colecoonce’s NITRONIC RESEARCH

“Wild Bill” Alexander, Ernie Alvarado,  their Shudder Bug crew and trophy girl, San Fernando Raceway, 1963. (photog unknown)

More of the Shudder Bug at Fernando: “Wild Bill” Alexander leaving the line at “The Pond,” 1963. (photo by Dave Wallace, Sr.)

photo by Dave Wallace, Sr.

Here is some gratuitous eye-candy for the web-surfing nitromaniac: Attached is some of the images used to illustrate the upcoming collection of drag racing essays, Top Fuel Wormhole (release date April 6th).

To start: the cover, designed by Andy Takakjian:

Next, we have some art for the title page. This is a scan of a postcard sent to the author by indie-rocker, folk-artist Jack Logan:

postcard by Jack Logan

To illustrate the “business page” (the part that gives the book’s isbn number and Library of Congress reference), we used a shot of “Techno Tim” Gibson boiling the hides in Frank “Root Beer” Hedge’s badass Mastercam AA/Fuel Dragster. Check it:

"Techno Tim" Gibson (photo by Cole Coonce)

For the story entitled “Death On A Sunday Afternoon & The Whine Of Blowers Over The Pacoima Arroyo,” and to drive home the point about the poignancy off hearing Top Fuel dragsters off in the distance at San Fernando Raceway, KeroseneBomb Publishing was granted access to some Polaroids by Dave Wallace, Sr. This is a pic of “Wild Bill” Alexander in the Ernie’s Camera (a k a “Shudderbug”) slingshot fueler:

photo by Dave Wallace, Sr. c/o hotrodnostalgia.com

(photo courtesy of Hot Rod Nostalgia)

Connelly & Coonce Jr. Gas Dragster, Lions Drag Strip 1968

Top Fuel Wormhole can be purchased at amazon.com, lulu.com and from the Kerosenebomb.com website. -30-