Limited-Edition Print o f 500 (13x19)prints
Signed and numbered by the Artist.
"It would be fun to see a list of all the cars created for Drag Racing (Excluding Dragsters) since 1955, just to find out which were the "Most Popular" commonly used in the sport.
One thing that's certain, the 55 Chevy Belair would be close to the top of that list, if not the number one pick... Another common factor in the early decades of drag racing, was the fact that seemingly every 'Speed Shop" in the country built a car for the strip.
The 55 Chevy seemed to be the perfect candidate for "Speed" store owners little advertising gimmick. The "Speed Shop" car could race on weekends advertising the shop, then during the week, the sparkling little Hot Rod could be parked out in front of the store to attract customers.
The "DuPage Automotive" 55 Chevy "Blitz," owned by Biscan, Belsky & Hoffman, is the perfect example of a "Speed Shop" car. Seen here in 1966 running in the "B Fuel Altered" Class, the car running injected and on Nitro, but I'm sure the car also could doubled as a "Gasser." The car ran in 10.20s at 125mph.
This was the a-typical Hot Rod when I was a kid, as the "Shoebox" Chevys were all the rage. They were jacked up high for better weight transfer, the front suspension was replaced with a straight axel. The front bumpers were always removed, and keeping the grill was optional. Jokingly, it almost seemed mandatory to have a "Moon" gas tank placed in the center of the grill area. Those little "Moon" gas tanks were a big part of drag racing paraphernalia, as were slicks, or blowers, or drag chutes. In those days, these were the icons Drag Racing, and no self-respecting Hot Rodder would dare show his face, unless his Hot Rod were adorned with as many of these accoutrements as he could afford...
Of course, topping the whole package off with that "Eye-Catching" "Candy Apple" paint job was must, as a lot of these cars doubled as "Show Cars" in their non-racing duties.
I hope you enjoy my "DuPage Blitz" 55 Chevy, the quintessential "Speed Shop" car"... DCP
