~ Photos by Al Booton ~

Gassers from the Midwest

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This is my long time buddy Dennis Pittman's 33 Willys.
This shot was taken in the 80's at Eddyville Dragway, when it was a four door.
Denny lives in Des Moines, Iowa and has owned the car for over 25 years.
He is on the second engine and third remake of the car.
Sharing the last name with K.S. is something Denny has fun with. He met K.S. at the Gasser Reunion in St. Louis a couple of years ago and has a bunch of K.S. shirts. Also note his license plate. Denny has a huge collection of Hot Wheels and diecasts. He also has a small block Ford powered Austin Healy, an old Ford sedan delivery he is restoring.
Here is the Willys in my driveway, as now a two door.
The Atchison Brothers from Des Moines, Iowa ran a 426 hemi with Hillborns in A/G.
On one run at Cedar Falls, Iowa the parachute failed to deploy and the car went through a board fence into a pasture which contained some cows. The car was almost stopped when it hit a cow in the side. The cow was not knocked down, but the fiberglass front end of the Prefect sustained a big crack.
Artie Craver of Montezuma, Iowa ran this nice Chevy coupe in C/G.
All I know about this car, was I took the photo at a NHRA, Div. 5 race near Marion, SD in 1978.
The Grove Brothers are gasser legends around Iowa. First running a Willys with Olds, then a hemi, then putting the hemi into this Opal Kadett which was always super competitive.
Don't know anything about this Henry C/EA except that I took the photo at the Popular Hot Rodding meet in the early 80's.

Some of these cars are running in altered, but are classic gasser style cars.  Instant Energy was run at Cedar Falls, Iowa a lot. A C/G small block Chevy.  I took the photo in 1969.

This is my favorite car of all time, after going to the drags since 1957.  I heard it was an ex- Bob Panella car, but I don't know for sure.  It ran a very small 392 style hemi in CC/GS. It was absolutely immaculate.

Note:  Hated to break it to Al, but this was never the Panella car.  He doesn't care...still  loved it, and who can blame him.  Byron
Merrill Frost's, hemi powered, Willys four door, which ran in B/Gas and sometimes C/G.  He started out with a 55 Chevy and went on to run TA/D before he quit racing.
I took this at the Cordova World Series of Drag Racing in 1971. I was near the front gate when this car came in being flat towed behind an El Camino with the slicks in the bed of the truck. It had a blown small block Chevy and I think a 4 speed.
Don't know anything about this car.
Took this Willys at Marion, SD in 1978. I think it was a club car from Omaha,NE.
I took this photo in 1969 at Cedar Falls, Iowa. It is an ex Vern Moats car.  Vern is 65 and still racing alcohol funny car, the class he has run since 1974. I crewed for him from 1982 thru 1987.