Souped-up And Hot

The National Hot Rod Association ( NHRA ), formed in 1951, controls much of this activity. With 25,000 members now enrolled and more than 2,000 active local hot rod clubs on its files, NHRA is a powerful organizing body. It recognizes 26 competition classes (using either gasoline or optional fuels under sub-headings such as Roadsters, Coupe/Sedans, Dragsters, etc.) and its foremost activity is on quarter-mile drag strips and, yearly, at the Bonneville Flats speed trials in Utah . After qualifying runs, drag races pit car against car to find the winner. There are no second or third places.

The top three NHRA races are Caddo Mills, Texas ; Akron , Ohio and Madera, California , where this year (Oct. 9 and 10) 24 new records were officially chalked up. Top all-around NHRA driver of 1954 (though not the fastest) is Art Chrisman, of Compton , Calif. , whose rear-engine DeSoto V-8 coupe set a 192.70 mph one-way record at Bonneville .

Contending body to the NHRA is the ATAA (Automobile Timing Association of America Inc.), formed a year ago to stimulate hot rod activity in the Midwest. Sparked by automotive parts manufacturer Arnold Maremont, its chairman, ATAA has some fine drag strips in the Chicago and St. Louis areas and at Lawrenceville Airport, Ill. Here, on Oct. 2 and 3, a First Annual World Series of Drag Racing was held by 350 hot rodders from 28 states before 7,000 spectators. Fastest was Arthur Arfons whose Allison-powered six-wheeler clocked 132.25 mph to win him a $1,000 college scholarship.