There are certain classes of cars that garner a special type of respect in drag racing. Some people love the smell of nitro in the morning, while others need their fix with giant horsepower cars on small tires. A class that can combine the nitro experience with the excitement that small tire racing provides are the AA/Fuel Altereds. Drivers of these beasts are one part pilot, one part rodeo rider in a car that is more like a go-kart with a blower motor strapped to it.
The first Fuel Altereds started showing up at drag strips in the 1960’s, using a tube-style chassis that looked like a shortened dragster these cars were, and still are very light. Different types of fiberglass bodies were used that looked like old Fiats or a bantam roadster. The power plant for these guided missiles varied in brand, but always had a big old supercharger on them. Drag racing legends like Wild Willy Borsch and Rich Guasco were some of the fuel altered pioneers. These guys drove famous cars like the Winged Express and Pure Hell all across the country to the delight of fans.
You can still find the classic Fuel Altereds being driven at nostalgia events in the same trim they wore back in the day, however, there are some that race more modern versions of these wild rides like the Outlaw Fuel Altered Association and the like. Even with the modern technology we have these cars are still a handful to drive. Anytime you mix together big horsepower, nitro, and a light weight chassis, things can get sideways quick. In this video from the Alaska Raceway Park, racer Marty Bodenstadt gets more than he bargained for as he pilots the “Spare Parts” Fuel Altered. Bodenstadt’s machine drifts to the right of the groove just off the starting line, causing the right rear slick to spin while the left is still hooked up, sending the altered hard into the retaining barrier and side-over-side before it comes to rest. The Alaskan Grizzly team, which fields both cars, had GoPro cameras mounted on both cars, giving those of us at home a white-knuckle ride with Bodenstadt.