Crowder’s Corner…

Top Gas

In the 60’s Top Gas became very popular throughout the East and especially in Division #3.

Many of the tracks ran a weekly eight car qualified show and on occasion 16 cars.

I can remember Bob Otto at Kil-Kare, in Xenia, having a special 16 car show on Saturday nights.

The next day the gang would travel the short trip to National Trail Raceway, in Columbus, or drive
all night to Beach Bend, in Illinois.

Many times the gang would take a two hour drive to Indianapolis Raceway Park, in Indy and guess
what, … many of them had to work the old job on Monday mornings to support the family and the race car.

Life was good and the racing was out of sight!

Add in the Division Points meet and a couple of National events as well. The cars from Division III
were very competitive. Many became National and World Champs.

Let’s just mention a few past winners: Jim Minnish, Larry Brown, Roeckner, Hummell, Pat Dakin,
Gary Rupp, Phil Hobbs, Ken Hirattia, Jim Bucher, Dick Padar, Mark Pieri, Domentic Santucci,
Bobby Vudnik, Frakes-Funk-English and, ...we can’t forget Gordon Collette.

I’m sure I have left someone out but it has been a long time!! There was Dick Vest and the story
about the car Dick had Bob Erfman drive after he split with Larry Miller.

Later Dick went back to driving. Dick was the strongest man I ever knew and was a prize fighter in his
early days. He told me that he won the heavyweight title at Ohio State. Enough said about that. 
This continued until 1972. NHRA felt with the rising costs and Top Fuel becoming such a great show
that they would discontinue Top Gas (T/G).

The last show was at the World Finals in Amarillo Texas. Austmeyers, driving for Roeckner-Hummell,
defeated Bill Mullin to become the last T/G World Champ. Austin also set the record at 6.96 and 208 mph

Top Gas was history. Just taking a look BACK at drag racing history.

See ya around the corner
Cruisin Crowder