The ‘Grohs Texaco’ Drag Cars

I have very little info to go on besides these great pictures, but Grohs Texaco in Rivera, California ( before ‘Pico’ and ‘Rivera’ became one city in 1958) sponsored a few very nice drag cars. The first shot is of Grohs 32 5 window coupe photographed (by Norm Grudem) around 1953. It featured big n’ little whitewalls, knee action shocks and some crazy twin push bars in the back. Check out the triple straight pipes (flathead, I presume) peeking out from under the frame!

In late 50s, Team Grohs returned with a wicked Digger powered by a front-mount blown 331 Hemi. I like the rough, hand-hammered bodywork and four wheel Moon discs to finish off the package. Doug Peterson took the color picture below and added, “I was introduced to drag racing in the flesh in the fall of 1958 when a friend and myself wandered into the pits at the old San Gabriel track while shooting mud hens in the rock quarry lake to the west. It was late in the day and we’d arrived just in time to witness the Top Eliminator final, between the Grohs Texaco Spl. and another digger. The sight and sound just about knocked me down, and I was hooked. I checked out the winner, the Grohs Texaco car when it returned to the pits, and it made a lasting impression on me. A very homemade looking dragster with a Potvin blown 331 Chrysler. I think it imprinted in my psyche, and I was fascinated by front-mounted blowers from the beginning.”

UPDATE: More pics and info added, with a big thanks to the comment from HAMBr ‘296 Ardun’ that these cars were campaigned by legendary Bill Butters and Dave Gerard, which was absolutely correct! I dug around and found Gerard’s photo page with more killer shots!