Gasser Wars: Drag Racing's Street Classics: 1955-1968 (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In the late 1950s, thousands of street legal hot rods participated in organized drag races across the country-they ran in three major classes: Gas, Modified Production, and Modified Sports. As the racers got more serious, these cars were street legal in appearance only. Yeah, they had headlights, taillights, and interiors, but they were full-on race cars, with huge blown Hemi engines, wide racing slicks, raised front suspensions. Racers soon discovered that small, lightweight cars were the fastest, and the classic Gasser was born-cars like the Stone Woods & Cook '40 Willys.

Because these cars resembled street vehicles, they had a huge fan base, and their short wheelbases and wildly overpowered engines made them exciting to watch. And, as cam manufacturers began sponsoring cars and touting their accomplishments in ads, the "Gasser Wars" were born. Thousands of spectators flocked to events where the top Gassers in the country would face off in grudge matches. Some cars even raced internationally in Europe and Australia. These were among the most popular and exciting racers of the era-many of the top original cars have been restored and are now valuable museum pieces, and the "Gasser" look is popular again among hot rodders.

About the Author

Larry Davis was a hobby drag racer between 1960 and 1970, competing in various Stock Modified Production and Super Stock classes. His efforts included participation in the 1967 and 1969 NHRA National Championships to Indianapolis, IN. When he wasn't racing, he was an avid fan of the Super Stock class and took many photos of the cars and crews. Davis is the author of the very popular "Super Stock: Drag Racing the Family Sedan."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: CarTech; illustrated edition edition (November 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884089771
• ISBN-13: 978-1884089770
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #610,650 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great history of a well-loved class, October 31, 2003

By	popular culture lover (Travelers Rest, SC United States) - See all my reviews

Like Davis' previous book on Super Stockers, this one's a keeper. Unlike that one, this one has a wealth of color photographs. And Davis supplements the pix with interesting, well-researched text. Anyone with an interest in this class or drag racing history in general will love this book. An A+ effort.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Historical Pictures, March 21, 2006

By	Car Geek (Motorcity USA) - See all my reviews

The book is an excellent coffee table book. Wonderful old color pictures of a by gone era. Highly recommend it for any one who likes to remember the old gasser wars.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time Warp Gasser Wars, June 11, 2007

By	'57 Chevy Gasser Style (Kansas City) - See all my reviews

This book is GREAT! Awesome pictures and history well documented, you can almost feel like you were there to witness these cars and drivers in person on race day. I was very young when this type of racing was being replaced by funny cars and pro stock drag cars but this book brings it all back!