Nick Brook Langham writes

Winter is always a busy time for racers, be it with updates or for some trying to get their new car complete and ready for the up and coming season.

Within the Gasser Circus ranks, upgrades are taking place to almost every car from the 2021 season, but for this update we will focus on 3 new cars which are nearing completion, and one late comer to the party. Each of the cars have something in common apart from being Gassers, and that is make and model as each one is an Austin Dorset

First up is the chopped Dorset of Joanne Hollamby, if the name sounds familiar that is because she is the wife of Gasser Circus racer Jason Hollamby who campaigns ‘Jumpin Jalapeno’. I have a feeling when Joanne’s is finished, she may have to remind Jason which gasser is his. The Dorset was originally imported by Russ Pepper who had planned to build a race car and race in the Gasser Circus, but with that car getting closer to completion, Russ decided to sell on his project. The Dorset now has a very healthy and very new Small Block Chevy all the way from Norway sat between the chassis rails, which has been on the dyno and produced 580 bhp @ 6,7000 rpm. As I write this the car will be heading into the paint booth and will emerge metallic green and will be called ‘Wicked Witch’. Look out for this husband and wife team racing each other in the Gasser Circus this year.

The second Dorset will be driven by its owner multiple Gasser Circus Champion Sean ‘Chili’ Milsom. Sean is normally seen behind the wheel of his 1947 Morris Van ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’ but this time the Small Block Ford in his Morris has been has been somewhat overtaken by a Blown Big Block Chevy in his new Dorset race car. The engine has been put together by John Wright and will shortly be run up on the dyno.

The Dorset was located by Sean via Racing Junk in 2014. The car turns out to have an interesting racing past through several owners, going back to the 60s. When it arrived in the UK it had a decent engine in the form of a 383 Chevy, but with a Toyota front clip was not Gasser Circus compliant. So while Tony Pearson and Drew Mason junked that setup in favour of a tube axle, all three decided an upgrade in the engine department and back end was also in order. The zoom style headers are the cherry on the cake and Sean hopes to have these warming the Santa Pod air later in the season.

The final Dorset of the 3 Musketeers is the one I am building. This one beginning its life as a Street Rod in the 80s, before Andy Robinson created a Pro Mod for its then owner Andy Cobb. The unfinished car eventually sold to Matt Whittaker, who like Sean had a car that was not Gasser Circus compliant. The answer was to remove the heavily modified body from the tube chassis that Andy had created, sell on the chassis and have a new box one built for the car, by Zane Llewellyn. The body was taken care of by Merv Barnett and he returned it back to stock, a huge undertaking. Then with the project a roller, Matt made the decision to sell, and that is where I came in. The Dorset under my ownership has been into the workshop of Tony Pearson for a full roll cage, steel panel interior, brakes, headers etc. Currently the car is going into paint with Phil Norman and Neil Melliard and if life continues as normal should be out later in the season.

At this rate we will have 6 Austin Devon or Dorset’s racing in the Circus, with news of another one just purchased in California and heading to the Gasserville workshop of owner John Gumble and Tom Margesson. This one destined for 2023, but for now, it looks like being a stellar season for the Gasser Circus. We will catch up with some of the other cars in another post.

Gasser Circus – Racing the Dream