Smokin' Dragsters and Funny Cars


Book Description

This fun volume explores the personalities, the history, and the crazy cars associated with the wild world of drag racing. Readers get a look into the different types of drag racing, and a "day at the races" for an exciting you-are-there feeling.




Funny Car Dragsters


Book Description

Learn about how fast funny cars can go and why they are funny.




Southern California Funny Cars


Book Description

Southern California was the birthplace of organized drag racing, with the first organized race held at the Santa Ana airport in 1949 and the subsequent founding of the National Hot Rod Association in 1950. Over the next decade and a half, the dragster became the king of the quarter mile on Southern California drag strips. In 1964, veteran dragster owner/driver Jack Chrisman had an idea for something different to grace Southern California's drag strips. It was not a dragster but a stock-bodied race car using nitromethane for fuel in a supercharged engine. With the help of Gene Mooneyham, Mercury's Fran Hernandez, and sponsor Helen Sachs, Chrisman put together the world's first nitro-burning "funny car." It was a steel stock-bodied Mercury Cyclone with a supercharged 427 Ford engine running on pure nitromethane. Chrisman started the evolution that soon turned stock steel-bodied cars into fiberglass-bodied tube chassis funny cars. Southern California drag racers began to lead the way for racers all over the United States in the new funny car class.




Drag Racing Funny Cars


Book Description

Since the early 1960s, dealer-sponsored Super Stockers battled for supremacy on the quarter-mile and in the dealer showrooms. Evolving into the Factory Experimental class, these wild steel bodied, altered–wheelbase monsters were stuffed with massive fuel injected and supercharged engines that attracted crowds to the dragstrip! Legendary pioneers “Dyno” Don Nicholson, Jack Chrisman, Bill Shrewsberry, Butch Leal, Dick Landy, Arnie Beswick, Phil Bonner, Gas Ronda, Don Gay, Sox & Martin, Richard Petty, and many other A/FX stars were instrumental in the development of the funny car as it morphed from a heavy production car into seven-second 250mph aerodynamic fiberglass, tubular chassis missile. The popularity of funny cars led “Jungle Jim” Lieberman, Bill Lawton, Lew Arrington, Bill Flynn, Norm Kraus, and “Big” John Mazmanian to become household names. Tom ”Mongoose” McEwen, Don “Snake” Prudhomme, Tom Hoover, Kenny Safford, Terry Capp, John Force, Kenny Bernstein, Jake Johnston, Larry Reyes, Richard Tharp, Roland Leong, Randy Walls, Jess Tyree, Rich Siroonian and others who achieved success racing funny cars are all featured in over 300 incredible color and black and white photos.




Funny Cars


Book Description

Describes the sport of funny car racing, an event in drag racing competition, including its history, types of funny cars, the drag strip, and famous drivers.




Hottest Dragsters and Funny Cars


Book Description

"Learn about drag racing, funny cars, and experience what it feels like to spend the day at a drag race"--Provided by publisher.




Funny Car Fever


Book Description

There wasn't always a class for these "funny-looking" cars. In the mid 1960s, many of drag racing's fastest drivers were outgrowing the Super Stock and Factory Experimental classes, building cars that stretched and eventually broke the rules. Promoters discovered they could pair up these altered-wheelbase, injected, blown machines in exhibition match races--and the spectators came running. Rivalries were born, the Funny Car class was created, and the cars kept getting faster and faster. Funny Car Fever is a humorous, heart-felt, first-hand account of the most exciting and memorable years of the Funny Car class. Steve Reyes followed these fiberglass-bodied, nitro burning machines and their drivers from the years leading up to the creation of the Funny Car class through its halcyon days. He's included over 350 of his favorite images and more than a few never-before-heard stories to bring the feeling of the class and the era home to you.




Les Dragsters Funny Car


Book Description




Wild About Dragsters


Book Description

Introduces dragsters and funny cars and discusses what they look like, their history, drag racing and similar sports, and related topics.




Top Fuel Dragsters


Book Description

Top Fuel drivers and their cars race one-on-one in a straight line. Drag racing is one of the most popular forms of auto racing, and Top Fuel dragsters are the fastest dragsters around. Young readers will explore the technology that enables a Top Fuel dragster to travel faster than 330 miles per hour!