Gasser Madness! - "Old Times!" Coupes & Sedans

Photos by Norm Grudem, courtesy of Bud Holmes & Don Ewald

23 May 2007: Dave Sorenson sent some more comments. I've added them in Green. Thanks again Dave.

I thoroughly enjoy learning more about those days that were a little before my time!

Almost all, if not all, the shots were taken at Pomona, but note the
number of cars from central and northern California. Even then, guys
traveled a long ways to go drag racing just for a trophy. Vic Hubbard was
from Oakland, and several from the central valley. DS

Click on the small picture to see the large version
	*'27 chopped coupe*
	*'27 T sedan with a droptank nose*
	*'27 T-coupe with '39 hood nose*
	*'29 sedan on a trophy run* The white '29 Sedan "on a trophy run" is the Koenig and Sundin car sponsored by Joe Maillard Automotive (also later on the site). DS
	*'30 chopped top coupe*
	*'30 coupe with cardboard nose. Gotta love it!*
	*'32 2door sedan 'Outcast'* Walt Sandoval drove this gas altered, powered by a 254” Dodge, usually ran around 104. Sandoval went on to run a radically chopped Dodge-powered Bantam coupe that won B/Comp at ’57 Nationals. DS
	*'32 2door sedan* Evert Brammer, with 3/8 x 3/8 flathead, ran low 90’s. Brammer (known as “Hippo” to his friends) later ran a fuel roadster and several top fuel dragsters. Hippo passed away a few years ago. DS
	*'32 3window Coupe*
	*'32 3window coupe A/Altered (street coupe)*
	*'32 3window coupe A/Altered in pits* Waterworth, Morris, & Sandoval “stripped coupe” with 300” flathead, ran 112. DS
	*'32 3window coupe A/Altered on starting line*
	*'32 3window coupe A/Altered*
	*'32 3window coupe A/Fuel*
	*'32 3window coupe B/Modified*
	*'32 3window coupe*
	*'32 3window in pits*
	*'32 3window street rod*
	*'32 4 door sedan*
	*32 5window B/G Olds engine coupe*
	*'32 5window chopped coupe. To me, this looks as BAD now as it did then. I love it!*
	*'32 5window coupe being inspected*
	*'32 5window coupe B/Fuel*
	*'32 5window coupe going thru Tech*
	*'32 5window coupe Waterworth and Morris*
	*'32 5window coupe, Mustang motorcycle and Pomona bunch*
	*'32 5window-Olds power*
	*'32 chopped top 5window coupe crankdriven blown hemi* Hart & McCandless, running a 331” blown Chrysler, ran high 120’s. From the photo, it looks like they just had a pit fire, with engine and cowl covered with powder from fire extinguisher. Charles McCandless drove the car. I think that this is the car that Jim Busby later found and restored to its street version as he remembered it in Pasadena in the early 50s. DS
	*'32 coupe*
	*'32 Modified coupe. Looks to me like someone took a look at some exotic 50's sports cars for the example here.*
	*'32 sedan with Jim 'McGinty' Clark*
	*'34 2door A/F sedan*
	*'34 3window B/F coupe*
	*'34 3window in pits*
	*'34 3window on the starting line*
	*'34 5window coupe Mooneyham and Sharp 554* The 554 coupe was initially Mooneyham and Johnson (before Al Sharp joined). Carl Johnson was the original owner, and the guy who chopped the top. (these and other 32 and 34 fuel coupes ran fenders, as required by the rules then). DS
	*'34 Comp Coupe in pits* Pacific Body Shop, owned by Goodyear and Serpa, driven by Fran Goodyear. Started with a flathead, then later ran a 353” injected Chrysler on fuel and was good for runs in the high 130s. DS
	*'34 coupe in pits*
	*'34 coupe on starting line*
	*Another '34 coupe on starting line*
	*'34 coupe on trailer* Run by Bill Degele, with 3/8 x 3/8 flathead. DS
	*'37 coupe Boudakian Brother from Visalia* The Boudakian Brothers 38 Ford -- they were real runners in the San Joaquin Valley, and later build a Fiat with a blown DeSoto. DS Okay...so was this a 37 or a 38? BS Its a 37. The 38 grille shell is rounded into a curve at its upper rear corner were it meets the grill. the 37 comes to a point. George Crombie Thank you, George. BS
	*40 Coupe B/G Vic Hubbard*
	*554 in the pits*
	*A/Altered '34 coupe in pits*
	*Advance Muffler '34 sedan*
	*A/Fuel '34 coupe.*
	*Alex Xydias '34 coupe and push truck with Norm in background*
	*Alex Xydias SoCal '34 coupe*
	*Alex Xydias SoCal coupe*
	*Art and Lloyd Chrisman and their coupe*
	Art Chrisman's '30 chopped coupe
	Bantam coupe in pits
	Belmont Sanchez Bantam Coupe A/Modified
	Ben Rizzio '34 coupe
	Ben Rizzio in pits
	*Ben Rizzio-Weber Cams '34 coupe*
	*Bob Gorman* Gorman did go on to run a Stude V8 and turned over 124 in ’55, not bad for the time. DS
	*Bob Gorman's Bantam Coupe with Lake nose*
	*Bob Gorman's Bantam Coupe with new nose*
	*Bob Gorman's Bantam Coupe*
	*Bob Gorman's Bantam Coupe*
	Bob Gorman's flathead
	Carl Grimes A/Altered Fiat
	Chopped '32 2door sedan
	Chopped '34 3window full fendered coupe
	Chopped '34 5window coupe Ken Ellis driving the Ellis and Maiben coupe. 296” flathead, ran around 112. Ellis went on to build the famous “trigster” three-wheeled dragster with Bubby Wilton, and later raced a twin-engined AA/GD. DS
	Coupe leaving starting line
	Crosley Comp Coupe (Funny Car??) The Crosley coupe was Bader and Ferrara from Cypress, CA, and ran a blown Cad. DS
	Crosley Comp Coupe
	Don Montgomery-Blairs Speed Shop '32 coupe A/Fuel
	Don Montgomery's A/F '32 coupe at the starting line
	*Don Montgomery's A/F '32 coupe*
	*Fiat Comp Coupe* This was owned by Vince Solgat and driven by Sam Brollier, running an Ardun Merc good for speeds in the high 120 range. Sam was an old school hotrodder from Pasadena. DS
	*Fiat coupe*
	*Flathead engine in '32 coupe*
	*Flathead engine*
	Grohs Texaco '32 coupe
	Harry Duncan '34
	Harry Duncan '34
	Harry Duncan off the line
	Harry Duncan's '34 coupe
	Harry Duncan's '35 coupe in pits
	Harry Duncan's '35 coupe
	Harry Duncan's '35
	Harry Duncan's coupe with Art Chrisman and John Moxley
	Ike Iacono in the staging lane
	Ike Iacono's '34 coupe
	Jim "Jazzy" Nelson's Fiat Coupe
	*Modified in staging lane*
	*Nelson Taylor Engines '34 coupe* This car was actually run by Walt Sandoval and Fred Waterworth, running a 300” flathead, on gas. DS
	*P.V.T.A. '34 coupe*
	*Pomona Valley Timing Association "Miss 400" '34 coupe (former SoCal coupe).*
	*PVTA '34 Fuel coupe*
	PVTA coupe
	Reath and Malliards '29 sedan
	Shinoda and Robinson '32 coupe "Chopsticks Special" Shinoda and Robinson -- Larry Shinoda later went to to GM where he was a designer for the Corvette Stingray. DS
	SoCal coupe The SoCal coupe towards the end of the list ("after they really chopped it")...Dave DeLangton was Alex Xydias son-in-law, and when he was killed in the car, Alex quit drag racing and went into making racing movies. Jim Travis (the guy who restored Mickey Thompson's Challenger) ran the car for years after at Bonneville, and it is reportedly under restoration to join the Pearson Brothers coupe as classic 34 Bonneville runners. DS
	Spaghetti Benders '34 coupe
	Summers Brothers B/F coupe
	Two coupes on starting line
	W.J. Morris B/G coupe
	Walker Brothers '29 sedan
	Weaks and Noble '32 sedan