"Showdown at Indy" is the dynamic follow-up to artist James Ibusuki's long sold out lithograph "Duel at the Beach." That 1993 painting portrayed a Lions Drag Strip match race between the supercharged gassers of "Big John" Mazmanian and Stone-Woods-Cook. Here, Ibusuki returns to the classic Willys coupes that defined drag racing's legendary "Gasser Wars."

"Showdown at Indy" captures the fierce East vs. West rivalry for A/Gas Supercharged supremacy at the 1964 NHRA Nationals — the only annual opportunity for Eastern teams to challenge their Western counterparts. The Willys coupes of perennial favorites "Ohio George" Montgomery and Doug "Cookie" Cook had a virtual stranglehold on the Indy A/GS class from 1959 to 1966. Fueled by outrageous trade paper ads leading up to the Nationals, the huge Indy crowd was full of anticipation by the time these two archrivals pulled up to the starting line.

Ibusuki's dramatic painting depicts the biggest race of that entire Labor Day weekend as Montgomery's diminutive '33 coupe roars down the sun-baked asphalt against Cook's feared '41. "Ohio George", ever the purist, carried the word

"immaculate" to such an extreme that he left his own name off the car! His stark, powder-blue coupe contrasted sharply with the glamorous, gold-leaf lettered "Black Widow" from California. Powered by a high-winding small block Chevy, Montgomery pulled a masterful holeshot. The Midwestern crowd exploded into cheers when George crossed the finish line before the Hemi-equipped Cook could run him down. (S-W-C would prove their mettle by returning to take the 1965 title, defeating Mazmanian.)

Alas, the classic Willys bodies were destined to disappear from A/GS — helped along by Montgomery himself, who would shock the establishment by winning the 1967 Nationals in a sleek Ford Mustang. Nevertheless, the popularity of these pre-war coupes has never diminished. Celebrate the legendary Gasser Wars with this very special museum-quality lithograph. The image area is 14"x 34" with ample borders for framing.

The edition of 1320 prints is autographed by George Montgomery, signed and numbered by the artist. Certificate of authenticity included.