| 
Burning nitro in blatant defiance
of NHRA’s 1957-63 Fuel Ban, the original Hustler of
Chrisman & Cannon was the most-dominant dragster of its
era. It was also considered among the prettiest. Here’s
a rare look at the bare bodywork in May 1959, following an
engine explosion that scorched its original paint job. (HotRodNostalgia.com
photo by Doug Peterson, ©2005)
“I was dared into restoring the Hustler,” he
recalled, chuckling at the memory. “I’d been telling
people how much I’d like to make a smokey pass at the
20th-annual March Meet. They all said, ‘Yeah, right;
that’ll be the day!’ That’s what made me
do it. It took a year, even though I’d kept most of
the parts.”
“It’s really fun to smoke those tires,”
he added. “That car is always ready to run, anytime
a promoter comes up with the money to cover my expenses. Dorothy
[his wife of 51 years] doesn’t like it much, but I’ve
been doing it so long, I know exactly what I’m doing
out there. It’s probably safer than walking across the
street, the way things are today.”
Forty-six seasons after winning the first March Meet, Art
also remains near the top of his racing game, building and
tuning the small-block Chevy in the homebuilt, 15-year-old
Hustler III that he and his 49-year-old son campaign on the
brutally-competitive Goodguys Junior Fuel circuit. In fact,
Dad’s greatest concern in life seems to be chopping
another tenth off of Mike Chrisman’s 7.12-second e.t.
“Number 25” is so old
that it had six owners before Art Chrisman! Originally built
for lakes racing in the 1930s, it’s believed to be the
oldest race car still running down race tracks. (Good Communications
photo by Dave Wallace, ©2004)
“I get to work at seven every morning and I don’t
quit before six, usually,” he said last summer in the
“Golden 50” display area at Indianapolis Raceway
Park, where Number 25 and Hustler I were both parked. “Hard
work and drag racing must be keeping me alive, ’cause
here I am again!” 
|
