man, that Car Life cover was what first turned me into a hot rod guy, at the age of like 2 or 3! That, and a B&W photo in Car Life of Ratican & Stearns Fiat out on the Walts Puffer roadster. My dad was a hard core sporty car and motorcycle racer, had no use for hot rods and drag racing. But he made the fatal mistake of having Car Lifes and a few of the 'spotlight" books around. When I saw the Dragmaster Dart on the cover of Car Life with the laundry out, I didn't know what it was, but I KNEW it was COOL! WAY cooler than any MGA or Alfa. My mom noticed my reaction, and started using the Car Life and spotlight books to teach me to read. I was reading by the time I was 4, and when I started elementary school, I was reading at a grade 4 level, and it was all down to my mom noticing her infants reaction to that famous Car Life cover shot, and capitalizing on that interest. And yes, I still have that Car Life that started it all... Funny thing is, my Mom says it was the biggest mistake she ever made...
Crap! I wanted to be the one to say Jim Minnicks gas dragster from Nitro, West Virginia, always loved the irony in that.
I gotta look this car up and see what it weighed, I know it was REAL light. Note the Pete Robinson mag blower case with no flange...
Not the Ace ( as far as I know). I don't know, got the pic on the web, I'm assuming a California or Arizona team. I was hoping someone would remember.
Hummel and Myers Top Gas Beech Bend I believe these guys were the last Top Gas record holders? Anybody know?
" DRAG RACING'S GOOD 'OLE DAYS As Remembered by Ky Michaelson The next year I built an all-new car with a 427 blown Chevrolet. This car had plenty of power and I could light up the tires like a top fuel dragster. Halfway through the season, at about the thousand footmark, I felt a hard vibration. I looked down towards the clutch can and just then the clutch exploded. I pulled both of my feet back as far as I could, but not soon enough. A three quarter inch piece of cast iron from the bell housing hit my foot; it cut right through my shoe penetrating my foot cutting the tendons. It felt like someone hit my foot with a large sledgehammer, needless to say that was the end of my driving for the summer." Anybody recognize The temporary "driver"?
Bob Muravez, center, remained in the background and partially hidden in the 1963 Top Gas winner's circle as he had been forbidden by his parents to race.
Washington state's veteran driver Ray Hadford.I believe this is him in his Top Gas car. Mostly know today as a Green Elephant FC driver, I think he still competes in Jr Fuel ( nostalgia).
D.A. Santucci in the winner’s circle at the 1969 NHRA Nationals with his impressive win of Top Gas Eliminator
D.A. Santucci in the process of winning the ‘69 NHRA Nationals with the famed “bubble gum” car, a story to be relived at the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing and the 12th Annual Musclecar Madness at the York Reunion in 2013 D.A. Santucci in the near lane en route to winning the ‘69 NHRA Nationals Top Gas Eliminator.
The Jalopy Journal
