them…I was big on American Torque Thrusts and Halibrands… In my minds eye… I want to remember a Fiat that was full fendered that may have a run as a Gasser… But I’m just not quite getting there???… whatever class it was running …what I do remember it is …I thought it was quite odd at the time???…maybe ‘65 or ‘66???…

The wheels were named Ansen Sprints. Here's a good article about them, including info about Ansen Automotive's founders.

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/slot-and-go

 

[playdeep]

You're right about that. I meant altereds, and with the thread subject being gassers I just brain farted.

One of our members, @Racer56, has ties to the Ansen Automotive family. His grandfather founded the company. This Fiat ran the SoCal circuit back in the day.

I think Ansen slots are the best looking wheels ever made. They are in my 20th Century Hall of Fame with the Cragar S/S and Torq Thrust wheels.

View attachment 1268046

X2 on the Ansen wheels...Best looking,timeless!
I have some on my old sprint cars.Old 6 pin sprint/Indy car style wheels are bringing stupid money...if you can find them.
Actually everything Ansen has become highly coveted.
Here's one I run

with an early beadlock set up(sheet metal screws)

 

[ltbaney1]

… I got what I just posted about Mike Boyd drivig the Wing Expresd…Wrong… Gotta remember I’m getting old…
Here is a video of what really happened… Now I remember …I was there
…On his burnout he crossed out of his lane…passed his competitor in the right lane, and went right around,him…got back in his lane…did his backup…and beat the guy …his competitor in the Fiat in their elimination, race… I also had forgotten that Mike Boyd died last year… that’s a sad deal… He was a great driver… pretty sure Willy, Borsch would’ve been proud of him for being able to really handle the Express beast…(most of the time)

I love that video. Mike was the definition of a gentle giant, he was all business when it came down to driving that car as he should have been. I heard him once say that car wanted to go every which way but straight. but he loved seeing the kids come up and look at the car and would always make time to take pictures or talk to people. I miss him and some of the talks we had at the track.

 

[rrrr]

X2 on the Ansen wheels...Best looking,timeless!
I have some on my old sprint cars.Old 6 pin sprint/Indy car style wheels are bringing stupid money...if you can find them.
Actually everything Ansen has become highly coveted.
Here's one I run View attachment 1268076 with an early beadlock set up(sheet metal screws)

I'm grinnin'. It's cool.

 

[Wheeler]

 

[Willie B]

… Here is some real footage from back in the day probably about ‘65???…Half Moon Bay… never raced there…But I hear they always put on a good show…
…The footage reminded me of what a push start in a fueler felt like
… if your eyes start fluttering… Try to sync them up with the film…lol…

 

[Familyties]

Old Gassers

 

[rrrr]

… Here is some real footage from back in the day probably about ‘65???…Half Moon Bay… never raced there…But I hear they always put on a good show…
…The footage reminded me of what a push start in a fueler felt like
… if your eyes start fluttering… Try to sync them up with the film…lol…

Man, I loved watching those push starts at Albuquerque Dragway when I was a kid. There were a couple of fuelers run by some guys from Amarillo showing up regularly, and touring match racers would hit town three or maybe four times during the summer

Big station wagons, squatting down from the spare engine and other parts loaded in the back, would run down the track almost halfway pushing the dragsters, and when they stopped, a couple of crew members would jump out to flop the front wheels to the limit as they did a multipoint turn.

The pair would line up heading back to the box, and when oil pressure was up the drivers would unground the magneto. The heartbeat of my thirteen year old self would skyrocket when the two hemis lit off and settled into that badass cackle of burning nitro, and I would occasionally get a whiff and stinging eyes if I was close enough to the starting line.

The anticipation and excitement was off the chart as they turned around for the start. The drama of the push, lightoff, burnout, and staging made the wait for the tree to start its countdown seem like forever.

Those are great memories.

 

[rrrr]

Here's a photo for @Willie B...

 

[Willie B]

Man, I loved watching those push starts at Albuquerque Dragway when I was a kid. There were a couple of fuelers run by some guys from Amarillo showing up regularly, and touring match racers would hit town three or maybe four times during the summer

A big station wagon, squatting down from the spare engine and other parts loaded in the back, would run down the track almost halfway pushing the dragsters, and when they stopped, a couple of crew members would jump out to flop the front wheels to the limit as they did a multipoint turn.

The pair would line up heading back to the box, and when oil pressure was up the drivers would unground the magneto. The heartbeat of my thirteen year old self would skyrocket when the two hemis lit off and settled into that badass cackle of burning nitro, and I would occasionally get a whiff and stinging eyes if I was close enough to the starting line.

The anticipation and excitement was off the chart as they turned around again. The drama of the push, lightoff, burnout, and staging made the wait for the tree to start its countdown seem like forever.

Those are great memories.

… You were a pretty lucky 13-year-old… I started going to San Fernando Drag Strip in 1959… I guess I would’ve been late 13 or 14???…I didn’t quite get it about Nitro at first… I don’t remember what year iNHRA banned Nitro???… and I can’t remember if you could still run nitro at San Fernando???… but somewhere along the line, I became almost addicted to the smell of nitro…

…By 1965 the drags had become a pretty big spectator sport.. I had a girlfriend whose father and two brothers ran a C/Alterd…A ‘48 Ford with an Olds with 6 Stromberg 97’s…
… I knew my mother’s neighbor had built a Fueler…and was having trouble keeping a steady driver…So I thought what a great opportunity… I think I’ll take my drag family girlfriend and go meet up with my mothers neighbor…and see if I can get him to let me drive the fueler…Well for some reason…we had a deal… Maybe it was my cute girlfriend… I was 19 and she was 16 and a high school
chearleader???…

…By this time I had already not been living at my family home for about three years???…but when I was living at home, it was my mothers neighbor who got me interested in drag racing.,,I would go with him virtually every Sunday to San Fernando…an occasional Saturday night to Long Beach, and once to San Gabriel…He was racing a bronze ‘59 Chevy Belaire two-door sedan with various motor combinations…While he was building the fueler…he had been running…C/gas with the 59… a 327 Chevy small block…Enderle injectors, Engle cam… and Forgtrue pistons… it ran pretty good for a big boat…Can’t remember how fast or how quick with this motor combo???…The prior motor had been a ‘55 Chevy 265”… sort of a free junk motor…. It had 7 1/2 to one blower motor pistons and some other strange stuff… with 5:13 gears… that howled like a banshee…it ran 93.45mph in 15.26…It held the E/gas record at San Fernando dragstrip for quite a while…

… When the Race Car Specialties chassis for the fueler was done…He…Bob Vanover…hand formed the body panels with a coke bottle and a rubber mallet…He had accumulated all the best necessary parts …motorcycle type spoked front wheels..,shortened locked 3:23 Olds rear end…Halibrand mag rear wheels and 7:60x15 Inglewood slicks… But???…he still didn’t have a motor… so what did he do..,He took the 327 out of the ‘59 and put it in the dragster…. I don’t remember exactly what he did differently to the 327 to get it to run at all on nitro???… possibly just a different grind on the Engle cam???…and a different set of pills for the Enderles???… Dunno???…

… And thus began my somewhat brief career as a Fuel Dragster driver… With the 327 it became a C/fueler.., I went quicker and faster, than anybody else who had driven it… not too sure why that happened???..180 @ 8.55… later on after I had been put out to pasture… and with a 401” small block…it ran 193 & 8.07… with Jeep Hampshire driving… the guy that built the motor was afraid I might grenade his motor???.,, Right at this time the Blown Fuel Chryslers we’re running mid 190’s at 8.00’s… so this little 110 inch wheelbase car ran pretty good..,

… I screwed up posting a picture of the car… I will have to try to do it tomorrow???…The pic is after the car was sold…

.,,All right…old gimped out people need rest…so…zzzzzz…

 

[rrrr]

… You were a pretty lucky 13-year-old… I started going to San Fernando Drag Strip in 1959… I guess I would’ve been late 13 or 14???…I didn’t quite get it about Nitro at first… I don’t remember what year iNHRA banned Nitro???… and I can’t remember if you could still run nitro at San Fernando???… but somewhere along the line, I became almost addicted to the smell of nitro…

…By 1965 the drags had become a pretty big spectator sport.. I had a girlfriend whose father and two brothers ran a C/Alterd…A ‘48 Ford with an Olds with 6 Stromberg 97’s…
… I knew my mother’s neighbor had built a Fueler…and was having trouble keeping a steady driver…So I thought what a great opportunity… I think I’ll take my drag family girlfriend and go meet up with my mothers neighbor…and see if I can get him to let me drive the fueler…Well for some reason…we had a deal… Maybe it was my cute girlfriend… I was 19 and she was 16 and a high school
chearleader???…

…By this time I had already not been living at my family home for about three years???…but when I was living at home, it was my mothers neighbor who got me interested in drag racing.,,I would go with him virtually every Sunday to San Fernando…an occasional Saturday night to Long Beach, and once to San Gabriel…He was racing a bronze ‘59 Chevy Belaire two-door sedan with various motor combinations…While he was building the fueler…he had been running…C/gas with the 59… a 327 Chevy small block…Enderle injectors, Engle cam… and Forgtrue pistons… it ran pretty good for a big boat…Can’t remember how fast or how quick with this motor combo???…The prior motor had been a ‘55 Chevy 265”… sort of a free junk motor…. It had 7 1/2 to one blower motor pistons and some other strange stuff… with 5:13 gears… that howled like a banshee…it ran 93.45mph in 15.26…It held the E/gas record at San Fernando dragstrip for quite a while…

… When the Race Car Specialties chassis for the fueler was done…He…Bob Vanover…hand formed the body panels with a coke bottle and a rubber mallet…He had accumulated all the best necessary parts …motorcycle type spoked front wheels..,shortened locked 3:23 Olds rear end…Halibrand mag rear wheels and 7:60x15 Inglewood slicks… But???…he still didn’t have a motor… so what did he do..,He took the 327 out of the ‘59 and put it in the dragster…. I don’t remember exactly what he did differently to the 327 to get it to run at all on nitro???… possibly just a different grind on the Engle cam???…and a different set of pills for the Enderles???… Dunno???…

… And thus began my somewhat brief career as a Fuel Dragster driver… With the 327 it became a C/fueler.., I went quicker and faster, than anybody else who had driven it… not too sure why that happened???..180 @ 8.55… later on after I had been put out to pasture… and with a 401” small block…it ran 193 & 8.07… with Jeep Hampshire driving… the guy that built the motor was afraid I might grenade his motor???.,, Right at this time the Blown Fuel Chryslers we’re running mid 190’s at 8.00’s… so this little 110 inch wheelbase car ran pretty good..,

… I screwed up posting a picture of the car… I will have to try to do it tomorrow???…

.,,All right…old gimped out people need rest…so…zzzzzz…

I love your stories about driving the fuel car. It must have been quite a surprise when you whacked the throttle the first trip down the quarter mile. You have made this thread fun and interesting, thanks so much for adding great content.

The small block Chevy started the racing careers of millions of drivers and crew members in all types of motorsport. From what I've read, junior dragsters running on gasoline were a fairly affordable way to go drag racing, and as you found out, the 327 could turn in some stout times when it was run on nitro.

Those hand formed bodies you spoke about are a fascinating subject by themselves. They progressed from a wrapper around the tub and basic rounded cowl covers to the absolutely stunning full bodies built by metal magicians like Tom Hanna.

The dragsters progressed so quickly over a short period of time, it's fun to explore how the innovators discovered ways to go faster. The evolution of the front engine dragster is displayed by these photos of Tommy Ivo's rides. Tommy has always been one of my favorite drivers.

"TV" Tommy Ivo started acting and singing on television at age nine, which was the basis for his nickname. He gave up that lucrative career at age twenty to become a full time racer, and he was very good at it. He was the first to 170 and 180 MPH, and was also the first to break the five second barrier. Even today at age 87, he gives great interviews and tells awesome stories about his career. Tommy is a absolute treasure.

His cars always had a couple of things in common. One, they were stunningly beautiful. The other, they were always fast.

This was his first purpose built dragster, a Kent Fuller (pictured with Tommy) chassis powered by a Buick nailhead and built in 1957. During the nitro ban years, it held NHRA ET records. Notice that Fuller is wearing an Iskendarian Cams T shirt. Ed was 36 when this photo was taken, and he's still going to work at age 102. What a legend!

This Don Long chassis, powered by a Chrysler 426 hemi and body by Tom Hanna was campaigned during the 1970 season. Hanna's dragster bodies were works of art. Both views vividly illustrate his talents:

Tommy was also great at promoting himself. His glass sided trailers were legends. This one with two FEDs and a Corvette push car riding on top was typical of Tommy's showmanship:

 

[Willie B]

I love your stories about driving the fuel car. It must have been quite a surprise when you whacked the throttle the first trip down the quarter mile. You have made this thread fun and interesting, thanks so much for adding great content.

The small block Chevy started the racing careers of millions of drivers and crew members in all types of motorsport. From what I've read, junior dragsters running on gasoline were a fairly affordable way to go drag racing, and as you found out, the 327 could turn in some stout times when it was run on nitro.

Those hand formed bodies you spoke about are a fascinating subject by themselves. They progressed from a wrapper around the tub and basic rounded cowl covers to the absolutely stunning full bodies built by metal magicians like Tom Hanna.

The dragsters progressed so quickly over a short period of time, it's fun to explore how the innovators discovered ways to go faster. The evolution of the front engine dragster is displayed by these photos of Tommy Ivo's rides. Tommy has always been one of my favorite drivers.

"TV" Tommy Ivo started acting and singing on television at age nine, which was the basis for his nickname. He gave up that lucrative career at age twenty to become a full time racer, and he was very good at it. He was the first to 170 and 180 MPH, and was also the first to break the five second barrier. Even today at age 87, he gives great interviews and tells awesome stories about his career. Tommy is a absolute treasure.

His cars always had a couple of things in common. One, they were stunningly beautiful. The other, they were always fast.

This was his first purpose built dragster, a Kent Fuller (pictured with Tommy) chassis powered by a Buick nailhead and built in 1957. During the nitro ban years, it held NHRA ET records. Notice that Fuller is wearing an Iskendarian Cams T shirt. Ed was 36 when this photo was taken, and he's still going to work at age 102. What a legend!

This Don Long chassis, powered by a Chrysler 426 hemi and body by Tom Hanna was campaigned during the 1970 season. Hanna's dragster bodies were works of art. Both views vividly illustrate his talents:

Tommy was also great at promoting himself. His glass sided trailers were legends. This one with two FEDs and a Corvette push car riding on top was typical of Tommy's showmanship:

… Yes indeed Tommy Ivo is a good guy… …Part of his game plan in the earlier days was to put peanut shells on the seat of a new driver on the scenes Fueler… Well I had walked away from the race car one day….Maybe I went to Brownies snack bar and got a hotdog and a Coke. I don’t remember..,but when I came back, there were peanut shells on the Tony Nancy/Denny Nish upolstery???… I looked around and I did not see Ivo???… but I heard somebody mumble under their breath…Ivo…Yes I was intimidated…

… I ran into Tommy Ivo at Toluca Lake Bob’s Big Boy…sometime around possibly 2005… we started talking and he told me that John Tarzan Austin wouldn’t take his phone calls and didn’t want to talk to him… I thought that’s weird. I talk to him all the time… Tarzan had been his crew chief/ mechanic/body guand…off and on for many years… Man the stories that they had of life on the road…yikes… anyway they rekindled their friendship later on… And Ivo bought him a trophy as he had won a national event as the crew chief for… Damn, I can’t remember which Top Fueler???…but the car owner had kept the original…

… As I walked away after talking to Ivo for quite a while… he said, sorry about the peanut shells… I guess he was admitting he did it…lol…

 

[cyclone]

Mine Bel Air isn't period correct but it's a lot of fun to drive. I take my kids to school in it and it runs 8.50s in the 1/4 with a blown Chrysler Hemi.

 

[rrrr]

Good post, Willie. For the uninitiated, peanuts were seen as bad luck for decades in racing. They weren't allowed in the pits at road racing or oval events, and the ban was similar in drag racing going back to the very first events. I don't know how the superstition began.

Painting a race car green was also seen as bad luck until recent decades. This superstition began when 1920 Indianapolis 500 winner Gaston Chevrolet was killed driving a green car near the end of the season at the Beverly Hills Speedway, a track famous for astounding speeds on its highly banked board track. In 2023 the hoodoo associated with green race cars has almost disappeared, but there are still drivers from Saturday night dirt tracks to world class ovals and road courses that refuse to drive them.

IndyCar didn't allow women to race in the 500 or be in the garage area until 1971, when the ban was lifted. Even so, it wasn't until 1976 that Janet Guthrie passed the rookie test and turned some laps at the Speedway. She qualified and raced in the event in 1977.

I gotta give a shout out to Danica Patrick, who was absolutely dead nuts on at Indy. In 2005, her first year in IndyCar, she led laps in her first 500. She also won three poles in other races that season. Over a total of six entries at the Speedway, she finished in the top ten and completed every lap of those races except one, when Ryan Briscoe hit and damaged her car during a pit stop, taking her out of the race.

Danica took a bad rap as a prima donna and complainer. I thought this was completely inaccurate. She was funny and got along well with her crew. Her spotter and the driver of her transporter were good friends of mine, and they both told me she was respectful and a good teammate. Danica was hounded by media personnel every minute of the day, and that led to tensions which resulted in the reports she was unfriendly and difficult to access.

Now she's retired, with a net worth of around $100 million. Danica worked damned hard for that, and earned every dollar. She is an excellent driver, and deserves better than the constant sniping from some of the media and the uneducated fans.

 

[Familyties]

And then Tommy Ivo 4 Engine dragster came along

 

[Willie B]

Good post, Willie. For the uninitiated, peanuts were seen as bad luck for decades in racing. They weren't allowed in the pits at drag racing events, and the ban was similar in IndyCar going back to the first few races.

Painting a race car green was also seen as bad luck until recent decades. This superstition began when 1920 Indianapolis 500 winner Gaston Chevrolet was killed near the end of the season at the Beverly Hills Speedway, a board track famous for astounding speeds on its highly banked track. In 2023 the hoodoo associated with green race cars has almost disappeared, but there are still drivers from Saturday night dirt tracks to world class ovals and road courses that refuse to drive them.

IndyCar didn't allow women to race in the 500 or be in the garage area until 1971, when the ban was lifted. Even so, it wasn't until 1976 that Janet Guthrie passed the rookie test and turned some laps at the Speedway. She qualified and raced in the event in 1977.

I gotta give a shout out to Danica Patrick, who was absolutely dead nuts on at Indy. In 2005, her first year in IndyCar, she led laps in her first 500. She also won three poles in other races that sesson. Over a total of six entries at the Speedway, she finished in the top ten and completed every lap of those races except one, when Ryan Briscoe hit and damaged her car during a pit stop, taking her out of the race.

Danica took a bad rap as a prima Donna and complainer. I thought this was completely inaccurate. She was funny and got along well with her crew. Her spotter and the driver of her transporter were good friends of mine, and they both told me she was respectful and a good teammate. Danica was hounded by media personnel every minute of the day, and that led to tensions which resulted in the reports she was unfriendly and difficult to access.

Now she's retired, with a net worth of around $100 million. Danica worked damned hard for that, and earned every dollar. She is an excellent driver, and deserves better than the constant sniping from some of the media and the uneducated fans.

…Saw Danica Patrick at Sonoma before anybody knew who she was… I can’t remember whether I actually knew who she was or I just happened to notice it was a girl before anybody else noticed???… I think I just remembered… It was her driving style… She showed so much more finesse in the turns…I think?…than the guy drivers… She had it, and nobody was paying attention… well, except probably her crew and car owner… Pretty sure it was a Friday practice… And she did something …maybe a really quick lap time?… and when she pitted and took off her helmet, the few people that were there… were like flies on the fly paper… I actually felt bad for her…, but the crew was ready for this, and they actually had to somewhat surround her and walk her back to her motorhome or wherever she was going… that’s when she was married to the physical therapist guy…No clue as to what year this would have been???…

… I agree on Danica…She showed through the years…she was truly a talented driver…And I really enjoy her commentary at the races…

 

[Willie B]

Mine Bel Air isn't period correct but it's a lot of fun to drive. I take my kids to school in it and it runs 8.50s in the 1/4 with a blown Chrysler Hemi. View attachment 1269279

…With big cubes…You would’ve been A/gas Supercharged back in the day… they were running right around the 10:00’s at 150… didn’t go much past that for quite a while???…

 

[4Waters]

… You were a pretty lucky 13-year-old… I started going to San Fernando Drag Strip in 1959… I guess I would’ve been late 13 or 14???…I didn’t quite get it about Nitro at first… I don’t remember what year iNHRA banned Nitro???… and I can’t remember if you could still run nitro at San Fernando???… but somewhere along the line, I became almost addicted to the smell of nitro…

…By 1965 the drags had become a pretty big spectator sport.. I had a girlfriend whose father and two brothers ran a C/Alterd…A ‘48 Ford with an Olds with 6 Stromberg 97’s…
… I knew my mother’s neighbor had built a Fueler…and was having trouble keeping a steady driver…So I thought what a great opportunity… I think I’ll take my drag family girlfriend and go meet up with my mothers neighbor…and see if I can get him to let me drive the fueler…Well for some reason…we had a deal… Maybe it was my cute girlfriend… I was 19 and she was 16 and a high school
chearleader???…

…By this time I had already not been living at my family home for about three years???…but when I was living at home, it was my mothers neighbor who got me interested in drag racing.,,I would go with him virtually every Sunday to San Fernando…an occasional Saturday night to Long Beach, and once to San Gabriel…He was racing a bronze ‘59 Chevy Belaire two-door sedan with various motor combinations…While he was building the fueler…he had been running…C/gas with the 59… a 327 Chevy small block…Enderle injectors, Engle cam… and Forgtrue pistons… it ran pretty good for a big boat…Can’t remember how fast or how quick with this motor combo???…The prior motor had been a ‘55 Chevy 265”… sort of a free junk motor…. It had 7 1/2 to one blower motor pistons and some other strange stuff… with 5:13 gears… that howled like a banshee…it ran 93.45mph in 15.26…It held the E/gas record at San Fernando dragstrip for quite a while…

… When the Race Car Specialties chassis for the fueler was done…He…Bob Vanover…hand formed the body panels with a coke bottle and a rubber mallet…He had accumulated all the best necessary parts …motorcycle type spoked front wheels..,shortened locked 3:23 Olds rear end…Halibrand mag rear wheels and 7:60x15 Inglewood slicks… But???…he still didn’t have a motor… so what did he do..,He took the 327 out of the ‘59 and put it in the dragster…. I don’t remember exactly what he did differently to the 327 to get it to run at all on nitro???… possibly just a different grind on the Engle cam???…and a different set of pills for the Enderles???… Dunno???…

… And thus began my somewhat brief career as a Fuel Dragster driver… With the 327 it became a C/fueler.., I went quicker and faster, than anybody else who had driven it… not too sure why that happened???..180 @ 8.55… later on after I had been put out to pasture… and with a 401” small block…it ran 193 & 8.07… with Jeep Hampshire driving… the guy that built the motor was afraid I might grenade his motor???.,, Right at this time the Blown Fuel Chryslers we’re running mid 190’s at 8.00’s… so this little 110 inch wheelbase car ran pretty good..,

… I screwed up posting a picture of the car… I will have to try to do it tomorrow???…The pic is after the car was sold…

.,,All right…old gimped out people need rest…so…zzzzzz…

View attachment 1269000 View attachment 1269001

My buddies dad's Jr. Fuel

 

[cyclone]

…With big cubes…You would’ve been A/gas Supercharged back in the day… they were running right around the 10:00’s at 150… didn’t go much past that for quite a while???…

And that is damn impressive considering how hard the tires were back then. When I first put my car together I tried running Firestone Pie Crust slicks because they look awesome....those things wouldn't hook for shit. lol. Best I ever ran was mid-10s on those tires. lol