Vehicle Description
Up for sale is George Weiler's Smarty Pants front engine dragster.
This car holds national records from 1964-1965 and ran 9.5's at 150
+ mph. It competed at Maple Grove, Vargo and Hatfiled, all where
George was a prominent figure. It also ran at the Indy Nationals in
1964. It was in the Top Eliminator class at Maple Grove. The
fastest E.T. was 8.51 � at Maple Grove, but was unofficial. It is
period correct restored and sounds great at the cacklefest! It has
a small block 383ci Chevrolet V8 engine with a 3-speed manual
transmission, Hilborn stack injection, Eelco tank and 18-inch
magnesium wheels. The seat and seat belts are original.
This dragster starts and runs. A rare chance to own a piece of
history.
A little about George Weiler. He was one of many Eastern Car Club
Association members who agreed to approach Alfred Stauffer in 1961
with the idea that Stauffer should consider building a drag strip
on his land at Maple Grove Park in Pennsylvania. It was Weiler
himself who knocked on Mr. Stauffer's door and presented the
concept but that was only the start of George Weiler's involvement
with what would become Maple Grove Raceway. George befriended Mr.
Stauffer and earned the trust of the Stauffer family including
Stauffer sons Roy and John who took on the project with their
excavation equipment. By August 1962, initial paving allowed for
1/5 mile drag racing on a narrow 30' strip of asphalt but George
continued to advise the Stauffer family and by 1964 the track was
lengthened and widened to its current profile for full quarter mile
championship drag racing.
Weiler was nationally known as an engine builder and tuner winning
the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals with many of his customers' and
his own dragsters. He joined the Dodge/Plymouth factory team in
1965 as tuner for Bud Faubel's "Honker" Dodge and many other
factory race cars using the Maple Grove strip as his testing
facility. He built numerous cars including a Pro Stock Camaro in
his Birdsboro race shop and competed well into the 1980s.
George Weiler seldom missed a major event at Maple Grove and
attended every Awards Banquet through 2016 before health problems
limited his travel.
Maple Grove Raceway has entertained motorsports enthusiasts from
across the globe for the past 55 years but may not exist today
without the initiative of George Weiler in 1961. The Stauffer
Family is planning a permanent memorial to honor the lifetime
contributions of George Weiler and expresses its condolences to
George's friends and family. We've all lost a great champion.
At 17, Pennsylvania native George Weiler went to work at
Beckersville Garage, honing his mechanical and welding skills, and
in 1960, he and fellow members of the Eastern Custom Car
Association were instrumental in creating Maple Grove Raceway. In
2004, he was inducted into the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame
and the Maple Grove Walk of Fame.
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 100 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. A 450 barn find
collection is currently on display.
This vehicle is in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania,
conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76
Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and
our phone number is (610) 628-2262. Please contact us anytime for
more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
