My unnatural love for exhibition drag racing machinery means that I immediately dream and salivate over the possibility of owning something as cool as Billy Moffitt’s “Bottoms Up” dragster wheelstander. The car has been parked for a few years but I saw it run several times when it was active and the thing puts on a heck of a show.
Like most wheelstanders, power comes from an alcohol burning, big block Chevy engine. That engine is obviously mounted at the back of the car, which makes sense for this combo because it is a rear engine dragster looking machine.
One of the things that makes this car truly unique are the wheels and tires on the rear of it. The large diameter wheels and short sidewall slicks were actually developed to be used on fuel cars with the hopes of reducing tire shake by stiffening the sidewall and not allowing the tire to wrap up on itself. The experiement may be reduced tire shake, but it exponentially increased tire spin on those cars so it was scrapped and apparently Moffitt came into a stash of them! In his ad he claims that he has spares, which is good because once they are gone, you’ll never find another slick to fit those massive rear wheels!
I do not know the best ET and MPH this car has run, but with a strong motor and a driver with balls of steel, it should haul the mail. Most wheelstanders are trucks or other short wheelbase machines (aside from Ken Nelson’s mammoth Cool Bus), this one is certainly not that. Danny O’Day is recognized as the quickest wheelstander in the world currently. He has been into the 8.40s at more than 160mph in a ’34 Ford bodied machine. This may be just the ticket to challenging him for the crown!
RacingJunk Find: The Bottoms Up Dragster Wheelstander
Brian,
Thanks so much for the ink. You are a good guy and I love this site.
M&H has the mold for the back tires so they are still available.
Keep up the good work.
Billy