~ Byron's Gasser Madness! ~

~ Modified Sports Cars ~

 

 
 

There was a time...in the late 50's and early to mid-60's when Sports Cars had their own set of NHRA classes.  The most exciting of these were the Modified Sports Cars.  The rules for these classes were very similar to the Gasser and Roadster classes.  Class designations could be a bit confusing, but they were some VERY cool cars.  Yeah...I know they aren't Gassers, but they were definitely within the spirit of the Gassers!

  
 
The car was built by the son and his crew at a body shop they own for the father. The event was on fathers day weekend and the father had a car just like it back in the 60s. Its a recreation gift, it runs but not a race car. I went goo goo gaa gaa over the car also and when I was shooting so many pictures they took me in and told me the story and showed me the pictures of the original car his father had back in the day. The team all works at the same body shop that the father owns and the son runs. It was a great story and a cool car except he told me his dad had a 409 in it back in the day and its a 348 in the recreation. Super neat car, that's the kind of car I can see myself driving around town in!
Dave McCauley
K0304-08 Norm Cowdrey's AAM/SP (MRM)
 

Norm Cowdrey's big Ford Motor makes a bit of smoke

Added 11/14/01
K0311-34 John Mazmanian at Pomona (MRM)
K0339-13 City Of Industry AM/SP Early version at Pomona (MRM)

A couple of views of the later version of Sam Parriott's "City of Industry AAM/SP.  The first at the 62 Winternationals in Pomona, the second at Indy in 1965.
K1902-04 The Hemi-Healy at Indy (MRM)
V015-15 Unknown AM/SP Corvette at Bristol (MRM)

I thought you would like to know the name of the owner of the 62 Corvette shown in the Modified Sports section - it is the A/MSP 403 -  The race took place in Bristol, Tennessee about 1967 - the Sponsor on side of car was Ron's Porting - car was owned by Curtis Wasson - Curtis was killed in a motorcycle accident May 22, 1976 - he was 35 years old.  Curtis was a native of St. Louis Missouri.
Thanks.  Jane Steinhauer 

Jane...thank you very much.  Byron
V017-09 "Drag Sporter" AM/SP at Bristol (MRM)

I have a 1967 Fiberglass Trends catalog that shows this same car from the right side. The right side of the car says "Lee Hallerberg's Drag / Sporter". The driver is identified as "Steve Frase". The engine bulge is marked "Engine (by) Bones Balogh". The front fender carries a Fiberglass Trends logo. The car appears to be packing a parachute on the back, so it might have been pretty fast (or had lousy brakes). Also of interest is the driver is sitting on the right side of the car!

The Fiberglass Trends catalog identifies the body as a CR-90S. It is a variation on the original '50s Jim Byers design (CR90) modified to cover drag slicks. Fiberglass Trends was located in Gardena, CA when the catalog was printed.

I'm interested in the CR90 body as the original Byers mold was used to produce the body for my Hummingbird sports racing car. She ran at Bonneville in 1967 with a Latham supercharged 283 Corvette engine. You can read more about her on my web site. Here's a link; Joe's Garage

I am enjoying your site. It will be awhile before I see it all though! Lots of great stuff. Keep up the good work.

Joe Kane
V022-20 Mr. Pickett at Irwindale (MRM)
Two-holer Hilborn tops off this AM/SP Vette

The photo of the blue Corvette shown on your website with the caption "Two-holer Hilborn tops off this AM/SP Vette" is of Tom Hefferan, Alexandria, Virginia.  Tom went on to set the NHRA National Record for AM/SP in that car. 

I crewed on that car and believe the photo might have been taken at Aquasco, Maryland, although can't be sure.

 Respectfully,

 Ken Peppard

Dumfries, VA

Ken, Thanks for the info.  Looks like it was fun times!  Byron
Nice looking Corvette launches at Lions
Early Corvette (53-54?) running BM/SP
The photo was taken around 1960 or 61, at Atco Dragway. The car is a Crosley with an inline 6 GM engine. It was owned by Charlie Seabrook from Alloway, N.J. It actually ran as a D/Altered... not as a M/SP... why, I haven't a clue. Charlie later switched to a Bantam roadster body, perhaps so he could continue to run in D/Altered? Charlie's cars were all 'bad ass', just not real pretty (typical East Coast machine). The one pictured held the D/A National Record at one time. So did the Bantam.  More old B.S. later
Badco (Bill Ott)
Unknown, but very cool, blown Corvette.
The "Precious Vette"

(Note:  Thanks Bill!)

The "Vicious Vette", owned by Charlie Wilson and driven by Dale Pulde.

Guzman & Ward, out of Colorado ran the "Assassination" AAM/SP Record Holder MG, shown here in these photos by Pete Garramone.

Don't know whether the Corvette came first or later.

Got that question answered thanks to Bill Dukes.

"The Vette came first.  MG ran in 67 and 68.  Was NHRA World Champ in 67.  They won title again in 68 with AA/FC Corvair."

 
Another Garramone shot show us this very cool, fairly unusual, Early T-Bird running as a M/SP.
It's a little hard to read, but the name looks like Frank King in the "Hemi Hunter" Corvette.  Musta been a Rat Motor.
The "Rat Now" of Pierini & Lamar.  Check out the stylishly mod crew outfits.
The "Rats Nest" early Corvette.
Ed Sigmon's "Snarpeezel" was as unique as it's name...and it kicked ass!
Before the Shores & Hess "Skipper's Critter" A/GS Anglia and Skip's "Revell Kit" A/GS Mustang, Skip Hess drove this Dick Bourgeois & Earl Wade prepped CM/SP that wowed fans at Indy in 1963 when it pulled the wheels up in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears!  I remember a small pic in HRM of the wheels up a few inches with the caption "Yeah, very unusual!"
Les Barath ran one of my favorites.  The blown, Chrysler-powered "Freedom Fighter", a AAM/SP Simca coupe.  The reason for the name?  Les had been a Freedom Fighter in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
The Fiberglass Trends "Instant Motion" Cheetah was very cool!
 

The "Factory" Cheetah making smoke with the modified Rochester Fuel Injection.

Added 11/14/01

Not familiar with the MG in the near lane.  The far lane is the "X" Corvette, run at the drags and at the lakes with success at both by Dick (?) Lufkin.

UPDATE:  I know who's driving the MG in that picture with the "X" Vette. It's none other than my good friend Richard Johnson. You may remember him as the guy who ran Fiasco Automotive in North Hollywood back in the day near Vineland & Magnolia Blvd. Richard is in the Road Kings with me and still drag races...matter of fact, I should see him Saturday morning at LACR Palmdale for our club drag races! Richard still has a hotted-up MG in his garage (not the one in the picture) that should see the light of day very soon...

Thanks to Doug "Rocket Man" Auzene for the info.
Wish I knew who was in the near lane, because it looks to me like they're strapping one on to the "Big John" Mazmanian Corvette in the far lane.

Well, I took another look at this.  The far lane is Skip Hess in his "Wildabeast" C/MSP Corvette.  This was probably in 63, just prior to teaming up with Jim Shores on the Anglia.
What looks to me like a Devin bodied Corvette leaves the line at Fontana.

UPDATE: Well...live and learn.  Jon Greuel sent me a note telling me that John E. Gulow, author of, "A Short History of La Dawri Coachcraft", has identified this body as a La Dawri Daytona.  You can see many more La Dawris at Jon's website, www.ladawri.com.  As you will see, it's pretty obvious that these folks "know whereof they speak."

Thanks John and Jon.  Byron

 

Parva, Ray & Wickham at the 64 Indy Nats
Lou Able at the 67 Indy Nats