Art Arfons and His Green Monster (new video)

[Vinsky]

Here's some great movies of the Green Monster before it was jet powered. Wish I had been born 10 years sooner. 
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqCm7YO2GOI

[Kansas Bad Man]

The B12 Allison Green Monster was at the first NHRA Nationals held at Great Bend Kansas in 1955. 

I was there.  Other contenders were Ollie Morris and the Smoking White Owl, Jazzy Nelson's Fiat coup, Mickey Thompson's Chrysler powered dragster with enclosed rear slicks, The Glass Slipper from Texas, and Art Christian's dragster.  The fastest car of the meet that topped 150 mph, the Bustle Bomb, had a Cadillac and an Oldsmobile engine driving a single ring gear to a rear end independent suspension.  The front engine had a transmission and the rear engine just had a clutch.  It was truly the ugliest one of the bunch, but it was the FASTEST that day anyway.

                              Max

[Jack Gifford]

So I assume you didn't get to the rain-delayed final runs in AZ later on? Since you didn't mention top eliminator Calvin Rice, nor runner-up Fritz Voight- both now in the NHRA Hall of Fame.

[Cameradude]

  Do you mean Art Chrisman"s car? It's still races and spends time at NHRA Museum

[Kevin G]

Got my copy of "Speed Duel" saturday. Had to order it because the book store didnt have it. I would have no Idea that the book existed if not for this thread. Just In time too, i just finished the last book I had in the truck.

Kevin G

[Robin UK]

Had the pleasure of meeting Art a few times, mosy memorably when Richard Noble, David Tremayne, Malcolm Pittwood and Itook him to see ThrustSSC when it was just a chassis and then on to see the lsr exhibit at the NMM. Later that day he got to meet John Cobb's widow for a private chat. Great guy.

Robin

[MAYOMAN]

GH - Doug Rose lost his legs several years earlier while driving Walt Arfons' Green Monster jet dragster. After recovering, Doug was fitted with prosthetic legs for his BK amputation. He built the Green Mamba jet dragster later, which he has campaigned until this day.

Sam's book is almost as awesome as his main subject, Art Arfons. Art was one of my idols while watching drag races in the 1950s at Half Day, IL and Union Grove, WI. Later, when we were racing the X-1 rocket dragster Art was alsways a gentleman. When I was visiting Firestone (who supplied tires and ecnourqagement for the X-1 project) in Akron, Art invited me to his Pickle Road shop to see his latest creation. With Art, what you saw was what you got. A genuinely modest and dedicated hot-rodder and competitor.

[Kevin G]

This made me recall a story my cousin likes to tell.

Back in the 70's and 80's my uncle used to campaign a triple Ford powered pulling tractor. Art was consistently better than my Uncle was. My cousin, who was about 7 at the time,  really wanted his dad to win. So he wanted to give hime whatever advantage a 7 year old could. He waited till no one was around Arts tractor in the pits and snuck over and dropped a handfull of dirt into the end of the turbine.  Luckily for all involved he put dirt in the upturned exhaust pipe and not the intake side. All the dirt must have harmlessly blown out when he fired it up. The story came out when his little act of sabotage didn't work and Art once again finished better than my uncle.

Kevin G

[bfolkestad]

I have met Art's son Tim several times and have worked with his wife Shari...  They are great people and love racing.  Attached is Tim's website, they are great people.  He makes the jet dryers for oval tracks...