Butch Maas, a former NHRA Winternationals winner and a driver of numerous Top Fuelers and Funny Cars in a two-decade career, died Nov. 2 of cancer.

Maas began racing while he was in the U.S. Navy, stationed in San Diego. On weekend furloughs, he and his high-school friend, the late 1966 U.S. Nationals Top Fuel champ Mike Snively, raced each other at Cotton Dragstrip. Eventually, Maas got a chance to drive his first real race car, the Norm Porter-tuned, Dodge-powered, Jerry Howard-owned altered roadster. While still in the Navy, Maas began to drive other fast cars, including the Scotty’s Muffler and the Highland Speed Center roadsters and Sam Rose’s Jr. Fuel dragster, although Navy superiors frowned on the endeavors. Maas got in trouble after he crashed the Rose dragster at San Fernando Raceway while racing Danny Ongais’ Top Gas dragster and suffered a broken left arm, but it did not discourage him.

Butch Maas, a former NHRA Winternationals winner and a driver of numerous Top Fuelers and Funny Cars in a two-decade career, died Nov. 2 of cancer.

Maas began racing while he was in the U.S. Navy, stationed in San Diego. On weekend furloughs, he and his high-school friend, the late 1966 U.S. Nationals Top Fuel champ Mike Snively, raced each other at Cotton Dragstrip. Eventually, Maas got a chance to drive his first real race car, the Norm Porter-tuned, Dodge-powered, Jerry Howard-owned altered roadster. While still in the Navy, Maas began to drive other fast cars, including the Scotty’s Muffler and the Highland Speed Center roadsters and Sam Rose’s Jr. Fuel dragster, although Navy superiors frowned on the endeavors. Maas got in trouble after he crashed the Rose dragster at San Fernando Raceway while racing Danny Ongais’ Top Gas dragster and suffered a broken left arm, but it did not discourage him.

At the 1963 Bakersfield March Meet, Maas was introduced to Jim Bush, part owner of the Texas-based Bush & Payne Top Fuel dragster, and once he began driving that car, he never drove anything that didn’t have a supercharger on it.

Maas also wheeled the Redd-Nelson-Spratt Savage, Bill Martin’s 400 Jr., and Bill Crossley’s Crusader Top Fuelers. He also drove for Larry Stellings, Tony Waters, the Berry brothers, Bob Creitz and Ed Donovan.

Maas also could list Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, and Mickey Thompson as employers as he drove briefly for all three. In 1970, Maas wheeled Prudhomme’s U.S. Nationals-winning dragster to a 6.68 for the No. 1 Top Fuel spot at the inaugural NHRA Supernationals at Ontario Motor Speedway. He later drove Thompson’s Pontiac Grand Am Funny Car to a low-qualifying 7.18 at the 1973 Winternationals, and that summer, Maas wheeled Garlits’ “Jocko” Johnson-designed Top Fuel streamliner at Orange County Int’I Raceway in AHRA Grand American competition.

Maas’ career highlight no doubt was winning the 1971 Winternationals Funny Car title. At that event, he drove Roland Leong’s Hawaiian Dodge Charger (below) to low e.t. and top speed of the class in a final-round 6.93, 212.76 win over Leroy Goldstein and the Ramchargers Dodge Challenger.

Maas suffered significant burns in Thompson’s car at the 1973 Gatornationals, then returned later to drive the Funny Car of Al Bergler and Billy Smallwood and the Rossi & Lisa rear-engine Top Fueler before retiring.

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