A gasser is a type of hot rod originally used for drag racing. This type of car originated in United States in the late 1950s and continued until the early 1970s. In the days before Pro Stock, the A/Gas cars were the fastest stock-appearing racers around.
History Gassers are based on closed-body production models from the 1930s to mid-1960s, which have been stripped of extraneous weight and jacked up using a beam axle or tubular axle to provide better weight distribution on acceleration (beam axles are also lighter than an independent front suspension), though a raised stock front suspension is common as well. Common weight reduction techniques include fiberglass body panels, stripped interiors, and Lexan windows (sometimes color tinted).
The 1933–36 Willys coupés and pickups were very popular gassers, in particular the 1933 Willys 77. While neither cheap nor plentiful, it was a competitive and lightweight choice satisfying the rules of the era (which required a ladder frame). At least one gasser incorporated a Willys frame under a Ford body to placate their sponsor while keeping it race legal. Keith Ferrell's Dogcatcher, for instance, was a 1936 delivery with a fuel injected small-block Chevrolet, built for the class; in 1967, Ferrell deliberately left something off to run it in B/Altered (later, with a supercharger, in BB/A).
After the company revived, the 1937-42 coupés, sedans, and pickups were again popular with hot rodders and gasser teams, and again, comparatively low production leaves unexplained why they gained so much attention. Ollie Olsen's 1940 coupé Wil-A-Meaner (driven by Bob "Rapid" Dwyer) won the 1961 Nationals' A/G title. Between 1962 and 1964, the Hassel & Vogelsong 1940 coupé "was the scourge of B/Gas", winning the 1963 and 1964 Nationals and setting a 1964 national record at 11.34. In 1967, the Hrudka Brothers' 1933 panel delivery was a popular wheelstander.
Postwar Willyses were also used (such as the Bremerton, Washington-based Speed Sport Specialties 1954 Willys in B/Gas), but, despite being a better chassis than the 1955-7 Chevrolet, were never as popular as the prewar cars.
Combinations could be unusual. Fujimo, Too! was a B/G 1950 Plymouth business coupé (run by Adler and Trout) with an injected Oldsmobile and Hydro-Motive transmission.
NHRA first licensed women drivers in gas classes in 1963, when Roberta Leighton, member of the Dust Devils Car Club and driver of an injected El Camino, was first admitted.
Throughout the 1960s, the Stickle and Riffle Anglia, based out of the Rod Shop and driven by Bob Riffle, were frequent winners. Their only national titles, however, were B/G at the 1967 Nationals and C/G at the 1968 Nationals. Riffle's best pass in B/Gas was 10.54 seconds at .
At the 1965 Nationals, held at Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Indiana, 1941 Willyses driven by Dick Bourgeous (owned by "Big John" Mazmanian, sponsored by Engle Cams) and Doug "Cookie" Cook (the Stone-Woods-Cook gasser, sponsored by Isky Cams) faced off in A/GS. (Cook took the win with a pass of 14.20 seconds at .)
Stone-Woods-Cook abandoned A/GS for Top Fuel Funny Car by the start of the 1967 season.
Late model cars were first allowed in the Gas classes in 1967.
Mazmanian would quit the gas classes for fuel funny car in 1968.
Gas classes were eliminated by NHRA in 1972.Taylor, "Duel of the Duals" in Hot Rod, April 2017, p.11. However, the NHRA still categorises gassers in sportsman categories, and vehicles can run gasoline or alcohol fuel (the latter safer in case of fire). The term "Super Gas" in NHRA refers to the rules that prohibit dragsters and mandate full-bodied cars in that category today.
Engine Because they were primarily built for racing, these cars typically had the engine swapped to a larger or more powerful one, or the existing stock engine modified (often heavily). It was very common to fit a Roots supercharger modified from original use on General Motors two-cycle diesel truck engines and mechanical fuel injection, manufactured by Algon, Hilborn, or Crower.
Suspension
With form being dictated by function, their appearance is often very top heavy and ungainly, mainly due to front ends being raised higher than stock, to assist in the weight transfer during rapid acceleration (racing). Having their exhaust pipes exit through the front fender well is a common characteristic of gassers, as is having bodies painted in flamboyant metalflakes, pearls, and candy finishes complemented by lettering in wild fonts. Most gassers also had ladder bars.
Name The name arose because they competed in a gasoline-fueled drag racing class, rather than one using methanol or nitromethane.
Named cars There were a number of cars run under names.
Name Entrant Year and make ClassAgitatorPaul Day 1933 WillysBB/GSAssassination Guzman & Ward 1934 MG AAM/SPThe BareDick Shroyer 1939 ChevroletH/GThe Bird HunterTed Walters1940 WillysC/GBonesmobile Special Curt Carroll 1931 Ford A/GBorn Runnin''' | Willie Johnson | 1927 Ford truck | A/SR
|Boss Hydro| Joe Pirrone | 1933 Willys |AA/G
|Cat Skinner| Bogan & Renfroe | 1941 Willys | A/G
|Chicken Coupe | Ray Moore |1940 Willys | B/GS
|City of Industry | Sam Parriott | 1953 & 1963 Kurtis | A/SP, AM/SP, AAM/SP
| Confusion| Courtney Lee Scott | 1934 Ford | B/GS
| Dark Horse | Stone-Woods-Finders (driven by Chuck Finders) |1933 Willys | B/GS
| Dark Horse Too| Stone-Woods-Cook (driven by Doug Cook) |1966 Mustang | AA/GS
|Dirty Thirty| Charlie Hill |1933 Willys |A/GS
|Dogcatcher |Keith Ferrell | 1933 Willys delivery | B/A, BB/A
|Filthy Forty |Hill & Zartman | 1940 Willys | C/G
|Fire Brewed| Chuck Finders |1949 Anglia | AA/GS
|Flintstone Flyer| Dave Koffel | 1949 Packard | E/G
|Flintstone Flyer Too| Dave Koffel | 1959 Studebaker | F/G
|Frivilous I| Bob & Jim Joffer | 1963 Ford | B/MP
|Fujimo, Too!| Adler & Trout | 1950 Plymouth | B/G
| The Gasser Passer| "Ohio George" Montgomery | Ford Prefect | AA/G
|Giddy Up Go| Joe Lowery | 1956 Chevrolet | D/G
|Here Comes Snoopy| Bucky Burk | 1949 Anglia | B/G
|The High and Mighty| Jim Parsons | 1927 Ford | A/SR
|Holeshot 6| Tom Langdon |1949 Anglia | G/G
|The Hammer| Dick Becker |1950 Anglia | G/G
|Hydro Phobia | |1931 Ford | B/G
| Inch Pincher| Dean Lowry | 1956 Volkswagen Beetle | H/G
|Irritation| Dan Stanton | 1940 Willys | C/A
| Jolly Dolly| Bob Bernarden | 1939 Chevrolet | C/G
|Kamikaze Koup| Coonrod & Harry | 1933 Willys | A/GS
|The Kentuckian| Glen Wothington | 1966 Corvette | BM/SP
|King Kong| Kohler Brothers | 1951 Anglia | A/GS
|The Klein Bird| Bill Ireland | 1965 Mustang | A/MP
|The Numismatist| Allyn Lynch | 1941 Willy's | B/GS
|The Numismatist II| Allyn Lynch | 1965 Mustang | C/GS
|Wahoppon| Ed Mezzio | 1955 Chevrolet | B/GS |- |Wil-A-Meaner'' Ollie Olsen (driven by Bob "Rapid" Dwyer) 1940 Willys coupé A/G
NHRA National Champions Source
1955, Great Bend, Kansas
Class Entrant EngineCar (year and make) Elapsed time (seconds) Trap speedA/G Dick Cadwalader Oldsmobile 1933 Ford (not recorded)B/G Waterworth/Morris Mercury 1932 Ford (not recorded) C/G Howard Johansen 1955 Chevrolet(not recorded) D/G M. S. Shephard 1955 Chevrolet (not recorded) A/SR Owen Bowling Chrysler 1929 Ford(not recorded) B/SR Red Lund Ford1932 Ford(not recorded) C/SR Dale Ham Dodge 1929 Ford(not recorded) A/SP Warren Turner ChryslerAllard (not recorded) B/SP Ralph Richter 1955 Porsche (not recorded)
1956, Kansas City, Missouri
Class Entrant Engine Car (year and make) Elapsed time (seconds) Trap speedA/G Wilton Zaiser Oldsmobile1931 Ford 13.32B/G H. L. Davis Chrysler1940 Ford 14.36C/G Earl Dorris Chevrolet1934 Chevrolet 15.20D/G Leland Allega Chevrolet1956 Chevrolet 15.35A/SR Safford & Shores Chevrolet1929 Ford 13.94B/SR John Mulkey Ford1932 Ford 14.43A/SP Jack Jenkins 1956 Corvette 14.52B/SP Ralph Richter 1956 MGA 20.13
1957, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Class Entrant Engine Car (year and make) Elapsed time (seconds) Trap speed A/G Harry Lawhon Oldsmobile 1933 Ford 13.14 B/G C. E. Foltin Oldsmobile 1938 Chevrolet 14.07 C/G Richard C. Jasper Chevrolet1934 Ford 14.28 D/G Alan Templin Chevrolet1951 Ford 14.77A/SR Curtis Franke Chevrolet1924 Model T 13.22B/SR Carl Stone Chevrolet1932 Ford 13.97A/SP Don Simmons Buick1954 Austin-Healey (not recorded) C/SP Ernest Grimm 1957 Corvette(not recorded)
1958, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Class Entrant EngineCar (year and make) Elapsed time (seconds) Trap speed A/G Carroll Howard Oldsmobile1931 Ford 13.53 B/G Robert "Junior" Johnson Chevrolet1941 Studebaker 13.13 C/G Richard C. Jasper Chevrolet1934 Ford 13.76 D/G Ron Helfenstein Chevrolet 1940 Ford 13.67 E/G Jim Spencer Chevrolet1951 Chevrolet 15.07A/SR Carl Johnson Cadillac1930 Ford 13.52B/SR John Mulkey Chevrolet1932 Ford 13.36 A/SP Sam Parriott Cadillac 1953 Kurtis (City of Industry) 12.17B/SP Don Simmons Buick 1954 Austin-Healey 12.80C/SP} Wilson & Croy FordSpee 19.92Little Eliminator Robert "Junior" JohnsonB/G 1941 Studebaker
1959, Detroit Dragway
Class Entrant EngineCar (year and make) Elapsed time (seconds) Trap speedA/G "Ohio George" Montgomery Cadillac1933 Willys 11.94 B/G Jim Whitaker Chevrolet 1932 Ford 14.19C/G Doug Cook Chevrolet1937 Chevrolet 13.17 D/G Ed Coughlin Chevrolet 1955 Chevrolet 14.06 E/G Johnny Loper 1959 Chevrolet 14.94 A/SR G. A. Jones Olds 1952 MG 11.61 B/SR Peter Mattei Chevrolet 1934 Ford 13.05 AA/SP Bill Jones Lincoln 1957 Thunderbird 16.19 A/SP Jack Horsley Lincoln 1959 Devin 15.16B/SP Andrew Zanca Chevrolet1954 Corvette 12.96C/SP Gil Dunn 1955 Porsche 16.99Sports Eliminator Jack Horsley A/SP 1959 DevinLittle Eliminator"Ohio George" Montgomery A/G 1933 Willys
1960, Detroit Dragway Class Entrant EngineCar (year and make) Elapsed time (seconds) Trap speedA/GS"Ohio George" Montgomery Cadillac1933 Willys 12.36B/GSWilton ZaiserOldsmobile1941 Willys 11.84C/GSDoug Cook Chevrolet 1941 Willys12.89A/GBilly PateChrysler1932 Ford12.36B/GLeonard GrennonChevrolet1935 Plymouth 13.40 C/G Jim Koonce Chevrolet1955 Chevrolet 14.31D/G John Endes Chevrolet1958 Chevrolet14.03E/GWilbur TackettChevrolet1955 Chevrolet15.78F/GThom ProsserFord1946 Ford 15.99A/GA Al Zerbarini Oldsmobile 1940 Willys 12.61 B/GA Johnny LoperOldsmobile1941 Willys 13.72 C/GA Tom Hoover DeSoto1957 Plymouth14.33A/SRDon CathcartOldsmobile1926 Ford13.52B/SR Courtney Lee Scott DeSoto1934 Ford13.32C/SR Jim Lightcap GMCModel A 15.03AM/SPSam Parriott Cadillac1953 Kurtis City of Industry12.29BM/SP Dick Valentine Chevrolet1957 Corvette13.01Street Eliminator Courtney Lee Scott B/SR 1934 FordLittle Eliminator "Ohio George" Montgomery A/GS 1933 Willys
1961, Indianapolis Raceway Park
Class Entrant Engine Car (year and make) Elapsed time (seconds) Trap speed A/GS"Ohio George" Montgomery Cadillac1933 Willys10.91B/GSRay Moore Chevrolet1940 Willys Chicken Coupe 11.76C/GSK. S. PittmanOldsmobile1941 Willys12.03A/GOllie Olsen Chevrolet1940 Willys11.68B/G Junior Garrison Chevrolet1940 Willys12.42C/GLarry TeterChevrolet1932 Ford13.34D/G Joe Hrudka Chevrolet1957 Chevrolet 12.73E/G Jim Koonce Chevrolet1955 Chevrolet 14.07F/G Don Neal Ford1932 Ford 13.67G/G Pete McNicholl Chrysler slant 61940 Willys 14.11AM/SP Sam ParriottCadillac1953 Kurtis City of Industry 11.91BM/SPJerry Osborn ChevroletAustin-Healey12.09CM/SP Busham/Casazza Chevroletspecial 13.16A/SR Milton Potter OldsmobileModel A 11.49B/SRArmstrong/ThomasChevrolet1932 Ford 12.38C/SRJim LightcapGMCFord Model A 13.63Street EliminatorJunior GarrisonB/G 1940 Willys
1962, NHRA Nationals, Indianapolis Raceway Park