Happy New Year to all!
As I sit here at the close of 2022 I ponder the year that past. This time last year I was in solitary confinement; Quarantined from my family and people, on foreign soil, during our family holiday vacation. Freedom is something we take for granted. You sit and think about what really matters. For me, family is the top of the list; Then friends and so on. This year saw my father having a stroke and my father in law falling with Covid and being in a re-hab center for an extended period of time. Thankfully both have recovered! Family and time seem to be what matters most! My girls are starting their own lives and I have hit the double nickel. Here is where I am going with this.
I have been at this Gasser Madness website/ Gasser Magazine Race Director/ Gasser crusade for over a decade now. When I took over for Byron Stack, my vision was to create a format that would educate and unify a fractured genre by hosting events that kept the original gasser style format alive. I have failed. Gasser racing is more fractured now than ever before. We made the effort to try a multi venue points race only to see a handful of loyal racers that made each race. Most places we went we ran into friction about the rules we employ. Hell even locally racers complained about our rules. Funny thing about those rules, most could be considered perjured from the NHRA 1967 rule book! I do not wish to continue this crusade as such.
Starting in 2023 I will be changing the vision of Gasser Madness. Gone will be hosting of all events with the exception of our signature event, Rock’N’Race. This race will be getting a major facelift as well, starting with the website and the race format. Also 2023 will see a new and improved Gasser Madness website. We are going to remove all the racing classes, and install gasser building information for those that take the time to research their build. Our main focus will be video coverage for gasser style events that are put on by other folks. We will invest in some video equipment and build on our Youtube channel. Since there will be little income from the loss of holding events. Our swag department will have new items and discontinued items available to purchase to help offset the rising costs to keep the domain and website alive. Like any business; if it does not continue on by being self-sustained, it will die. We are not looking for donations (we would not say no however) but you can help! Sure you could buy swag but I get it, car guys want to spend money on their car! Simply go to our youtube channel and subscribe! The more followers we get the better for the website! Once we reach a certain number, income from Youtube will make enough to keep Gasser Madness alive for all to see! We appreciate the effort of those that helped with the events in the past and the racers that kept their car within the guidelines that we published. They will allow you to race at most nostalgia events in the country including Rock’N’Race.
We are going to do something different with Rock’N’Race this year. As you know in the past we paid travel money to those Nostalgia Gas cars that pre-registered. Now instead of the travel money, we are going to have a free exhibition class for period correct race cars. The cut off is 1957 for year of make for door cars. Altereds and Front engine dragsters will also be considered. This will be a pre-registered and entered only by a selection committee. Guidelines for this will be released in the beginning of the New Year and registration will start on January 20th. This class will be capped at 200 cars and will be exhibition only. Think of a hard core meltdown, No trophies, stickers, purse. Just run what you brung and have fun! There will still be other classes at Rock’N’Race that have actual racing with a purse including Nostalgia Gas.
We do plan to keep Heritage Gas alive and plan to pursue a drag and drive event for these types of cars. This will be a Gasser Madness group activity.
Again we here at Gasser Madness wish you all nothing but the best in 2023 and beyond and we hope to see you, our racing family, at some events this summer!
Don Moyer
Gasser Madness