Gassers...What Made Racing Great

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

When I got into cars with my husband Guy, I had no idea what the term "Gasser" meant, but I knew it was important in drag racing history, so I knew I had better learn since I was being groomed to live in the world of classic cars, muscle cars and cars that run on the street and on the drag strip!

First, let me say that "Gasser" is more a "style". It does not define a specific car, manufacturer, or a rigid setup. In many ways, it is a "culture"... and one that I predict is making a comeback in huge ways. In order to understand the culture, you have to dig much deeper than just how they evolved, the look they are famous for, or the contributions to our current sport of drag racing. It was a way of life that encouraged individuality, sportsmanship, camaraderie.....and FUN!

Some love the look of a Gasser, others do not...likening them to cartoons, but one thing you walk away with once you understand what they are and how they came to be, is that they are deserving of the special place they hold in automotive history. I like to think of them as pre-cursers to the muscle cars, for without the innovations the hot rodders made, we wouldn't have had them. Do I love Gassers?......You bet I do!

Over the years, I've learned that the term "Gasser" was created in the late 1950's -1960's for a vehicle that drag raced on gasoline rather than racing fuel. They were built to compete in "heads up" drag racing. Gassers were at their height from 1955-1968 when they dominated drag strips across the country. It can safely be said that Gassers were responsible for the successful launch of the NHRA. In fact, Gassers and Fuel Altered cars were the top drag racing classes prior to today's Top Fuel Dragsters, Funny Cars, and Pro Stock classes.

Gassers were often built, maintained and raced by the owner, or with a small "crew" of buddies. Professional "teams" did not exist at the time...they developed as the sport grew in popularity. As Gassers developed, racers made modifications to the suspension and wheelbase of their preferred car in order to go for a competitive edge. Some worked - others did not.

The best known modification is the straight-axle front suspension, which in today's "Gasser" world, is a necessity. Not only did the straight-axle create an intimidating stance, it served an important function of transferring weight to the rear wheels, giving the driver a big start line advantage. This is one reason why you'll see the "nose-up" stance which also helps to transfer weight to the rear "drive" wheels.

Most Gassers are based on production models from the ‘30s through the ‘60s that have been stripped of extra weight, modified with a solid front axle and “jacked up” with suspension modifications. Cars with shorter wheelbases are preferable due to lower overall weights. Other modifications were weight-reduction techniques including fiberglass body panels, stripped interiors, bumper removal and Plexiglas windows. Built for racing, Gassers are often subject to an engine swap and it’s common to include fuel injection and performance headers. These changes translate to faster speeds and lower elapsed times at the drags.

But, these modifications are not just thrown-together by shade-tree mechanics! There is science behind the choices, and they've been time-tested by the daring guys that jumped behind the wheel and raced them. And, there are rules you adhere to when creating a Gasser. Big meaty tires in the rear, smaller tires in the front, yes, but true Gassers adhere to a formula perfected by the pioneers, and it's one that is not often deviated from. Those who make them know, for example, that there are only 5 wheels you can put on the front of a Gasser!

Certain brands of cars were well-suited to being modified into Gassers. Most popular were the Willys, Anglia, Henry J, Austin, Studebaker, Thames and of course, Chevrolet and Ford. So what specific model cars are chosen for Gassers?  Although just about any car could be made into a Gasser style, the ones that were selected have remained the most sought after by those who covet them. Probably the best-known, most-popular, most-desired (and thereby most-expensive) is the Willys.

Willys vehicles dominate the "most-desired" list and have cars from two distinct eras, with the '41 Willys topping the list. The '41-'42 Willys were officially called the Willys Americar. Willys-Overland produced this style from '37 to '42, long before the company later became known as Jeep. The '40 Willys runs a close second with their distinctive two-piece grill assembly and slightly different trim design. The '33 Willys Model 77 Coupe is #3 on the list. Back in the day, $395 bought you a vehicle that now sells for $90k or more in original steel.

Other popular Gassers include the '55 Chevy Gasser, which many have dubbed as the "coolest" of all the Gassers. Chevy conversions were popular in large part because of the great monster stock engines that Chevy created. They were easy to work on, parts were affordable and plentiful, and they were customizable. Add a solid front axle, fiberglass front end, fenderwell headers, radiused wheel wells, slicks....you've got yourself a Gasser! It's no wonder why the '55 Gasser got starring roles in classic 50's movies such as American Graffiti, Two Lane Blacktop, and a lesser-known Sometimes They Come Back.

While we're talking Chevy, we can't forget the '55 Nomad. Popular as a stock street car, it is also a very popular car for gassers, making #7 in the top ten list. Other Chevys include the '57 Corvette (yes, a Corvette Gasser), which was a popular choice for those who could afford it. These C1 Vettes were popular because they came straight from the factory being able to do the 1/4 mile in an amazing 14.3 seconds! The '49 Chevy was another popular choice that produced monster Gassers.

Although Willys and Chevys seem to dominate, there were a few other models that stand on their own in the world of Gassers. 1955 was a popular year for Gassers, and Ford was not to be left out with it's contribution of the '55 Thunderbird, a car developed by Ford to compete head-on with the Corvette. In '55 they actually outsold Corvette 26:1 and made them a popular choice for Gassers.

A late-comer to the Gasser group was the '48 Anglia, a car manufactured by Ford in the U.K. This little car was once tauted as the "cheapest car in the world" because of their sparse features. Their lightweight body and short wheelbase made these little rockets popular in the 60's after the NHRA made a rule-change which allowed the shorter wheelbase.

And finally, another late-comer to the group of most-popular Gassers was the '51 Henry J, a car developed by the Kaiser-Frazer Corp. Their distinctive front-end certainly draws attention, but what caught the eye of the racers was the fact that they were 18" shorter than the average 50's car, and made great Gassers!

Over the years, many of these cars have been turned into formidable racing machines on the strip and street. Although they had lost their presence in current drag race classes, they can still be seen in nostalgia drag races across the country, and we're seeing a rise in popularity as many re-discover the Great Gassers!

RESOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Hot Rod Magazine - Gasser Heaven
Wikipedia - Gasser (car)
YouTube VIDEO - 2012 Gasser Reunion / Nostalgia Drag Racing Videos

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1930's through 1970's. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

Is Illegal Street Racing Worth the Risk or the Penalty?

by Andrea L. Algar

Guy and I both love drag racing, and get out to the San Antonio Raceway, Royal Purple Raceway and the Houston Motor Sports Park as often as possible. As much as street racing can be downright enticing, it is often considered far better to get your grudge on at the drag strip where it can be done safely and legally!

After reading the article below, it certainly gets you to wonder, "Is it really worth the decision to race someone in a grudge match on the street?" Here's the consequences you could face if caught street racing in Texas:

Drivers - Class B Misdemeanor: $2000 fine, 180 days in jail or both, automatic suspension of license for up to one year (and 10 hours community service before reinstated)

Repeat Offenders - up to 2nd Degree Felony - Up to $10,000 fine, jail time 2-20 years, suspension of license. If two convictions, next offense could be life! Caught street racing while drunk is even more severe with first offense upgraded to 2nd degree felony regardless of blood alcohol level if open containers are found in the vehicle.

Other Cautions - Passengers can receive punishments just as severe. Spectators (anyone caught watching) can be fined up to $500 and have their vehicles towed. If anyone is accidentally killed, they can face manslaughter and/or felony charges.

So, Motorheads Performance asks you: Is it worth it? Cast your vote...

___ yes, I'd still chance it

___ no, I wouldn't risk it

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IHRA Undergoes Ownership Change Determined To Focus On Drag Racing

by Guy L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

Big news hit today that the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) has been sold. In a release from the new ownership group, IHRA Entertainment LLC, it was announced that a collaboration between the Palm Beach International Raceway and Memphis International Raceway had formed to acquire the IHRA and take over it's management from Feld Motor Sports. The IHRA has been one of the nations premiere drag racing bodies for over 43 years.
 

IHRA Drag Racing


IHRA has sanctioned over 100 drag racing venues in six divisions throughout the United States and Canada. It's four major national series, Nitro Jam®, Thunder Jam®, Summit Pro-Am and Summit Super Series, have become immensely popular with the IHRA's 12,000 plus racing members. They also own and publish Drag Review Magazine®, a full color monthly magazine covering IHRA events and news.

We've been big fans of IHRA drag racing for many years. We attend many of their events, and we're lucky that there are great ones available to us in Texas. We're optimistic about the announced changes, and the reported focus on drag racing. It had been noted over the past several years that some of the organization's momentum had been lost to non-drag events such as Monster Jam. This may be a positive step to ensure that quality IHRA events continue.

The news owners have assumed all assets of the IHRA, including the sanctioning body itself, the four national series, and Drag Review Magazine.  Jason Rittenberry will serve as CEO of the IHRA. "Today is a landmark day for our Company, the ownership group and the IHRA. IHRA has shown that their entertainment business model is viable and the company can grow," he announced. "We want to build on the foundation that IHRA has built over the past 40 years and provide the structure and resources it needs to be successful long term in this new motorsports environment."

Aaron Polburn will serve as President & General Manager of IHRA Motorsports. It seems that the new owners are committed to keep drag racing at the forefront of activities for the IHRA. “This is a very exciting time for IHRA," he states. "We now have a team whose total focus is on IHRA, Nitro Jam® and Thunder Jam®. These are incredibly successful guys who will bring a unique vision along with the resources to grow all facets of our business. They are also 'car guys' who have a passion for all forms of motorsports. That is a combination that will serve us well in the coming years. This is a great time to be an IHRA fan, racer, sponsor or member track.”

Departing management head Charlie Mancuso, President of Feld Motor Sports, commented, “Our business has evolved to focus more on other Feld Motor Sports productions like Monster Jam® and Nuclear Cowboyz®, so we are pleased that IHRA’s new owners will be able to expand its offerings and maintain the high event quality for which the brand is known.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Guy L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Guy Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together he and his wife Andrea share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

Choosing Your Horsepower - Keeping Your Muscle Car or Classic Car Driveable And Enjoyable

by Andrea L. Algar

Motorheads Performance

 

It's all too easy to get caught up in the quest for more horsepower. It's easy to forget that we also want to ENJOY our ride, and to enjoy it, we need it to be driveable.

With the recent rebirth of the muscle car craze, everyone is in search of MORE HORSEPOWER. Go all-out and install a killer big block, 560 cu 800 hp drag racing engine that's built for the strip and you'll have something that'll light up your tires off a stop light, but will probably be a royal pain to drive in city traffic. Most of us want something that will ride nicely on the street, allow you to feel the power, turn a lot of heads, and light things up every now and then! Sometimes easier said than done.

Going overboard is a common mistake. It's very important to be honest about your intended use. Guy Algar states, "One customer came to us with too much performance in her daily driver. In order to stay at a red light, it meant two feet on the pedals. She had a huge cam in the car, and didn't have a stall converter, which meant one foot on the gas pedal to keep the RPM's high enough so it wouldn't stall out (her car idled comfortably in the 1000-1200 range at a stop), and one foot firmly planted on the brake. She found it uncomfortably demanding. A drive across town left her exhausted and sore! Some adjustments to her setup left her with a much more manageable ride that still had plenty of power and performance which she loved." 

 

Make Sure Your Ride is Enjoyable 

 

"You should look hard at what you enjoy," explains Guy. "Everyone likes power, and we all like to boast of what we have under the hood. But, just as important is you being able to truly enjoy taking your car out for a nice ride. Face it, if you're riding around in a car that feels like an old buck-board, it's less likely you'll feel enthused about driving. If you feel like you're wrestling with your car to keep her on the road, something will eventually change, and it'll probably be how often you take her out. It's easy to overpower, but also to under power. Some customers are reluctant to admit that they occasionally want to 'punch it', and this can lead to a build which will under perform for them and leave them feeling like they wasted time and money. I like to match the performance to each customer, and I ask a lot of questions to find out what the best match is. "

 

Before you invest in major repairs, an engine rebuild or performance upgrades, take a honest look at how much time you'll be doing each of the following:

1) Daily driver
2) Short weekend day trips about town (within 100 miles)
3) Occasional cruise to the coast or Hill Country (trips 100-500 miles, a few times a year)
4) Regular cruises and rod runs (trips 100 or more miles, monthly or more per year)
5) Long rod runs (cross country trips and national rod runs)
6) Only for show (car won't be seeing much pavement)
7) Short rides for an afternoon or night out.
8) Occasionally want to "punch it"
9) Like to try the drag strip once to "see what she'll do"
10) Occasional trip to the drag strip "for the thrill" (few times a year at most)
11) Regular trips to the drag strip to "better my time" (6-12 races a year)
12) Serious drag racing (weekly racing but "I want to drive there")
13) Serious drag racing (she'll be trailered)
14) Looks only (won't be driving it much - "I want an investment")
15) ...any other use not mentioned above

 

Choosing Horsepower, Performance, Driveability

 

There are many things a good performance shop will consider in helping match you with the right engine. For instance, a beautiful, throaty, loping idle usually has a long-duration cam that makes plenty of top end power. It also kills low-end torque and throttle response because it may be putting out a power curve that runs from 4,500 to 9,000 rpm. Great for the drag strip, but not practical or desired for the street. A good street cam will have a power curve that runs from 1,500 to 5,500 so that you get the low-end torque to make street driving enjoyable. There are good street-strip combinations which operate in the mid range of these if you are planning on doing a bit of both.

You should consider reliability of your engine. This can become a concern as your horsepower goes up. Most V8 engines can easily handle an extra 50 to 150 hp without throwing a rod or blowing head gaskets under most driving conditions other than serious racing. Most drive trains can handle moderate increases without mashing your rear end or grinding up your transmission.

Once you get into the higher horsepower performance engines, you need to start beefing up your drive train and other components to handle the torque and keep things from breaking apart.

If you're thinking of serious horsepower, your stock block may have to be upgraded from a two-bolt main to a four-bolt main. Appropriate head gaskets need to be used in order to keep the pressure where it belongs. Performance gaskets are usually used for 400-500 hp engines, while anything above this would require sealing the cylinders with copper O-rings. Stiffer valve springs and push rods, a larger radiator or supplemental cooling fan, larger high-pressure clutch and U-joints, as well as a stronger rear-end to hold things together. You may need traction bars for control, as well as stiffer rear shocks and/or springs. Even your fuel pump needs to be considered in order to ensure that you get enough fuel to feed your hungry engine.

 

Consider Your Performance Budget

Speaking of fuel, you'll need to consider the type of gasoline you'll need to use with all your new-found horsepower! The highest common octane is 93. If you have a high compression engine, you may need more than this, and may need to add an octane-booster. If you don't use high enough octane, you may risk damaging your engine from detonation and pre-ignition. With gas prices sky high, your wallet will feel it every time you take her out for a little ride so you'll need to consider this because it may keep you from enjoying your ride as much as you'd like to.

And, something which always needs to be considered is cost. You want to balance your "need for speed" with the fact that SPEED = MONEY. The more horsepower you want, the more money you will need to spend. And, as you've seen above, there are certain hp thresholds that increase your expenses dramatically. Keeping your budget in mind is one way of keeping from going overboard.

What this all means to you is to think carefully about your intended use. Find out what type of engine and horsepower will deliver this and you'll be much happier when the job is all done. Your ride is an expensive project and you want to be able to hit the road with a smile, not a scowl of frustration.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

Motorheads Do Exist Outside the United States

And their events are just as dangerous as ours!

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

Yes, there are countries outside the U.S. that take their motor sports as seriously as we do. Although sometimes different than the way we show appreciation for our automobiles, it is entertaining and even enlightening to take a look at how other cultures treat their auto obsessions.

Countries from just about every continent participate in motor sports very much like ours. In addition to car shows, fairs, auctions, museums and other automobile events around the world, most all are involved in racing. Formula One, stock car and drag racing are all popular in different countries, and while they may have their own variations such as road racing, it's not without the same type of challenges and perils, including injuries, we see here in America.



Brighton National Speed Trials
in the United Kingdom



Oldest Continuous Running
Event first run  in 1905



The Brighton National Speed Trials made news this earlier this month when a man and woman racing in a motorcycle with sidecar crashed.

Sadly, the 38 year old woman died. The driver, a 63 year man, was badly injured with a head injury. Remarkably, no other vehicles were involved and no one else was hurt.

The Brighton National Speed Trials in the United Kingdom is the oldest continuous running event for cars and motorcycles, and the event attracts men and women from all over the world in competition and as spectators. The tradition officially began in 1905 even though the event was first suggested in 1902. After just two events, a ban on racing on public roadways was made, and it disrupted the race until a new club called the Brighton and Hove Motor Club discovered that Madeira Drive, where the race was run, was not a public road. When the race was able to run again in 1932 it attracted a huge crowd of more than 100,000 spectators. Speeds reached 120 MPH over a half mile course. Since 1932, the Brighton National Speed Trials have run every year except during WWII, with more types of cars and even motorcycles being added to the racing lineup. It is now considered a national event.

Injuries have been spread throughout the racing world in 2012.

In F1 Racing this July, a Spanish test driver was left with what was described as life-threatening head injuries after a freak crash with a lorry. She was driving at low speed in the pit area when the collision happened, after just completing a lap of 200 mph speeds.

Earlier this year in Dublin, Ireland, a race car went out of control during a stage rally race, crashing into a crowd and killing two people. Seven others were seriously injured. Stage rallying is the most popular form of road racing in Ireland. Competitions are spread throughout the year with racers taking turns on the same course. Spectators sit or stand roadside, which make it a danger when things go wrong.

Two South African racers died in separate crashes in events early in 2012. A multi-champ driver Curt Alchin was killed at the Victoria Raceway. Motorcycle driver Wim Pretorius died at an unrelated event at Zwartkops Raceway on the same day.

And, UK newspaper The Sun reported on an accident at Le Mans this year, "Anthony Davidson broke his back in a 200mph horror smash at Le Mans and admitted: 'It felt like I was in an aeroplane out of control.' The Brit was challenging for the lead in the famous 24-hour endurance race when he clipped another car, flew into the air and smashed down into a tyre barrier." This year's race is now aptly dubbed, "Le Crunch."

REFERENCES:
BBC News - Brighton Speed Trials Crash: Woman Killed Named
BBC News - Woman Killed During Brighton Speed Trials
HuffPost World - Cavan Stages Rally Crash: Ireland car crash kills 2, wounds 7 in race crowd
SuperSport - Two SA racers dead in crashes
The Independent - F1 driver's life-threatening injuries after freak crash
The Sun (UK) - Anthony Davidson relives terrifying 200mph Le Mans smash
VisitBrighton.com - National Speed Trials

RESOURCES (A partial list around the world):
AFOS - Asian Festival of Speed
Brighton & Hove Motor Club - United Kingdom's motorheads
Asia Motorsports - Racing in China (site is in Chinese)
Asia Racing Team - Asian Formula & GT racing
CAMS - Confederation of Australian Motor Sport
Classic Car Tours International - European Touring Holidays
Essential Africa - A Directory of African Motorsports & Motor Sport Organizations
MotorSport South Africa - Official site of all motorsports in South Africa
MSport UK - Motorsport News from the UK
NAMSC - North Australian Motor Sports Club
RT - Russian Racing
The Racing Line - Motor Racing Circuits: Databases of Races Around The World

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

Visit San Antonio Raceway For A Day Of Fun

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

There is just so much to do and see here in South Central Texas. For auto enthusiasts, there are so many great places to go for a day of pure fun. And, for those in San Antonio and the surrounding area, we have a great one right in our own back yard. The San Antonio Raceway is right on the outskirts of San Antonio in Marion, Texas.

This Saturday, July 21st, the San Antonio Raceway will be holding the Summit Super Series Bracket Index. This quarter mile racing event is guaranteed to have some spectacular runs which will get the spectators on their feet. Gates open at at 5PM, with time trials starting at 6PM. Eliminations continue through to the final runs by 11PM. You'll see a variety of race cars including prostreet, top fuel, altereds and dragsters. One of the things that we love about attending events at San Antonio Raceway (SAR) is the great casual atmosphere. You can walk around the pits, talk to owners and racers, take a close look at the cars, and smell the nitrous! Although everyone takes their racing serious, it's a friendly competition where teams will actually help each other out. SAR attracts a great groups of racing enthusiasts who are friendly, and always willing to share a story or two with those interested.

Throughout the year, SAR holds several big events, which have included IHRA and NHRA National events, Clash of the Titans , Nostalgia Drag Cars, Street Light Challenge, Winter Brawl, Power Cruise, Nitro Jam, the Super Chevy Show (always a fantastic weekend of fun as it includes a great classic car show), and many more specialty events are held throughout the year and are definitely worth seeing. April 2012's Nitro Jam proved to be one of the biggest crowds in SAR history with staging lanes and bleachers filled to capacity and enthusiasts stacked four deep on the fence! This was a night of racing that featured just about every kind or race car that could be lined up for the drag strip.

On a more regular basis, San Antonio Raceway holds "Midnight Madness" events each month, where racing starts at 6PM and continues through midnight. This month, it'll be held on Saturday July 28th. You usually see a great variety of racing vehicles, and tremendous racing. There's really nothing like night racing!

For those that like watching non-professional racers, want to see the action more frequently, or like smaller crowds, try attending SAR's "Test & Tune" events every Wednesday and Friday thoughout the season 6-11PM and 6-midnight respectively. These are fun events where you can catch street cars competing for the best time in addition to casual racers and the pros all in one night. If you're a truck fan, every 2nd Friday of the month they hold bracket racing for gasoline and diesel trucks. Smokefest, Grudge Racing, Battle of the Brands, Import Night and Motorcycle Shootout are some of the other special racing events. If you're part of a car club or group that would like to have a place to race legally you can even contact SAR management for information about getting time for your group into a Test & Tune or with some limits, even a Friday or Saturday event!

How did San Antonio Raceway start? San Antonio Raceway has been owned and managed by Todd Zampese for well over 10 years. He built a great facility, and over the years was able to attract a lot of big name events, promoters and racers to San Antonio Raceway. In 2008 following a dispute with the IHRA which resulted in a break with the IHRA in 2009. IHRA issues were resolved and in 2010 Zampese leased out the raceway to Freddy Cruz, who took over management and daily operations. Since then, Cruz has expanded events and affiliations at the drag race facility, and apparently has big plans as he has added quality races to the lineup. 

We look forward to future years of competive, fun racing at San Antonio Raceway. We hope you'll take the time to visit an event. For those not familiar with drag racing, Guy Algar will be writing on the different types of drag racing and how it all works in an upcoming Classic Car News article. Guy has been an avid drag racer since his youth, at one time participating in a team of regular racers. His shifting skills in drag racing led to a couple of trophies and a tempting offer to join a race team as a driver. Since founding his repair and upgrade shop he does not have the time to pursue regular racing anymore, but does look forward to a pass or two with his '55 Belair.

We hope to see you at the drag strip!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.