Drag Racing's Quarter-Mile Warriors: Then & Now

This is a print on demand (POD) book with color photos. The paper and photo quality in this book, although good, often does not match the original version but the information remains the same.

The true beginnings of racing is an argument never really settled. One could argue that as soon as the second car was manufactured, a contest of speed ensued against the first. While the roots of modern drag racing go back to the dry lakes of California in the 1930s, drag racing became a sanctioned affair in the early 1950s with the forming of the National Hot Rod Association. In the 60 years that have followed the first NHRA sanctioned race in 1953, the changes in technology have been astounding, as well as the categories and classes in which racers have competed. And of all of the eras, the golden era of the late 1950s through the early 1970s is the clear fan favorite.

Drag Racing's Quarter-Mile Warriors: Then & Now takes a unique look at the most memorable, interesting, and successful cars from this golden age of drag racing. Chronicled are Diggers and Rail dragsters, Funny Cars, wild Altereds, door slammers including Super and Junior Stock cars, early 1970s Pro Stock cars and more. Vintage and modern photography in a unique "then and now" format cover the cars as they first competed, through their evolution (or inactivity) over the years, and how they look today. Cars driven by legends such as Mickey Thompson, Tommy Ivo, Dick Landy, Grumpy Jenkins, Sox & Martin, Don Nicholson, Bob Glidden, and more are featured in evolutionary detail.

Never before has a book covered the cars from the golden age of drag racing and combined it with a modern look at where the cars are today. From full restorations to cars still competing in nostalgia events, from museum pieces to those collecting dust in a dark corner waiting for another day in the sun, Drag Racing's Quarter-Mile Warriors: Then & Now gives you a unique look at how these cars have fared over time. No drag racing library is complete without it.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter One:

Diggers: The Top Dogs
Tommy Ivo’s Twin Engine 
England’s First Dragster 
Mickey Thompson’s Assault I Dragster 
Hellzapoppin A/Dragster 
VanRonk and Bumgarner The Vagabond 
Syndicate Scuderia 
Winkel, Trapp & Fuller Magicar 
Bob Langley’s Scorpion V 
Don Tognotti’s Bushwacker 
Warren, Coburn & Miller 
The Stone Age Man 
D.A. Santucci’s Bubble Gum Car 
Petersen & Fitz 
Stephens & Venables 
Great Expectations II 
Gary Cochran’s Rear-Engine Dragster 
John Peters’ Freight Train 

Chapter Two:

Funny Cars and Not So Funny Cars 
Dick Landy’s AWB 1965 Dodge 
Gas Ronda’s Long-Nose Mustang 
Pete Gates’ Gate Job Comet 
Dave Koffel’s Experimental Stock Barracuda 
Ingénue 1967 Buick Skylark 
Jim Kirby/Dick Harrell Camaro 
Ed Schartman’s Rattler Cougar 
Jungle Jim Liberman’s Twin Novas 
Chi-Town Hustler Charger 
Ramchargers 1972 

Chapter Three:

Rockin’ Pro Stocks 
Al Joniec’s Match-Race Mustang 
Don Nicholson’s 1970 Maverick 
Red Light Bandit 1970 Challenger 
Sandy Elliot/Barrie Poole 1971 Comet 
Dutch Irrgang’s 1972 Vega Wagon 
Bob Glidden’s 1973 Pinto 
Wally Booth’s AMC Brigade 
Sox & Martin 1973 Duster 
Dick Landy’s 1973 Dart Sport 
Ronnie Sox’s Hemi Colt 
Grumpy’s Toy XI 1974 Vega 
The Mopar Missile That Wasn’t 

Chapter Four:

The Wild Bunch 
Stone, Woods & Cook Willys 
Jolly Dolly C/Gas 1939 Chevy 
Moody-Jones C/Gas 1937 Chevy 
Gene Moody’s D/Gas 1955 Chevy 
Jersey Jimmy’s Altered 
Lil Screamer II 1934 Ford 
Dave Hales’ S&S Race Team 1937 Willys
Hugh Tucker’s AA/SR Chevy
Mr. C Competition Roadster 
The Grove Boys 1940 Willys 
Jack Merkel’s 1933 Willys 
Kohler Brothers’ King Kong 
Jim Oddy’s AA/GS Austin 
Fred Hurst’s A/GS Barracuda 
Mondello & Matsubara AA/FA 
Ron Bizio’s AA/GS 1933 Willys Pickup 
George Montgomery’s AA/GS 1969 Mustang 
Schley Brothers’ Lightning Bug 
Kroona & Sandberg

 
Chapter Five:

Door Slammers Galore 
Dave Strickler’s The Old Reliable II
Dave Kempton’s Plymouth Fury 
Frank Sanders’ Z-11 Chevy 
Osburn Trucking’s Lightweight Ford 
Golden Commandos’ Barracuda 
Sox & Martin 1967 Plymouth 
Al Joniec’s Cobra Jet Mustang 
Larry Griffith’s Super Stock 1968 Hemi Dart 
Anderson Oldsmobile’s W-31 Cutlass 
AMX-1 Super Stock 1969 
McMaster & Gunning 1957 Chevy 
Hubert Platt’s Ford Drag Team Mustang 
Scotto & Blevins Chevy Nomad 
High School 1957 Chevy 
Granny Goose II 1969 Camaro 
Dianna & Ripes Corvette 
Stark Hickey’s Super Stock Mustang 
Arlen Fadely’s Super Modified Maverick 

Epilogue:

What Goes Around . . .