The 302 gmc engine was the king of the drag strip and salt flats in 1953 and 1954. It was one of the largest displacement overhead valve gas engines of the early 50s. There were other large engines out there, but it was hard to get a Packard or Cadillac V8. In contrast, the 302 was readily available in dump trucks... although I'm not sure if the early hotrodders stole the engines from them, or got them legitimately from the gmc dealership.
