Hot Rods The Ultimate Willys Gasser Thread

Rocky Pirrone.

 

That looks like a newspaper photo and there’s a typo in the caption, that is Bob Bernardon’s Jolly Dolly gas coupe.

 

From another thread....

 

Hello,

I will be forever grateful for the help in the night of August 6, 1960 around 9:30 p.m. My brother had just stomped on the gas, took almost a 2 car lead against the class record holder in C/Gas class at Lion’s Dragstrip. All day, from the start of the time trials to the eliminations, my brother was concentrating on better starts. He kept it up against all competitors during the eliminations during the late afternoon into the dinner hour. By 9:00 p.m. we were lined up for the finals of the C/Gas eliminations.

In the same staging area was the record setting Albertson Oldsmobile Top Eliminator FED trying to continue the winning streak of 12 straight wins. But, our C/Gas Class Final elimination race was given the first call to clear the staging area.

Jnaki

We had just seen the A/Gas chopped Willys Coupe of the Grist Brothers in front of us making the winning run in their class. Then it was our turn. With a great start, Atts Ono and I were standing at the starting line and watched my brother take the lead through all gears. It was headed for a final win for the trophy that night. But, things happen and the clutch blew up just before the lights. It looked as if a ball of fire shot out of both windows, below the Willys Coupe and then the driver's door. It looked as if the door opened and another ball of flames came shooting out from inside. We were shocked.

The aspect of fire is terrible and many years later, I was in a conversation with Eddie Grist. He was 9 at the time and he told me of the harrowing sight of a race car blowing up right in front of their chopped Willys A/Gas Coupe and whole family coming back down the return road.

It had to be his dad and uncle that came over to our Willys Coupe with a fire extinguisher. By the time we got there with our fire extinguisher and another spectator jumped the fence with one other large extinguisher, everything went by so fast… They all told me to go back to the finish line lights as that is where the ambulance was picking up my brother. He had jumped out going around 60 mph, as per the conversation from Eddie Grist. It was a sight he said he would never forget.

Thanks for your help at the time…

Note:
My brother had tried to use our own clipped in fire extinguisher, but from his conversation much later, he said it was like using a squirt gun on a beach campout fire. Later that night, Atts Ono stayed with the burning Willys Coupe until the fire burned itself out. There were many large red fire extinguishers on the ground all over the area in the next day clean up and tow away...YRMV

 

My friend Pete "Baby Cakes" Stager and a partner owned this car and as with a lot of us it got sold to fulfill uncle Sam's "report to" letter in the late 60's. Pete resides in Fort Ann area of upstate NY.

Pat

 

33Hemi

 

Yep!!!