Art Chrisman's '52 Ford
We learned Hemi-powered Ford F-1s are nothing new at CARS when we shot Sonny Goulet's Chrisman-built '51 F-1 for this month's cover. The '52 F-1 Art's brother bought brand-new was the Chrisman brother's push truck right from the get-go. In 1955 when the Chrismans took the first NHRA Nationals in Great Bend, Indiana, the prize was a brand-new 354-inch Chrysler Hemi engine. Art and his brother hauled the '56 Hemi motor back home to California in the back of the F-1, and then stuffed it under the trusty Ford's hood before the next race. Art told us one time up at Bakersfield after the March Meet, they were ready to go home and had the dragster loaded up on the trailer and hooked to the F-1 when he got a wild hair and blasted the whole kit and caboodle down the strip right through the traps. When Art got out of the F-1 he heard from what he thought was a deserted dragstrip: "Art Chrisman, please come to the tower." Art soon learned the officials were still in the tower and saw the whole thing. Art got chewed-out for the stunt because if anything had happened, the insurance company would flip. After the stern (wink-wink) reprimand, Art was told the Firepowered F-1 ran 92 mph loaded!