A drag-racing gasser got its name from competing in a gasoline-fueled class.
Gassers emerged in the United States during the late 1950s and became prominent through the 1960s. Their name distinguished them from “fuel” classes that used methanol or nitromethane, especially as drag racing developed increasingly specialized categories.
These cars were usually production-based hot rods with substantial performance modifications. Builders removed weight, installed larger or more powerful engines, and often used superchargers or mechanical fuel injection. Raised front ends helped shift weight rearward during hard acceleration, creating the tall, instantly recognizable gasser stance.
The word “gasser” does not mean the car was merely gas-powered in the everyday sense; nearly all ordinary cars used gasoline. It referred specifically to the racing class and its contrast with alcohol- and nitromethane-burning competitors. NHRA eliminated the formal gas classes in 1972, but the gasser style remains a major part of drag-racing history.