Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: Clear-Cut Classification Continue reading the Original Blog Post
Bonneville is considered to be the "The Last True Amateur Racing Event" This shows the roots and style of the vehicles still seen today, and hopefully this year, and if you look at the latest rule book, some of the verbage has changed very little.
Interesting to see how the rules tightened from the mid-40's to 1952...specifically the rules dealing with the T bodies - a direct response to their success in the immediate postwar period.
SO incredible.... I think people think I take it too seriously when I pour over stuff like this but to me it's such a great guideline to why cars looked the way they did.
These make a lot of things crystal clear and have you saying "So that's why they did things that way".
It's amazing how crude some of these cars were inside and how nice they were on the outside. I think the pierson Bros. were the first ones too take advantage of the 5 inch window rule.
That "pod" with the Wisconsin air cooled fertilizer spreader engine is such a departure from anything else, I'd love to see it up close and to know how fast it actually was. I'm also very surprised to hear how highly regarded the 27 and earlier bodies were to these racers, apparently they were much more competitive at the time, surprising how under-appreciated they seem now compared to Model A's and 32's of the same body type.
The rules today for roadster class require a '28-35 American made roadster. If you want to use a '27 or earlier roadster body you need to either run in Street Roadster or Modified roadster class
Bitchin read! Makes sense too, I really like the definition of the A Class Coupes, kind of what I am going for with my '38.
@Jive-Bomber Jay - Thanks for posting the "Clear-Cut Classifications", the "Odd Rods", and the "Chop the Top" articles! Fawcett Book #156 (How To Build HOT RODS) just happens to be one of my favorite "little books": ... as it's chock-full of (Traditional Hot Rodding) "Tech" articles: While all of these articles are a great read ... due to my fascination with the history of Dry Lakes Racing, my favorite articles in this (circa 1952) "little book" are ... ... the "Build a Belly Tanker" article by Tom Beatty (on pages 94-99) *: ... the "Pet Speed Secrets" article (on pages 110-117) ... which includes interviews with seven Hot Rodding legends (Barney Navarro, Lou Baney, Ray Brown, Alex Xydias, Louis Senter, Bill Likes, & Chet Herbert): ... as well as the aforementioned "Clear-Cut Classifications" & "Odd Rods" articles (on pages 134-139 & 140-142). * NOTE: The entire "Build a Belly Tanker" article is available on HAMBer @G. Hacker's "FORGOTTEN BELLY TANKS & STREAMLINERS" website ... see “How to Build a Belly Tanker” by Tom Beatty (1952).
Thanks for sharing that is some great information . I wonder how fast the V4 Wisconsin pump motor went?
When hot rods started racing at the Lakes it became apparent that some classes were needed to promote some fair competition. The early Muroc races set some classes which evolved to the early SCTA classes in 1938. After the war the SCTA gradually expanded the number of classes as an encouragement for more competitors. Then in 1948 the Russetta Timing Assn. set up their classes which were not the same as the SCTA classes (even though some hot rods were running in both SCTA and RTA meets). In addition the Mohave Timing Assn. and the Bell Timing Assn had their own rules. Then in 1950 (1949-Goleta) drag strips all set up classes in accordance with the desires of the racers. It took years before the SCTA and the NHRA were able to dominate and standardize the classification rules. The photos of hot rods in the 1940s with class letters are generally the Lakes numbers. Back then were only a low number of classes. Most of the photos you see are with SCTA or RTA numbers. Their rules were totally different; in addition to the SCTA not allowing coupes and sedans to run until 1951. Example - Bob Rounthwaite's '34 coupe ran as a class D Coupe at RTA meet (Bob's RTA assn. no. that year was 69) and class C Modified Coupe at the SCTA after the SCTA started allowing coupes to run. Under RTA rules a typical flathead powered '32 roadster would run class A Roadster (engine under 260") or class B Roadster (over 260"). That same roadster at an SCTA meet would have been a class B Roadster (engine under 250") or a class C Roadster (engine 250" to 305"). Note the difference of 250" and 260". There were a few cars running at both SCTA and RTA meets that maybe had 259" engines in spite of the 250" limit. As time moved forward more and more classes were formed in both Lakes racing and drag racing; most likely to increase the number of competitors. But back in 1946 the SCTA had only 4 classes In 1950 the RTA had 11 classes and the SCTA had about 18 classes. Today the SCTA and the NHRA have dozens of classes. In 1947 if you entered you '32 roadster at an SCTA meet as a class B Roadster you would have been one of about 80 to 120 competitors in the class. Finishing in the top speeds in the class would have been a real accomplishment. So when you see an old photo with a class letter you need to know where it was running. It was a great time - Don
More trivia The attached photo of Bob Rounthwaite's modified '34 coupe was taken at the Saugus drag strip in 1951. Bob is the guy standing in front of the coupe. He was in the GCRC club and 69 was his RTA membership number. The car ran in the RTA class D Coupe. Other guys in the photo include from the left: Chuck Abbott (Sidewinders club) long time SCTA lakes official, supporter and inducted into the Dry Lakes Hall Of Fame; Dan O'Regan (Gophers club) who loaned me many photos to help me fill out my first book - Hot Rods In The Forties; Bob Rounthwaite, who built the coupe where he worked - the Packard dealer in Glendale; I believe the next guy is Bruce Robinson (GCRC)who worked for Phil Weiand then and was racing the Robinson-Zabel roadsters on the track, the Lakes and at the drags; The next is Larry Shinoda, (GCRC) best remembered as the designer of the Corvette StingRay and for his drag racing (I bought Larry's '32 coupe for my 1954 to 1957 fuel coupe racing); Bob McClure (GCRC and Roadrunners clubs) who ran his fast belly tank at the Lakes and later built the beautiful Hedrich-McClure rear engined '27 T drag racing roadster; the next guy was Bill "Willy" Davis (GCRC and Sidewinders clubs) remembered for the Hill-Davis International record setting streamliner (City of Burbank) and later very successful sprint car owner who is in the Sprint Car Hall Of Fame. I am not sure of the last two guys. Note the trophies on the hood of the coupe indicating that it was a good day at the drags. Probably one trophy was for winning the Modified Coupe class and the other for winning Top Eliminator. It was a fun time to be in hot rodding. Don
This book was a major influence on me since I read it around 1977. Yes, it was already old then, and much of it no longer was relevant. But you learn much about what traditional hot rodding was about by reading this stuff.
The Jalopy Journal
