Like the rest of the nation, CA was heading for the suburbs. The ’69 Manson Family murders, the deadly concert at Altamont Speedway and a growing anti-Vietnam War movement changed California, and the nation.įinally, those ubiquitous California drag strips fell to So-Cal’s real estate moguls. Other, social changes were also in the works. Ironically, heavy industry and powerplants were largely ignored. The infamous LA smog spurred government to sharply reduce vehicle emissions. Even little old ladies from Pasadena drove shiny-red, Super Stock Dodges!Īs the 60’s waned the culture changed. Hot rods, drag racing and surfing were cool. All benefited from a hot rod culture that created scores of drag strips, and was even reflected in the pop music of The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, The Ventures and others. Many racers began their careers first in Gassers, and then up through Top Fuel and Funny Car. Pittman, Junior Thompson, Kohler Brothers, Shores & Hess, Big John Mazmanian, Hamberis & Mitchell and what seemed like “a cast of thousands” filled the stands and the pages of Drag News, National Dragster, Drag Times and Drag World as well as the monthly magazines. Before Funny Cars grabbed the spotlight, blown Gassers were kings, and spawned a huge following. In particular, California’s supercharged Gassers created a lasting heritage of heroes.
From the 50’s through the 60’s, Gassers and the other Street/Modified Eliminator classes were both popular and plentiful. After this, Penske and Donohue switched to AMC, a fatal blow to Chevy's Trans-Am efforts.Arguably, the candy apple red, A/Gas Supercharged, 480 CID Chrysler Hemi powered ’41 Willys coupe of “Big John” Mazmanian symbolizes the Gassers of California during the 60’s, shown here at the Winternationals, Pomona, CA.Īs the birthplace of drag racing, California once enjoyed a bountiful Gasser legacy. Regardless, it was never penalized for cheating by the SCCA, and Chevrolet had its second-consecutive Trans-Am title in '69, beating Ford's all-new Boss 302 Mustangs.
57 chevy drag cars driver#
Driver Ed Leslie claimed the Camaro's front bumper was made of aluminum. It wore a vinyl top in the first part of the season, its competitors claimed, because it was left in the acid bath too long and the roof was wrinkled. In '69, the cross-ram, dual-quad-equipped Z/28 won exactly half of the series' 12 events and inspired controversy everywhere it went. In '68, they won 10 of the 13 races (and eight in a row at one point) to give Chevy the manufacturer's title. Despite not getting a car until January, the pair went on to win three races that year. It was in this area that Roger Penske and Mark Donohue competed in the new Z/28 starting in '67. There were two classes, Under 2.0 Liters and Over 2.0 Liters, with the latter having a 5.0-liter displacement limit.
57 chevy drag cars drivers#
1968-'69 Penske-Donohue Trans-Am Camaros From its beginning in 1966 to the late-'60s, everyone who was anyone competed in the Sports Car Club of America's Trans American Sedan Series, better known today as "Trans-Am." From Curtis Turner and David Pearson from NASCAR to Parnelli Jones and Dan Gurney, Trans-Am had the top drivers competing in racecars that were truly like their road-going counterparts. According to our sister publication, Circle Track magazine, the body "was hung in a shape that was not strictly according to stock dimensions." At the rear, Smokey closed in the area under the fuel tank and extended the flat surface to the rear bumper to further improve aerodynamics.Ģ8. The car was not really 15/16 but appeared smaller because the hood and front bumper were tucked in and tight for improved aerodynamics. The roof kicked up above the rear window, thus directing air over the small rear spoiler on the trunk lid. Its springs were mounted behind the rear axle, and its shocks were close to the wheels and were vertically rather than diagonally mounted. It had a Smokey-designed three-link rear suspension with a Watt's link, which was completely radical for a stock car of this vintage. The frame was completely custom made, which in and of itself made the car illegal. The second one, the "15/16" Chevelle is the stuff of legend. There were actually two Chevelles, but the first one was totaled. Sure, it had numerous rules infractions that Smokey had to address, but to him they were not violations. '67 Smokey Yunick Chevelle This was the vehicle that sat on the pole for the '67 Daytona 500 and it actually looked like a '66.
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