Gasser
Bill Dedman (Talk | contribs) (→Evolution of the term over the years) |
Bill Dedman (Talk | contribs) (→Evolution of the term over the years) |
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The main purpose of this classification was to have a place to race cars with seriously modified engines. Virtually anything was legal, right up to supercharging, but the cardinal rule was that the number one sparkplug had to be within ten percent of the wheelbase, as regarded the front spindle. That is, if the car has a 100-inch wheelbase, the #1 sparkplug could legally be no farther back than ten inches behind the centerline of the front spindle. | The main purpose of this classification was to have a place to race cars with seriously modified engines. Virtually anything was legal, right up to supercharging, but the cardinal rule was that the number one sparkplug had to be within ten percent of the wheelbase, as regarded the front spindle. That is, if the car has a 100-inch wheelbase, the #1 sparkplug could legally be no farther back than ten inches behind the centerline of the front spindle. | ||
| − | Gassers had to have all their basically unaltered fenders, but bumpers could be removed. Gas Coupe/Sedans were classified by weighing the car and dividing the weight by the engine displacement. In the beginning, an "A"-class car was 0-9 pounds per cubic inch; a "B" was 9-11, a "C" was 11 and up... The following year, an "E" class was added for cars with over | + | Gassers had to have all their basically unaltered fenders, but bumpers could be removed. Gas Coupe/Sedans were classified by weighing the car and dividing the weight by the engine displacement. In the beginning, an "A"-class car was 0-9 pounds per cubic inch; a "B" was 9-11, a "C" was 11, and "D" Gas was 13 and up... The following year, an "E" class was added for cars with over 14.6 pounds per cubic inch. Flathead and inline six-cylinder cars (there were no V-6's back then) were kept separate, so they didn't have to compete directly with the OHV V8's. There was just one "Gas" class for all of them. |
| − | The next step up was "Altered" or "Roadster" class, which allowed a 25-percent setback. "Altereds" and "Roadsters" | + | The next step up was "Altered" or "Roadster" class, (depending on whether the car had a top) which allowed a 25-percent engine setback. "Altereds" and "Roadsters" also could move the body back on the frame, and run without fenders. No interior was required. These were just race-only cars. |
"Street Roadsters" had the same basic rules as Gassers, but the fender rule was more flexible at times. It changed, periodically, but motorcycle fenders were allowed in lieu of stock fenders up front, at some point. It was a "ten=percent engine-setback" rule class, like the Gas Coupe/Sedans. | "Street Roadsters" had the same basic rules as Gassers, but the fender rule was more flexible at times. It changed, periodically, but motorcycle fenders were allowed in lieu of stock fenders up front, at some point. It was a "ten=percent engine-setback" rule class, like the Gas Coupe/Sedans. | ||
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