Page 27 - Nitro Madness Magazine Fall 2017
P. 27
Story by Hal Sanguinetti • Photos by Bob Snyder
Without exception, Fuel Altereds these creations, but today there are With events that compete on a full
are some of the most exciting only a few left. quarter mile, the nitro percentage is
cars in all of motorsports. Their limited to help keep parity between
personality, color schemes and In the mid 2000’s, having been the cars.
design set them apart from every asked by multiple tracks in the
Based in the Southwest, this
other type of racing vehicle. Hot Southwest about booking-in altereds year the WFA will have events in
as additional entertainment to
rodders created this phenomenon
during the 1950s by bolting large the main show, all events were Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.
by invitation only. As these races
The series usually holds about 6
V8-engines into small compact gained in popularity, it was decided races a year with a series champion
type cars. As time passed both the that the class should be opened up crowned each year. Previous
chassis and engines became more for others to participate. champions include Jim Maroney,
sophisticated. By the 1970’s the Dean Oberg, Eric Gates, Lyle
cars were reaching speeds of over In 2010 the Western Fuel Altereds Greenburg and Mitch Bowen.
200 mph in the quarter mile. The (WFA) organization was created
fans loved these high horsepower, by Jim Maroney. Although mostly The WFA does not run on an
unpredictable machines. During consisting of blown alcohol cars, index. They compete on a heads-up,
their zenith, there were hundreds of nitromethane is also allowed. first one to the finish line format.
DEAN OBERG
Fall 2017 Nitro Madness Magazine 27
