Top Gas

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Top Gas (T/G) is a former NHRA drag racing professional class.

Analogous to Top Fuel, Top Gas was a pro class, and allowed dragsters (T/GD) as well as bodied cars.

Several noteworthy cars ran in Top Gas. One of the early streamliners, Scuderia, made her debut at the 1963 NHRA Winternationals at Pomona, California, recording a best pass of 8.83 seconds at 169.17 mph (272.25 km/h).[1] At Arlington later that year, Scuderia set 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, including Freight Train and the Motes & Peters digger. It also saw a number of streamliners, including Sidewinder III (in BB/GD) and Scuderia.[3]

Driver Ray Motes and owner R. C. Williams, based in Russell, Kansas, ran "one of the most successful Top Gas dragsters ever".[4] Motes would win the and the Top Gas national title in both 1970 and 1971.[5] Williams, then owner of Freight Train (driven by Walt Rhodes), would win the 1971 Gatornationals.[6]

Late model cars were first allowed in the Gas classes in 1967.[7]

Other notable drivers who started or drove in Top Gas include , 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 1971 at Ontario California.[9] It was won by Jim 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[]

  1. ^ Taylor, Thom. "Jack Williams-Ron Lowe Syndicate Scuderia Dragster", in "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone", p.42.
  2. ^ Taylor, p.42.
  3. ^ Taylor, Thom. "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone" in Hot Rod, April 2017, pp.30-43.
  4. ^ Taylor, Thom. "Duel of the Duals" in Hot Rod, April 2017, p.11.
  5. ^ Taylor, p.11.
  6. ^ Taylor, p.11.
  7. ^ Taylor, Thom. "Gone Gassers", p.9.
  8. ^ Taylor, "Duel of the Duals", p.11.
  9. ^ Taylor, Thom. "Kenney Goodell Wynns Stormer", in "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone", p.38.
  10. ^ NHRA.com (retrieved 25 July 2018)
  11. ^ Taylor, p.11.

Sources[]

  • Taylor, Thom. "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone" in Hot Rod, April 2017, pp.30-43.
  • Taylor, Thom. "Duel of the Duals" in Hot Rod, April 2017, p.11.
  • Taylor, Thom. "Gone Gassers" in Hot Rod, March 2017, p.9.
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