Dragstrip Hotrodders (1963) comic books 1963

Cover by Dick Giordano. Stories and art by Jack Keller and others. Drama on the racetrack, in the pits, and behind the scenes. The series opens with a dramatic retelling of a real-life moment in racing history: In the 1950s, dragstrip pioneer AK Miller builds a racer out of an Oldsmobile engine, a 1950 Ford chassis, and a 1927 Model T Ford body for La Carrera Panamericana, a race that spans the entire length of Mexico. In 1954 he takes fifth place with the vehicle, called "Ensalada" by the locals because it was a "salad" of parts. Jimmy tries to join the hot-rod club at his new high school, but the others disdain his "creampuff" of a vehicle... until they see it race. Clean-cut hot-rodder Matt is targeted by the J. Jonah Jameson-like Oliver, who wants to see him in jail. Plus a text piece that explores what driving on America's highways was like in 1963. Hot Rod at the Panam; Creampuff Jockey; The Old Man in the Pit; Road Characters; Smash-Up; The Lawbreakers. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.12.