We’ve showed video of Quain Stott and his Grand Illusion Willys gasser before but this one is really something else. In this clip we see Stott racing the car at Bristol Dragway, otherwise known as Thunder Valley. This is one of the coolest tracks in the country as it is literally set in a tight valley between a bunch of mountains. When you consider all the elements, the scenery, and the sound, there really is nothing like it.

The Willys is a period correct gasser. This thing has a tall center of gravity, a small block that winds to the moon, a four speed, the chassis technology of a hay wagon, and all the right stuff to have been a contender during the late 1960s gasser wars. Stott has been militant in keeping the cars that run in his Southeast Gassers group legit in terms of their chassis, engine, and appearance locked into the 1960s.

In this video we’ll see Stott pull up, complete his burnout, rip off a HUGE wheelstanding dry hop and then hammer the car down the track on an eighth mile pass (the group runs eighth mile due to the nature of the cars). Wait until you see how much steering that Stott has to do as the car acts like a nose high, leaf sprung, stick shift, straight axle beast will. He’s got one hand on the shifter and the other on the small diameter steering wheel, sawing it wildly to keep the car off the wall. He pedals it once and that lets the guy in the other lane around but Stott makes a furious charge to catch him.

You’ll have a whole new respect for the gasser heroes of the 1960s after you watch this video. These were some ill-handling beasts! The violence of the launch and dry hop is actually shocking…in a good way.

I had a chance to hang out with Quain recently and I can tell you from personal experience that these cars are among the true gems of drag racing and if you ever get the chance to see the Southeast Gassers perform in person you’ll have the best time you have had at a drag strip in a LONG, LONG while.

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