History TRADITIONAL GASSERS, Gas Class cars and modern TRADITIONAL cars.

Russ Barfield’s South Florida “Russ’ Auto Service” was home for many area racers. Russ’ machine work, race engines and precision tuning were legendary and he was always ready to help an aspiring young racer with honest and solid advice. Russ ran a long string of G***ers, including this ’55 Chevy C/G***er, shown leaving under the flagman at Masters Field, Miami. The South Florida Timing ***ociation bus in the background held all the timing equipment for drag racing at the three different airfields used by SFTA in the 50’s and 60’s. (Jim Hill photo)

 

So why is Eddie Schartman’s factory sponsored, ’65 Mercury Comet A/FX running in A/Gas, against Gene Altizer’s traditional A/G Anglia at the 1965 NHRA Nationals? Schartman’s 427 Comet had run afoul of the NHRA tech inspectors and was re-cl***ed into A/G. No doubt the grille-mounted Moon fuel tank was one of the infractions cited. Hugging the center line, Altizer won the round .

 

Bill Boer was a Long Island, NY Street/Modified racer, one of many very good cars that ran out of Jack Merkel’s Long Island shop. Here Boer shares a treasured moment with his greatest fan, his daughter. The tail fin belongs to Boer’s tow car, a ’56 Chevy sedan.

 

Rochester, New York’s Bill Lindner perfected the use of a small CID Chevy with a 6-71 blower for C/Gas Supercharged.

 

Dan Weis is known more for his role as promoter of Richmond Dragway, but he was also a compe***or with this ’55 Chevy Bel-Air sport coupe. The B/G***er shows “Joe Weis” as driver in this 1961 snapshot.

 

Another Cleveland resident, Gene Schwartz made a name in two distant careers. Schwartz was a regular and popular Midwest drag racer with his two E/Gas ’52 Chevys. His first was a ’52 Deluxe coupe (above) lost in a crash. It was replaced by a second car, a ’52 sedan, with psychedelic airbrushed paint and a “Strawberry Fields Forever” scheme.

 

Arnie Beswick

 

Bill Gorvet drove the “Vitamin C” Willys in A/Gas compe***ion across the Midwest. This was an early G***er to use the power of the new ’64 426 Hemi in a cl***ic ch***is. Sadly, his became one of the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

 

Cleveland, Ohio was a hotbed for G***er racers during the 60’s. The Rodriguez Brothers built and for many years raced this ’56 210 sedan in D/Gas. Here Jimmy Rodriguez cleans the tires as he edges towards the starting line at the NHRA Nationals. “Hut’s Dyno Shop” was Ron Hutter’s Cleveland area engine shop.

 

Jeg Coughlin’s Jeg’s Automotive, in Columbus, Ohio, grew a speed shop hobby into a national parts retailing power.

 

Tom Langdon was a GM employee and G***er racer from Utica, MI. Landgon’s “Holeshot-6″ ’48 Anglia H/G***er used an Chevy inline 6 for power and sometimes giant wheelstands!

 

Jerry Haley’s ’33 Plymouth cl***ic was powered by a much modified, inline 6 cylinder GMC engine. The powerful GMC truck engine had a unique cross-flow ported cylinder head, built by Rockford, Illinois’ Sterling Racing Engines.

 

Koffel’s infamous “Flintstone Flyer” was well engineered, with maximum 10% engine set-back and an easy access hood. E/Gas cl*** win at the ’62 Nationals was but one of the big dog’s achievements. Note huge parachute at rear (?).

 

Following the Packard Dave built this Studebaker Lark, the “Flintstone Flyer Too”, also powered by an injected Chevy, for E/Gas. A couple years later Dave got Chrysler factory help with a ’65 Plymouth B/FX before becoming one of Chrysler’s race group engineers.

 

Cleveland, Ohio’s Joe and Tom Hrudka were were unable to seal ported small-block Chevy heads with stock gaskets. They began making gaskets, selling them out of the trunk of Joe’s ’57 Chevy. That grew into Mr. Gasket Company. A ’55 Chevy D/G***er won cl*** for them at the Nationals, followed by this ’40 Willys C/G***er, here at The Nationals. “Meal” is the notably talented Cleveland race car builder, Dave Meal.

 

By the mid 60’s Mr. Gasket was growing its product line as Joe and Tom built and ran this flashy C/Gas Supercharged ’33 Willys panel truck. A small-block Chevy with 4-71 blower and Hilborn powered it while Joe power-shifted the four-speed trans. The car was later sold and became “Foley’s Fooler”.

 

An original Ohio G***er legend was Cleveland’s Ron H***el. Ron gained fame first with his ’56 Chevy sedan, then in the H***el & Vogelsong ’40 Willys B and C/G***er. Here H***el leaves the line during B/Gas cl*** runs at The Nationals, 1963.

 

From Phoenix, Arizona came Johnny Loper’s legendary “Lil Hoss” ’48 Anglia A/G***er. Loper’s small-block Chevy powered car became a well-known adverti*****t for his Loper’s Speed Shop.

 

Joplin, Missouri’s Harley Estes was a traditional G***er racer for many years. Harley’s 394 Oldsmobile V-8 powered ’40 Willys

 

This cl***y Willys G***er ran out of Don’s Hot Rod Shop, in Tuscon, Arizona. A blown small-block Chevy motivated the ’41 Willys in B/Gas Supercharged. Simple front straight axle and leaf springs plus Halibrand five-slot magnesium wheels all around show the seriousness of this car.

 

Henry Ford’s cl***ic ’34 five-window coupes were popular G***er material during the 1950’s and 60’s. Here the Ace Auto Parts sponsored ’34 makes a run in B/Gas Supercharged, a 6-71 blown small-block Chevy providing the go-fast urge.

 

Ray Doyon’s ’55 BelAir Sport Coupe was built to run in AHRA’s D and E/Gas cl***es. Ray ran with sponsorship help from Thomas Brothers Performance, in San Antonio, Texas.

 

Don Hardy gained legendary status as a trusted Funny Car, Pro Stock and all-around ch***is builder, but he began his drag racing career running this ’32 Ford three window G***er in Little and Street Eliminator. The Floydada, Texas terror made serious noise in A and B/Gas with this coupe, shown here in the pits, 1962.

 

The popular “Willy Charger”, Austin, Texas based, four-door Willys was anything but a family sedan! A 426 Max Wedge “B” V-8 provided plenty of power for A/Gas combat across the Southwest. Painted steel wheels and homebuilt suspension are evident along with M&H “pie crust” slicks.