CarTech®, Inc.
39966 Grand Avenue
North Branch, MN 55056
Phone 651-277-1200 or 800-551-4754
Fax 651-277-1203
© 2015 by Doug Boyce
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission from the Publisher. All text, photographs, and artwork are the property of the Author unless otherwise noted or credited.
The information in this work is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. However, all information is presented without any guarantee on the part of the Author or Publisher, who also disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of the information and any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Readers are responsible for taking suitable and appropriate safety measures when performing any of the operations or activities described in this work.
All trademarks, trade names, model names and numbers, and other product designations referred to herein are the property of their respective owners and are used solely for identification purposes. This work is a publication of CarTech, Inc., and has not been licensed, approved, sponsored, or endorsed by any other person or entity. The Publisher is not associated with any product, service, or vendor mentioned in this book, and does not endorse the products or services of any vendor mentioned in this book.
All photos are from the author’s collection except where noted.
Page 335 photo is courtesy of Steve Reyes.
Cover art is courtesy of Jeff DeGrandis.
Edit by Bob Wilson
Layout by Connie DeFlorin
ISBN 978-1-61325–275-8
Item No. CT539
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available
Written, edited, and designed in U.S.A.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1 Diggers Digest
Chapter 2 Fascinating Funnies
Ford/Mercury
Chrysler
More, More, More
Chapter 3 Pro Stock Rock
General Motors
Ford/Mercury
Chrysler
AMC
Chapter 4 The Eliminators
Altered and Econo Altered
Factory Experimental
Gassers
Modified Production
More, More, More
Chapter 5 Supers and Stockers
General Motors
Ford/Mercury
Chrysler
More, More, More
Chapter 6 Tracks and End Facts
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s and Beyond
Doug Boyce has had a lifelong addiction to drag racing. He turned his first wrench at age 8 and attended his first race at age 10. The essence of burning rubber and screaming open pipes filled his head and by his early teens, he was elbow-deep in building classic Chevys. He continued to fuel the fire while working 9 to 5 in the automotive field. Doug has filled what little spare time he has had by writing numerous club and magazine articles related to drag racing’s golden years. He has an ongoing love of drag racing and the way it used to be. He is the author of Grumpy’s Toys, Junior Stock, and Drag Racing’s Quarter Miler Warriors: Then & Now, all best-selling CarTech titles.
This list of acknowledgements could be a really long list, but I’ll shorten it by saying thanks to all the drag racers who have left lasting memories, and to all the photographers, reporters, editors, and publishers who put it all on paper.
In addition to countless firsthand interviews, the following publications were used to gather information: National Dragster, Drag News, Drag Times, Eastern Drag News, and Drag Sport Illustrated. Also used in research