Drag Boats of the 1960s Photo Archive

by Don Edwards, Barry McCown, Bob Silva

The time has come to chronicle a photo archival book of Drag Boats of the 1960s aptly named “The Rebel Decade.” This was the birth of “whip-start” dragsters which led to today's organized drag boat racing. Recognized and featured are those racing legends like Larry Schwabenland, Ray Caselli, Gary Gabelich, Dwight Bale, hot boat builders like Rich Hallett, “Sanger Jack” Davidson, Rudy Raymos, engine builders Keith Black, Dave Zeuschel, Ed Pink, Louis Unser and many others who reigned in their heyday. These mavericks dared to mix unleashed speed-on-the-water with smoke and fire, thunderous nitro or powerful blown gas while avoiding the moment when their boat could take a deadly spin, nose dive or flight—many failed. Drag Boats of the 1960s Photo Archive is a team effort by many of those who were there; only they could have created this riveting history on the fastest, most exciting and dangerous era in water sports.

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2008