From Hot Rod, November 1975
“They all laughed when Gapp & Roush first fielded this 4-door Maverick, but not anymore. Wayne Gapp drove it to his third straight NHRA Pro Stock title of the season after qualifying with a 8.85 for third sport, beating Lamar Walden, Reid Whisnant, Lee Edwards, Low Qualifier Wally Booth and Richie Zul’s fantastic big-block Camaro on the final, 8.83 to 8.95.”
I wouldn’t mind ordering a couple of these. Too bad they couldn’t spell Roush’s name right.
A rat motored Maverick? Hmmm…. See what the rules drove people to? This is rumored to have been a 427.
Agent 1320 spotted Gapp & Roush in a motel parking lot the day after Pomona and snapped this flick of the Ford boys putting an honest-to-goodness big block Chevy between the rails of their 4-door Maverick.
After track tests were delayed first by a water leak, then bent pushrods, and finally five straight days of rain (ending LA’s longest dry spell in 20 years), G & R decided to call it quits and returned home to ready their new Pinto for Florida. Gapp said they’d renew their rat motor wringout after the IHRA race in Miami.
Drag News readers voted WG the ‘1974 Driver of the Year’.
The image below is one of several congratulating him.
From late 1973 to late 1975 WG was on a roll. Won this race. 
I can see it now. “Get this crap out of here!”
My guess is that this is late 1975.
Another great shot of the Maverick showing the front and doors off.
Not many folks get a win at NHRA’s U.S. Nationals. It is considered THE race of the year.
This is from the July 25th 1975 Issue of National Dragster. See the original entry here.
Pro Stock
Of all the evening’s winners, few enjoyed the ceremonies more than Wayne Gapp, the man who has been a frontrunner all year, but seemingly had some trouble with coming through in the final rounds. After losing the Winternationals to Bob Glidden on a holeshot and then fouling to Glidden in the Gatornationals final, Gapp admittedly had been the subject of criticism within the ranks as for his driving expertise, but the skeptics were silenced at this race as he came through in flying colors via a solid trouncing of Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins (8.80 to an 8.93) to claim the win and stop Jenkins’ own personal three-event winning streak at Summernationals events.
A major factor behind the Gapp & Roush win was their frantic engine change between the second and third rounds. After hitting an 8.96 in the first round, Gapp slowed to 9.03 in the second, and concluded that his engine had “gone south.” The subsequent engine change brought forth a resounding 8.84 in the semi’s, setting the stage for his 8.80 thrashing of “the Grump.” The 8.80 was, of course, Low E.T. of the Meet and also a new National Record. Jenkins did have the consolation of setting Top Speed with a clocking of 154.90 mph.
This is how I picture my Dad. Makin’ sure that things are going just the way he wants. He’s the guy on the left. Great shot of the Maverick at the 32081 Schoolcraft shop.
Nice clean shot of the front end of the Maverick showing the engine and the ‘famous’ exhaust plates.
