Safety and Gassers

[Zach Gomulka]

Gassers wreck. Alot it seems to me. Maybe that is why there are so few original examples around today. My friend and I are building our own examples, his a roof chopped '60 ragtop, mine a '67 (that will also be street worthy). My goal for the '67 was a race weight of 1500lbs (including driver), and Im sure the choptop will weigh much less since it will benifit from a glass fiber front end, tube axle, no front brakes, and no cooling tin- only the essentials for racing. We plan on running the Super Gas class here in the USA which is an 11.90 index class. What can we do to make these cars safer? I plan on raising the trans in both of the cars 1" to get the center of gravity lower, and each car will have a 5 point cage- But Im not talking about keeping my head in one piece after I wreck, Im talking about keeping the car from wrecking in the first place! I cant bear the thought of all that money and hard work wadding up into a ball at the top end of the track, and my heart goes out to the few who have had that misfortune.
Here is a picture of the choptop ragtop in progress- it has a long way to go!

[Bill Schwimmer]

Make them IRS...I have never seen an IRS car crash in the 25+yrs I have been into these.  Seen dozens of swing axle cars on the roof.  I just thought of an exception & that was Dean Lowrys SB @ the 1st drag day. That one had some other issues that caused the crash. I have sat in the Stutt Bee & the New York Inch pincher & I was afraid just sitting there...

[Russell]

Did you ever finish this far Zach

[Zach Gomulka]

 

Not even close.