"Factory Lightweights"- The Book
Our good friend, Charles Morris, has written one of the most interesting and
compelling books ever written about the sport of Drag Racing. We are fortunate to own and even offer
some of the cars described in Charlie's book. Anyone who loves the "Golden Age of Drag Racing" needs
to own the book "Factory Lightweights". We also suggest Charlie's new book "Ford Drag Team", which
goes in depth to document the careers and cars of some of the sports greatest heroes and most colorful
personalities. Morris's latest endevor is "Thunderbolt" which documents the story of what was arguably Fords'
most successful drag race car. And his book "Total Performance" has been a staple for years as it documents the
history of Ford's rise to great racing success in the early and mid sixties.
Order direct from Charles R. Morris @ 732-830-0636 or Email him @ CharlieMorris406@AOL.COM
"Factory Lightweights"
For a special time during the 1960's, competition between Detroit's car manufacturers extended to the
drag strips of America, as the Big Three (plus AMC) did everything within the limits of the rules - and,
sometimes, beyond-to outperform each other in the hope that racing success would lead to showroom sales.
For some, a properly completed option sheet was all that was needed to score a fire breathing, fiberglass-skinned
quarter mile beast. Other factory-sourced lightweights were provided secretively to select racers, sometimes
through a middleman in order to maintain "deniability" for the manufacturer. It was never a secret, however,
that factory lightweight cars were fast, as elapsed times dropped and mile-per-hour figures rose weekend after
weekend, year after year.
In Factory Lightweights: Detroit's Drag Racing Specials of the 60's, author Charles R. Morris revisits the
era's fast times and fascinating cars, providing extensive descriptions of the exclusive parts that made these cars
so unique- and so quick. He colors his text with insight into the interesting personalities of the sport and
tells stories that will make you feel like you are in the staging lanes with the racers and cars that made the
60's the most fondly remembered era of drag racing.
"Ford Drag Team"
Ford expert and veteran drag-racing author Charles R. Morris has written the definitive book covering the members of the Ford Drag Council and Drag Team of the 1960's, perhaps the most important decade in Ford performance history.
In writing Ford Drag Team, Morris performed candid, one-on-one interviews with Ford drag racing legends like our deceased heros Phil Bonner, Hubert Platt, and Bill Lawton. Other famous team members Al Joniec, Ed Terry and Randy Payne were also interviewed. Of Course, Drag Team captain Dick Brannon provided great insight into Fords racing program. Morris also collected factory documents and race reports and scoured the earth for photos and statistics to document the full story of the drag racing pioneers.
Ford Drag Team is your opportunity to get the true story, directly from those who made the history from behind the wheel and behind the scenes. You'll learn how this talented group of individuals from diverse backgrounds came together to make motorsports history that should never be forgotten.
"Total Performers"
The 1960s was arguably the most important decade for drag racing. It had exciting cars, thrilling races and most importantly,
factory participation. Among the best high-performance cars and engines were those coming from Dearborn, Michigan.
Ford Motor Company's "Total Performance Years" saw a breakthrough as drag racing helped the younger, performance- and style-conscious
consumer to begin receiving some recognition. Factory participation in drag racing pushed the envelope for
high performance developments. Ford's FE-series engine, Police Interceptor, GT 390, Single Overhead Cam, Cobra Jet, and Boss 429 are all covered in detail.
See the cars and the drivers that made them famous - Dick Brannan's Goldfinger, Bill Lawton's Mystery Mustang. "Dyno Don"
Nicholson's Eliminator Comet. Gas Ronda's stretched Mustang, Al Joniec's Batcar and more. Accomplished Journalist and
life-long Ford aficianado Charles Morris takes you back to the Total Performance Years through first-hand accounts as
well as over 400 rare photographs. A drag racer since 1966 Morris has run cars in both Stock and Super Stock classes.
He is currently the owner of the original Norristown Ford 1963 lightweight Galaxie and races the car in Nostaglia
Super Stock as part of the 422 Motorsports Drag Team. This book is a must read for all drag racing fans, not just Ford enthusiasts.
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"THUNDERBOLT"
Ford's Fairlane 427, affectionately known as the "Thunderbolt," effectively announced Ford's arrival as a serious player on the stock drag racing scene in 1964. Whereas Ford had enjoyed some success with far heavier full-sized cars and ambitious private competitors like Dick Brannan, with the Thunderbolt the Blue Oval brought Brannan into the fold and made a concerted effort to rule the quarter mile with a purpose-built, factory-supported racecar. This book tells the whole story of this landmark car.
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Charlie Morris has been a die-hard Ford fan from the day he watched the 1960 Daytona 500 and decided it was the Blue Oval for him. A long-time fan of any style of racing that Ford products participated in, his personal experiences have been in drag racing. He has raced a 1954 Ford in M/Stock and a Super Stock 1962 Ford, crewed an Alcohol Funny Car and a Pro-Stock Ford Thunderbird, and was the engine builder/crew chief for a championship-winning 1963 1/2 Nostalgia Super Stock Galaxie. He is the author of three previous books focusing on drag-racing Fords. Charlie resides in Normandy Beach, NJ, with his wife, Gale.