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Stone Woods & Cooke Gasser, 392 Hemi/1247 HP
Popularized in the 1950s, gassers were as
big a draw in their heyday as were the later funny cars, and as the
funnies eclipsed the old rods many gasser pilots made the change to
a more modern approach. One literally very colorful example is the
1968 Corvette-bodied AA/GS match racer campaigned by Steve Korney
under the Stone Woods & Cook banner in the early 70s.
The car’s history actually reaches back to the heyday of the
barnstorming gasser matchracers, when it was known in its previous
incarnation as “Goldfinger”, an injected Hemi-powered 1949 Anglia.
Sponsored by Lear Stereo and driven by talented owner-builder Korney,
the little Pop was famous for its flamboyant paint job and
ambulatory light and sound system. The car was a stellar NHRA
Winternationals Champion in both 1968 and ’69 before shedding its
aging skin and receiving a slick new stretched Corvette wrapper. The
new Vette match-raced across the country wearing the Stone Woods &
Cooke livery against “Ohio” George Montgomery, K.S. Pittman, “Big
John” Mazmanian and other modernized gas racers. The car ran a best
time of 8.20-172mph on gas and 6.70-227 on nitro.
Korney retired the car after the 1975 season, storing it in Norwalk,
California, but kept it fresh for thirty years by regularly firing
it up and running it through the gears. He sold the car in 2006, and
it has now been completely restored to Korney’s great appreciation.
All the car’s original components have been retained; with the
exception of a new paint job that recreates the original, it is
exactly as it was raced as the SW&C Corvette, including its original
392 Hemi punched out to 454 cubes.
With vintage and nostalgia drags surging in popularity, new
generations of fans will welcome the return of the Stone Woods &
Cooke AA/GS Corvette gasser.
Highlights:
- Stone Woods & Cooke team AA/GS Corvette flip-top gasser
- Formerly the "Goldfinger" 327 Chevy-powered Anglia gasser
- Class Winner, NHRA Winternationals, 1968-1969
- Preserved by builder Steve Korney for 35 years
- Original chassis by NHRA legend Chuck Finders
- 392-based 454/1247 HP Chrysler Hemi
- Hampton blower
- B&M Torqueflite transmission
- Hydraulic throttle mechanism
- Sliding rear assembly
- Original wheels and braking system
- Newly recreated SW&C paint scheme
- Completely documented
- Campaigned for "Stone, Woods, and Cooke" in "match races"
throughout America
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