CLASS RACER FORUM - Gasser Legend K.S. Pittman

Thanks for that very nice photo retrospective! Pittman-Edwards were my first "heroes," and were one of the most formidable, "dominating" teams out there in the early sixties. I think they were largely responsible for the entire blown Gasser movement that led to Funny Cars.

They were nearly unstoppable in the early days, with their Olds-powered, Hydramatic-equipped cars. They took the automatic transmission from its lowly status as a "slush-box" laughing stock, to a place of dignity and respect, and along with B & M, made it a nearly universal piece of drivetrain equipmemt on supercharged Gassers.

John Edwards was a genius with Jimmy-blown Olds "Rockets," and wasn't afraid of innovation. Realizing that wheelspin was the enemy of a fast 60-foot time with a Hydro, Pittman-Edwards once built a '42 Willys coupe that weighed 3,600 pounds!!! LOL!!!

John Edwrds passed on a few years back, largely unhearlded, but he was as much a part of this team's early success as K.S. was, I believe.

R.I.P., K.S., and John!!!