Naturally it took pride of place at the head of the display.
Looking more like a show car than a fuel dragster, the beautiful Glass Slipper, another resident the Wally Parks NHRA Museum sat at the front of the other lane. Despite their lack of horsepower, for me and many others these two golden oldies from the early Fifties were the star cars of the display and simply wonderful to behold.
Art Chrisman also owns “Hustler 1,” which won Top Eliminator at the first Bakersfield U.S. Fuel and Gas Championships in 1959. Looking more like a giant Indy car of the day, it was nevertheless extremely popular with UK fans; it also lives in the museum when not cackling.
“TV Tommy” Ivo’s “Barnstormer,” which ran the first 190 mile an hour pass on the west coast, was here and, on static display only, the outrageous four-engined “Showboat” which amazed fans – they just couldn’t comprehend such a beast! Built as a dragster in 1960 during the NHRA’s nitro ban, the original “Showboat” became a Buick station wagon in 1966 to cash in on Funny Car popularity and was possibly the most successful exhibition car ever.
From any angle Ed Cortopassi’s “Glass Slipper” from 1956 is still stunning all these years after its creation; it too was at the 50th anniversary U.S. Nationals. The full body and canopy fronted driver’s office was unique back then and quite amazing today. In the second photo, the Chrismans, Mike and Art, flank Dusty McWilliams, Sonny Diaz and Kelly Brown adding some extra nitro and some extra nostalgia to the back drop.
Beebe & Mulligan’s legendary "Fighting Irish" AA/FD, lovingly recreated by Dave West, and one of the nine at the orginal CHRR cacklefest in Y2K, was on hand looking exactly as it was when winning the NHRA’s 1969 Winter Nat’s final over Don “the Snake” Prudhomme with a holeshot and a 6.95 at 211.38 mph. Well, maybe the car was a tad cleaner at Goodwood as it hadn’t been racing! Mind you, it sounded strong enough to do just that every time West donned his firesuit and fired it up, although Dave limits his runs to burn outs and a few hundred feet under power when it appears stateside.
Also from the mid Sixties, were Rocky Childs’ Childs and Albert’s swoopy “Addict” and the Howard Cams “Rattler” AA/FD’s.
Childs & Albert, high-po racing parts manufacturers since the early 60s, had several fuel dragsters as test beds. Back in 2001, the growing popularity of the CHRR cacklefest’s caused Rocky Childs to hunt for the “Addict” and restore it; seems like he did a great job as it looked and sounded fine at Goodwood.