School me on gassers

[Ace-Garageguy]

20 hours ago, Snake45 said:

The Modified Sports class used basically the same rules as the Gassers (so did the Street Roadsters) as far as allowable and prohibited modifications and so forth. The MSP class eventually went away and the cars got incorporated into the Gas classes, probably with few if any modifications. 

 

20 hours ago, Mark said:

NHRA did fold the Modified Sports (and maybe some of the Street Roadster) classes into Gas in the late Sixties, IIRC. 

The M/SP class was eventually merged with the "altered" designation, as M/SP cars had looser rules and permitted more mods than the "gassers". M/SP engine setback could be 25% of wheelbase, for example, while the "gas" classes only allowed 10%

So where veteran cars actually ended up depended largely on the particular car, as there were a lot of M/SPs that weren't as heavily modified as the rules allowed.

Here's a thoroughly researched build of an M/SP car...

 

 

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

 

The M/SP class was eventually merged with the "altered" designation, as M/SP cars had looser rules and permitted more mods than the "gassers". M/SP engine setback could be 25% of wheelbase, for example, while the "gas" classes only allowed 10%

So where veteran cars actually ended up depended largely on the particular car, as there were a lot of M/SPs that weren't as heavily modified as the rules allowed.

I just looked at NHRA rulebooks (1962 and 1965 through 1968) and (as usual) you're absolutely right. (MSP was gone for 1968, so '67 must have been the last year for them.)

The MSP rules were included in the same section as the Gas Coupes and Street Roadsters, so the Gasser rules applied in general, but there were several important exceptions noted for MSPs. The engine setback you mention (25%) is one. Another is the frame: Gassers had to have a stock automotive type frame (though not necessarily stock to that car, if I'm reading correctly), but MSPs were specifically allowed any type of frame (i.e., tubular space frames). The idea here was apparently to allow homebuilt sports cars of the day to compete, both street sports cars and road racers. 

Your typical Corvette or '55-'57 T-Bird MSP with stock engine location should have been easily able to transition into the Gas class in 1968 and after. Some other sports cars would have had to move up to Altered class, exactly as you said. Thanks for clarifying for us all!