Top Gas
Top Gas(T/G) is a formerNHRAdrag racingprofessional class.
Analogous toTop Fuel,Top Gas was a pro class, and alloweddragsters(T/GD) as well as bodied cars.
Several noteworthy cars ran in Top Gas. One of the earlystreamliners,Scuderia,made her debut at the 1963NHRA WinternationalsatPomona, California,recording a best pass of 8.83 seconds at 169.17 mph (272.25 km/h).[1]At Arlington later that year,Scuderiaset a Top Gas record (average of two passes) of 162.22 mph (261.07 km/h).[2]
Like Top Fuel, Top Gas dragsters experimented with twin engines, includingFreight Trainand the Motes & Petersdigger.It also saw a number of streamliners, includingSidewinder III(in BB/GD) andScuderia.[3]
Driver Ray Motes and owner R. C. Williams, based inRussell, Kansas,ran "one of the most successful Top Gas dragsters ever".[4]Motes would win theSpringnationalsand the Top Gas national title in both 1970 and 1971.[5]Williams, then owner ofFreight Train(driven by Walt Rhodes), would win the 1971Gatornationals.[6]
Late model cars were first allowed in the Gas classes in 1967.[7]
Other notable drivers who started or drove in Top Gas includeGordon Collett,Jim Bucher,Eddie Hill,and Jack Moss, while teams like Frakes and Funk, and Schultz and Jones, had many fans.[8]
The last event was the 1971NHRA SupernationalsatOntario Motor Speedwayin California.[9]It was won byJim Bucher,whose twin-engined dragster redlighted, but was given the win after his opponent, Ken Ellis (in another twin-engined dragster), was disqualified.[10]
Top Gas was eliminated by NHRA in 1972.[11]
Notes
[edit]- ^Taylor, Thom. "Jack Williams-Ron Lowe Syndicate Scuderia Dragster", in "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone", p.42.
- ^Taylor, p.42.
- ^Taylor, Thom. "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone" inHot Rod,April 2017, pp.30-43.
- ^Taylor, Thom. "Duel of the Duals" inHot Rod,April 2017, p.11.
- ^Taylor, p.11.
- ^Taylor, p.11.
- ^Taylor, Thom. "Gone Gassers", p.9.
- ^Taylor, "Duel of the Duals", p.11.
- ^Taylor, Thom. "Kenney GoodellWynns Stormer",in" Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone ", p.38.
- ^NHRA.com(retrieved 25 July 2018)
- ^Taylor, p.11.
Sources
[edit]- Taylor, Thom. "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone" inHot Rod,April 2017, pp.30-43.
- Taylor, Thom. "Duel of the Duals" inHot Rod,April 2017, p.11.
- Taylor, Thom. "Gone Gassers" inHot Rod,March 2017, p.9.
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