This month, the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Hustler 1 and Chrisman #25 dragster thanks to the kind donation of Bill Lindig and Family.
For the first time in one place these two legendary Chrisman racers will be on display as well as the Jack Chrisman '29 Sedan, the Chrisman Bonneville Coupe, and Chet Herbert's "Beast III" Streamliner.
Hot rodding runs thick in the Chrisman family blood. Art, brother Lloyd and father Evert operated the Chrisman & Sons Garage in Compton, CA and produced many legendary cars of the 1950s. Art became one of the five charter members of the 200 MPH Club after driving Chet Herbert's Streamliner 235.991 mph in 1952. In 1953, Art driving his famed #25 dragster, was the first drag racer to exceed 140 mph, and made the first run at the first NHRA Nationals in 1955. The Hustler 1 won the Best Engineered Car award at the 1958 Nationals, appeared on the cover of the January 1959 issue of Hot Rod Magazine, and a month later recorded the sport's first 180-mph run with a 181.81 blast on the back straight of Riverside Raceway and used those runs as a catalyst to win the 1959 Smokers Meet in Bakersfield. Art's Uncle Jack Chrisman won the 1961 NHRA World Championship and pioneered the fuel Funny Car.
Today, Art can still be found building engines at the Chrisman Auto Rod Specialties shop with his son Mike. Chrisman is also an avid Hot Rod Reunion follower and one of the original Cacklefest drivers.
Photographs courtesy of Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum/Greg Sharp Collection.