Event Coverage Gasser Reunion 2013, Changes more Hamb Friendly!

I totally agree! Now, for the lower chassis cars, is Modified Gasser ok for the name of the class, and do we want index or dial in?

 

Your paragraph contained "I" (first person) over a dozen times. This is nothing personal.
To answer your questions, yes I'm a racer, spectator, club member, and reunion participant. None of which has any bearing on the topic.
To better understand your efforts you're promoting a hobbie and picnic reunion, and that great, I prefer the race.
The name of the second style gas class is of little importance at this point. Will every 1975 electronic, tube framed, winged, bracket car be considered a "new style gasser"? Put everyone up to speed and outline the regulations for the new gas class. That information may have a calmimg effect on many.

 

You still have not done an intro for joining this board. And your 'nails/coffin' bit is personal. Square up.

 

Oh my God people this is supposed to be about fun!!! Last year things got confusing ! people got pissed off ! they're trying to prevent that from happening again before hand. Last year I went out to the English brothers third round it happens. I will be there to have fun and help put on a good show. Don good luck I hope it all works out good and I will Be bringing some crowbars to help pullout nails that people seem to want to drive in the coffin. Can't we all just get along and race.


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x2! Thankless job you have there Don. Glad I dont race. At the Showdown I just like seeing the right stuff leave the starting line at the same time! 5 "classes" and nothing but time shots all day. This all just sounds too hard & no fun for you!!

 

The rules don't change for the two classes of gassers. NO electronic 2 steps, delay boxes etc allowed in any class! The Modified Gasser class will have a little more grey area than the Nostalgia Gasser class. We don't want to keep guys from racing.

 

Thanks Dan and Larry! Actually, the pm's and emails outside of this thread are all positive and much appreciated!

 

Is there a link to the rules ?

 

Don't know of a link, but here they are:

Regarding GASSER Rules. Here's what we've used since day one.

NOSTALGIA GAS COUPE & SEDAN BODIES: (NOSTALGIA GASSERS RULES)
1. Body types must be pre-1968. 2. Cars must have full fenders, no open wheel cars and non-era wings will be permitted.
3. Hood tops are required, sides may be open and scoops must be era-representative. 4. NO ‘pony cars’ such as a Camaro,
Mustang, Firebird, etc. will be accepted. All cars must have an appearance that is consistent with the spirit of a
‘Gasser’. Cars that do not meet ‘Gasser’ requirements will be moved to HOT ROD classes. While this is subjective,
GASSER MAGAZINE and/or its appointed representatives(s) will make the final decision. If there is any doubt of your car
meeting these requirements, it is your responsibility to get approval prior to the being allowed to race in this class. You may
email a description of your car and photo.

NOSTALGIA GAS COUPE & SEDAN ENGINES, etc: (NOSTALGIA GASSERS RULES)
1. Only gas and alcohol are allowed as fuel. 2. Maximum engine setback allowed is 15%. 3. Superchargers are limited to
6-71 or 8-71 roots-type only. 4. Any steel or aluminum heads are allowed. 5. Any ignition system is allowed. 6. Any intake
and carb combination or mechanical fuel injection allowed. 7. No electronic fuel injection will be allowed. 8. Rev limiters are
allowed only to protect the engine. They cannot be used to control the car’s launch. 9. No delay boxes or throttles stops
are allowed. Must be completely removed from car. 10. Data recorders are allowed in A/GS and B/GS only. 11. Air shifters
are allowed in A/GS and B/GS only. 12. Trans brakes and/or line locks are OK. 2-step not allowed. 13. All cars must run
with open headers. No Flowmaster or other muffler types allowed.


Obviously, these rules have been loosely enforced in the past. I may make some small changes based on how this year goes. I don't want to make too many changes as I think I have kicked up the dust enough with what I have done!!!!

 

Don, I regularly travel down from Ontario to attend Gasser meets at both Thompson Ohio and Beaver Springs PA. I don't own a gasser but they have been my passion since the early 60's. I just went through my photos from Reunion 2012 and I noticed your center axle rule will eliminate many regular participants with real gassers. I may be wrong on some but this is what the photos say. Dennis Stewart's Outlaw, The Carson family 55 Chev, Rigor Mortis, Who's Toy, Goin Broke, Fontanna's Speed, Outasite, Russo & Santo?, K S Pittman, Gene Altizer, Gumbel Chevrolet, Miss Behavin, Hellacious, Ron Brizio and most Austins and Anglias. Although I love to watch the English Bros and Lew with their technology and ability, I agree they need a separate qualification class but these others with their real gassers should not be discriminated against. Think hard about the sky-hy rule. I know it is a good way to get rid of the technology cars but many are getting caught in the squeeze. The rules as posted and 'period correct' should suffice.

 

Again, not eliminating anybody from racing. Definetly not discriminating any one! We just want to be a little more era specific. Some of those you listed will be close enough for the rule too...remember folks, not going to use a lazer pointer! Asking the tech guy to figure out what 'period correct' is just does not work, he is used to looking at honda's and mustang gt's! The rule will allow tech to quickly put the gasser in one of two classes. As someone mentioned in this thread, we may have a check list for cars that are borderline to help tech put a car in one class or the other.

 

And here is where another potential firestorm is lurking.

IF there are going to be rules, they'll need to be followed to a "T". Discretionary measures taken as to who's in and who's out based again on what someone thinks fits will only piss people off. I know this first hand.

The group here in western NY has a cut off date of 1974 but allows a 1977 car while another racer with a 1976 car is not allowed to run with the group. This happens because the guy with the 1977 has friends in the group running the event. The end result, quite a few people got pissed and some did not return all do to someone's foolish "discretion".

You make rules, you follow rules!

Live by the book.... Die by the book!

Be carefull of the rules you make! Calling an original Gasser "modified" because its front end does not look like what you would like it to look like will piss people off. There have been many posts on this thread that are against what you are planning AND you have stated that you have had PM's to the contrary but you are not considering the "silent" majority.

 

Big difference between year of make vs. a 1/2 of an inch. If the car is close and it looks the part, it will race in the Nostalgic Gas. If the car has an old paint job but is low and tubbed, it will race Modified gas...its not black and white. As a race fan, don't you want to see like cars racing against each other for more even passes? Haven't you and I already agreed to disagree?

 

It seems the rule that is most problematic here is the one dealing with the relationship between the rocker panel/ running board and axle center line. Many of the gasser legends were dry lakes racers before sanctioned drag racing took off. Their first drag cars were the same cars they raced on the dry lakes and they were all low to the ground. In Don Montgomerery's Supercharged Gas Coupes book you will see that just about all of the early A/GS and B/GS cars driven by the likes of Doug Cook, Ohio George, K S Pittman, Mike Marinoff, Gene Adams, Chuck Finders, Bones Balough, Jr Thompson and Larry Dixon were low to the ground through at least 1964. Look how low Larry Dixon's '41 Willys sat in 1962. So your nose high nose low rule is starting to look pretty rediculous and is going to make or brake the success of your race if based on car count. Many truely representative cars just wont come. If you're running on a heads up index it really shouldn't matter if the car is nose up or nose down. If you are truely trying to reflect a certain gasser era, say pre 1968' maybe you should require all cars to have factory ( as in Detroit ) produced frame rails. After all, both of Ohio Georges' Mustangs and Don Toias' Maverick were on willys frame rails because the rules of the day required it.

 

(blownhemi48)
If you are truely trying to reflect a certain gasser era, say pre 1968' maybe you should require all cars to have factory ( as in Detroit ) produced frame rails. After all, both of Ohio Georges' Mustangs were on willys frame rails because the rules of the day required it.

A point that has not been brought up. I hate to see some cars not show up or pushed to another class because of a tech guys opinion. Maybe you need to help the tech guy??? Not trying to put anything else on your plate.

The Folsom flash 55 chevy wasn't a nose high but a gas car.

Lew's vette is AACA certified race car. I think 62 or 64 record holder. AACA doesn't upgrade there certifications.Race cars have to have verifiable proof (pictures, articles, records) of raced in the day. What up grades it has now not sure. The car and driver are awesome and would hate to see him not show up.
John Alcotts restored original gas car ????

I think someone mentioned it......would be nice if a group from various regions could get together and define a set of rules or standards to race by.

But that won't happen because just look... each group has THEIR own ideas.And thats how all these gasser groups have come about.

I hope to have mine back together next year to a make a few races. It would be nice to meet everyones rules. It will be straight axle 10" wheels but not nose bleed high.

Something sitting in the stands last year we heard::
I think something you should address is the people in the stands. To much time between runs Why not do a little more actual racing on sat. instead of all the time shots. The average Joe is driving to see the show and only going on sat. and misses. the show sun. Beaver Springs is a great track but for most people it's in bum #uck egypt. Not a whole lot of places to stay.

On your side Don, someone has to be the boss ASK FOR A RAISE CONGRESS DOES IT.

 

I did a quick search on google images for your examples and found all but 2. Mike Marinoff had a stock looking chevy with the rear quarters radiused and could not find the pictures for Larry Dixon. I know that there are some exceptions. The logo on the top of Gasser Magazine is "Racing Back to the Sixties" and if a car shows up and is borderline to this rule and looks like it came right out of the sixties, it will run with Nostalgia gas. If it looks the part, but has modern updates, it will run Modified gas. They all get to run! Now for AA/GS cars, we are having a meeting this sunday to discuss what direction to follow. Have not even opened that can of worms yet!

 

I am trying to make this a better event for everyone!

 

I know that Don..

After thinking what blownhemi48 said I think you are right but so is most of the others... my opinion and we all know what that is like. And please don't chastise me here. you all know this history lesson.....
The gasser class evolved and I think it was touched on. The early years was high in the front looking for the weight transfer running olds, caddies ,sbc,some sixs. call it maybe pre 63 no aluminum heads or nine inch fords. willys anglias j's 38 an 55 chevys ect. Another year hemis , a few 409's and I know of an old lincoln powered one. call that 64 then came the big hemi with aluminum heads, bbc ,427 fords, more power and they start looking at the frames , suspensions and tires. ( chuck finders) front ends starting to level out. 1967 the beginning of the end. Corporate sponsor (ford) and Ohio George about like Petty and stp bring in big money for the time and times change.

If you want the ill handling gasser your describing and I might be wrong but think that is where Quain is at with his race. 1963 cars and rules. The true gasser I remember was straight axle with radiused wheel wells.

But that would eliminate some cars. And kill the show. I hope not to get shot for this. I think some cars are boarder line 70's street freaks.

Don again you are trying and the pay sucks...... Your tall lankiness might be why they picked you for sheriff.

 

Don, I think you're probably a decent guy trying to do the nearly impossible right thing. I would consider helping tech the cars if you and the track would have me. There are far too many so called gasser/nostalgia cars with contemporary ( convo pro's ) wheels, hood scoops, graphics, paint jobs, kirky high back bucket seats, billet steerig wheels and mile long wheelie bars. These guys just don't get it. It seems like they already had a car or parts and that gasser/nostalgia was an after thought. These are the guys who should be in a contemporary or modified gasser class. If you feel a need to use the wheelie bars to launch your car off the line instead of just preventing an uncontrollable wheelstand, you should be bracket racing, not gasser racing.

 

X2 very good points

 

X3 I agree. You need your own tech crew of knowlegable people and not try to rely on the track techs.

 

x4! In a perfect world I would love a "new" Gasser and an "old" gasser class, but we have seen that on this thread there are many different opinions of that definition, that is why we came up with the height rule, it simplified the division for the most part. I really think everyone is going to be happy with the way this works out. The only question I still have is what is prefered in the modified gasser class: Index or Handicap racing?

 

index make it a drivers race. more exciting. its about the show. Up there its all at the starting line.

 

I would like to clear this up for the people reading but not knowing of the Gasser Racing Series. The car in question races in a "mod" gas class not "Nostalgia" which is what we are discussing here. The main body of this car was unchanged from it's debut till it's demise (vega wagon) and the car ran old style front clip. So looking at the car you really can't tell that it was a 77, no more so than a new glass bodied car looking like a 1940.


Now back to on topic stuff, maybe you could have a couple guys doing a pre-tech on cars looks. You could then mark the car accordingly and not count on the track tech (mustang gt, honda guy) to make the decision. This is the way the Gasser Racing Series does it and works out well. The track tech is then only concerned of the safety equipment not the looks of the car.

 

The height rule you speak of is a modern interpretation ( revisionist ) put forth by Rocky Pirone. The only height reqirements nhra had dealt with crankshaft centerline ( 24" ) and roof height . You could not chop and/or channel more than 4" total. Arguably, the best AA/G race of modern times occurred two years ago at Thompson. That race was won by a car that was built by someone very familiar with the workings of supercharged engines and chassis tuning. However, that car nor the current replacement truely reflect a build from the late sixties. Neither car has hood side panels. Sure, there were Model A gassers that ran without them, but did you ever see a Willys without them? The current car appears to be chopped more than 4". Remember nhra had a no streamlining stipulation in their roof height rule. Now you can argue four links and ladder bars all day long. Four links did exist but the current car is already quicker with ladder bars and short wheelie bars. The height rule you propose will guarantee you will only get a handfull of AA/G cars. You are never going to sway the people who are offended by your arbitrary rocker panel height rule to attend and the fans are going to be the ones to suffer.

 

The car in question always ran a '76-'77 front end. Now don't go there on this thread, you're the one that mentioned the GRS not me. The point was that, rules are rules and that they should be followed and not stretched. By the way, what's it feel like to be on the recieving end of rules that you don't like?

As far as your point as well as others, I can't agree more that there needs to be a committee set up to inspect as well as verify the cars as to what class they belong in.

You can't expect the track or its tech guys to know what class to place cars in just as the track doesn't expect the event committee to inspect cars for safety nor would they. 2 to 3 able bodies are needed to place cars in classes.

 

Any rules on rear wheels?? I had aluminum slots but need a different offset now and for what I need they only come in newer style wheels. I have Fenton aluminum slots on the front.

 

This rule has nothing to do with AA/G cars as of yet. I will say this, only Rocky's group of AA/GS cars were there last year if I recall. I am meeting with that group to see what the plans are for this year. Do you know of any other AA/G cars planing on going?

 

So how do you pick the right people? There is no pay and lots of attitude!

 

No. Doubtful that you would ever be able to get the two groups to ever race together, especially if Rocky has anything to say about it. I hope I'm wrong. I would love to see it happen.