This 40 Willys: primered, black, (Maroon Fenders) Moon discs who is in front of the Grist Bros?

Hello,
Can't be more traditional than a Willys coupe vs the perennial A/Gas class champion Willys at Lions Dragstrip. Here is another mystery Willys from 1960. This action does not happen often, but who is in front of the A/Gas Grist Bros Willys at Lions? It is a rare sight to see someone getting that much of a jump at the start in the A/Gas ranks, especially against the A/Gas record holder in the West. The norm is that the Grist Bros. would be the ones doing the hole-shot. It looks like a HOWARD CAM sticker on the rear panel of this mystery Willys. But the name of the driver and owner is still a question mark.
Any help is appreciated...Thanks.

Jnaki


Hi Guys, was just today directed to your website by and old friend (FJM) and drag racer from back in the day. The Willy's that is in question?... pics and movie real… LOL Is the Mr Gasket car! Early years before they painted it Orange (Pop Red). The Hrudka Brothers car. I know because I owned it in the 1970's as the "Tonawanda Kid" and put it back on the street and local show circuit I had pictures of it on loan from Joe and Tom Hrudka at the time. So now you know... mystery solved!

H. Swain

 

Hello HS,
Here is the movie that I took from 1960 at Lions Dragstrip in So Cal. The movie is real, I took the actual footage on my 16mm movie camera in 1959-60. But before I put on the name of the "Mr. Gasket" car on my original movie clip, something does not add up. (besides, there are no maroon fenders...)There were no Willys coupes painted black with maroon fenders during this time period...it was the basics back then...

In 1959-60 there was no Mr. Gasket.... that started in 1964. Progressive photos from 1959 to the present would help clear up the discrepancies. No one in So Cal has stepped up to ID that Willys or know who owned that Willys. Even the remaining Grist Bros family members cannot ID that car.

So verified proof of ownership, with photos would clear up any ID problems. It would help if there was a publicly produced photo or listing in a magazine or drag racing newspaper.

Jnaki
I do not want a label on my original films to be shown publicly (museums in various USA states) with the wrong information on them. So far, there are a lot of race cars on my films that go unnamed because no one can show proof. If it is in an old Drag News from 58-61, that is proof. I am still going through every So Cal archive and interviews with those old time racers to see if I can ID those missing names and information.

 

Hello Jnaki,

Got it... I understand you want your information to be verified with physical (photo) evidence. And yes of coarse before you label something as fact. This story I was told, of the very early car that they tested their gaskets on was primer colored (maybe some black/primer black as well) with maroon or burgundy fenders... yes odd combo. But that's what was told to me first hand! Again this story comes to me from I believe Joe or Tom H. back in the mid 70's. I spoke to one of them by phone and was very excited to do so... hung on every word they told me about the car that I owned. They sent me a large envelope of photos to use in the local "Buffalo Clutch Artist Show" Took best of show. But made me promise to send them all back... I did! Now I'm not sure why, but when I saw your 16mm movie reel last week. It some how clicked in my mind that this was the car that I saw in the still pics maybe?... as I watched the movie real and the sun hits the car at a certain angle the fenders sure look a bit different and I believe they are dark maroon/burgundy, and not black like other parts of the car. Take another look for yourself and see what I mean. Maybe contacting Joe or Tom H. who I believe now lives in Arizona might shed some more light on it all and the proof you need. If I find out more on it, I will share it in the future too... please, you as well!

Respectfully,

Hugh - Phoenix, AZ

"The Tonawanda Kid"

PS - Maybe the real proof is in which car won the race!

 

Hello HS,
Since the winner was the Willys in question, I asked the remaining family member of the Grist Family. He said something broke and their car stopped. A rarity in those days. So, yes we all know that other car won. But, I will still leave it unknown until you come up with proof or one of the brothers replies here with photos or a Drag News article or photo.

I am only asking in this instance because of a previous naming fiasco. For those that were in my movies from 58-60, there have been several other car's owner/drivers tossed around and around, but proof was never verified. So, I left the most logical name on there. But, one day, someone popped up with a new name and proof of the real owner/driver. Drag News is our friend.

Sometimes as the years go past, recollections go by the wayside and names and cars just aren't correct. So, I will keep this one unknown until you can show me the visual and written proof.

One thing is certain, race cars do break down at some point or other. We all know that the Grist Bros A/Gas chopped Willys coupe was one of the fastest in that class at many of the drag strips around. That has been verified many times over in magazines and in the Drag News weekly paper stories and mfg. ads. This film clip was one of those breakdowns.

Jnaki
Currently, I am in a naming conflict with a couple of Willys sedans from 1959-60 that used to race at the local So Cal tracks.

 

Hello Jnaki,
Yes I got it and agree... picture proof is important. As time passes yes unfortunately our memories can play games with reality I will do some digging on my end and see what I might find... keep you posted. Again, for back in the day your 16mm movie reel is very clear and you did a good job! I can clearly see the "Grist" cars performance going away and then the failure at top end (small exhaust cloud) ... but also some side by side frames of your footage (like frame #13) shows a difference in the fender colors (early color limitations aside) "Grist" Black? (front fender) vs "Unknown" Maroon/Burgundy? (front fender)... can you see it or not?? (Again, this odd color combo was stated to me by one of the "Hrudka Bros" I believe first hand and I thought at the time in my minds eye "not my first color choice" and why those colors when I heard it the first time.)... now being a bold "Orange" (Ford Mustang "Poppy Red"). Who knows you may have been there the very first time this mystery car (maybe the early Mr. Gasket car made it's maiden voyage down the track. Lets see if we can find out more!

Regards HS/TK

 

Hi Guys,
Well I did some digging... and went as close to the source as I could get. Just today I spoke on the phone to the daughter of Tom Hrudka... "Traci" Well she has a wealth of knowledge on Mr Gasket and more. She is also the Chairman and a lead spokesperson for the "Quarter Mile Foundation" (Please see their Mission Statement below) ... this woman knows drag racing and the industry surrounding it... Try and support it if you can!

So after a long conversation with her about the company (Mr Gasket), drag racing history and the aftermarket industry and yes also this question?... "Is this Jnaki film footage from 1960 and the still pics (above) the Mr Gasket 1940 Willys car in the very early days?... The answer is "NO". Although the cars are similar in their colors and design/form, this is not a perfect match up. And even though the early Mr Gasket car may have raced at Lions drag strip in So Cal around that time once... We are not absolutely sure about that fact either.

So the question remains and still needs to be answered that Jnaki had first asked... WHO IS IN FRONT OF THE GRIST BROS? Does anyone else have an answer... Anyone?



Traci Hrudka – Chairman

Quarter Mile Foundation’s mission is to collect and archive the history of the sport of drag racing, and related aspects of the high performance aftermarket, focusing upon capturing the first person oral histories of the pioneers and legends. The goal is to preserve interviews, in addition to photos, movies and video tape for present and future generations to see and experience how drag racing and the performance aftermarket impacted the North American automotive market. To build a permanent historical record of drag racing – its people, cars, events and industry, a record that transforms our past into present, and present into future giving context to ideas and anchorage to experience.