GASSERS.!.At Dover —–Photos/Stories /Historys

[bobby-s]

Anyone remember this street gasser.

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[bobby-s]

Was told this is the former gasser of Jack Merkel,

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[bobby-s]

Anyone remember this one too.

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[patinaParticipant]

That Buick powered sedan seems to be very early circa 62 I say this because the surounding cars also seem to be from that era. That is Jack Merkels car and the last car looks familiar but I don’t know it.

Pat

[babycakesParticipant]

Bobby,that was Jack Merkel’s (black) ’39’ Willys B/GS ‘record’ holder,and two times Nationals class winner in 63 and 64. It went through a few
owners.The one your showing is when Gillis Bertran had it,and the ‘fancy’ paint job was done by Bob Mercer,it ran BB/GS. Gillis sold it to Art Brissett, as a ‘roller’. Art never did nothing to it,and he sold it to John Arsenian, John sadly died of cancer,at age 42. John had sold the original ‘Hill-Zartman’ 39 glass nose to Tom Grasso,in Omaha, Neb.and put a one piece glass nose on in,and primed the body.John’s wife sold it to Bob Kutsagoitz.Bob put a small block Chevy in it,and replaced the nose with an original ‘steel’ 39 Willys. Bob sold both the ‘Bee Line’
Willys,and Merkel’s ’39’ to Ron Normann in 2010, who lives in Hebron, IL. A ‘Willys Nut’, like me, he has a great selection of ‘known’ Willys gassers,that he has ‘totally restored, just like they were,back in the day!!! To say the least,Ron is a ‘FANATIC’, he cuts ‘no’ corners,it has to be ‘period’ correct,no second best! Believe it or not,he tracked down the original Hill-Zartman glass nose in California! In order to buy it,he had to buy the whole ’39’ Willys gasser,it was on! If everything goes as planned, Ron will have it done for the Epping Drags Aug.28-30th this year,where Jack Merkel will be inducted into the N.H.R.A ‘Hall of Fame’. Jack will be there,seeing both his ’39’ and ’33’ glass Willys there, as Ron owns them both! I have followed the life of Jack’s ’39’,since I first saw it in ’62’ at Island Dragway. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT,and has been since!!! Who’s also excited to see it again, Pat D. and Jack’s pit crew member ‘Junior’ Hopkins, ‘good’ buddies for ‘many’ moons!!! Pete.

[tomblakeParticipant]

Babycakes……Quite a history lesson on Willys.

[babycakesParticipant]

Thanks Tom, Merkel originally sold it in late ’64’ as ‘roller’ to Bob Petrucelli,in N.Y.C. He in turn,painted it white,and put a ‘hemi’ in it.Bob sold it as a ‘roller’ also; that’s when Gillis Bertran bought it from him,and had the ‘fancy’ paint job put on. Note also Bob Petrucelli bought the ‘original’ Pacer’s Tazmanian Devil AA/FA and still has it usually on display a few times at the ‘Dover Reunions’. That was one ‘mean machine’,back in the day! Smokin’ the slicks,almost 1/2 way down the track!!! 😮 😉 . Pete.

[patinaParticipant]

Henry Wilko in the family sedan running C/GS

Pat

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