Richard Petty lapped the field and was the only car that completed 200 laps. Darel was 3 laps down in 7th.
I walked up to Super Tex many years ago at one of the Nascar races I worked and told him that, "I want to shake the hand of the worlds greatest driver", he didn't argue the point. The press kit that they used back then had the old story about a driver dieing and going to heaven and seeing a #14 running around the track and saying that he didn't know A.J. had died, the angel escorting him around said that's God, he thinks he is A.J. Foyt.
Yeah, I believe that. As far as he was concerned you were right. He was certainly far more colorful than Donahue. I really liked his "take no shit from anyone" attitude. Sure was a different time.
This picture sent to me by C5HM shows the diversity of what was worked on in their massive shop. You can even see a boat. You don't see many pictures of Junior Johnson's '65 Holly Farms Ford, I believe the last car he drove.
Here's Fred Lorenzen at a special match race driving Phil Bonner's "lender" car in 1964. If I'm not mistaken this car was an automatic. I'm not sure of the location ... could be anywhere down South ,,, Cumming. GA would be my guess. Photo source unknown. Joel
The great thing about posting here is if you are or might be wrong someone will probably correct you. You might be right about the Junior Johnson Ford Joel but I don't think the mystery man is A.J. Allmendinger. He is not even from Texas..................just kidding.
When Charlotte Motor Speedway ran drag races on pit road I was there when Lorenzen drove Bonner's car. Junior Johnson was driving Bondy Long's T-Bolt. Don't remember who beat who but Fred told me one time his got his start in racing drag racing.
Allmendinger is a good driver though ... ! I agree 100% that's the great thing about these threads, the exchange of information. There is never any animosity or one-upsmanship in my posts ... I hope they don't come across that way. I've always had a thirst for all these details of auto racing history. Joel
I didn't know Bondy Long had a T-Bolt. I've never seen a picture of it. I'd love to see pictures of those Charlotte drag races ... also they ran at Atlanta too if I'm not mistaken, even back in '63. A.J. Foyt did some early drag racing also ... in a belly tank type dragster. Foyt has won in just about every form of racing ... hard to beat that. I seem to recall Foyt winning a sprint car race the night before the Indy 500 ... that says something in my book. Back to Holman-Moody. Joel
Not the Banana car. Just a regular H&M Galaxie...but pretty cheated up at that. By '66 Ralph and the crew were laying the windshields back a right smart amount.
This is the original unrestored Fairlane Fred Lorenzen drove. I took this picture at Holman & Moody a month ago.
That's chassis # C7HM-10099. It is the only H&M Fairlane that I know to still exist as a Fairlane. It is really a time piece car.
What's the story of the Banana car? I'm assuming that liberties were taken to make it slippery, which was common practice then, but I've never heard of it. Any pics of it? Kevin
IIRC , the windshield was laid WAAY back , the top was chopped about 4" and the front fenders were angled down about 2"
The car was way tricked out. Junior had a fat girl sit on the hood (a reaaaaalllly fat girl). He kicked the rear end up four or five inches to turn the whole derned trunk into a spoiler and then he slammed the whole roof lead sled style. She wasn't pretty. But she was fast. A replica of that car now belongs to Vic Edelbrock.
I was coming of age around these cars. They made a name for several people in NHRA as well as NASCAR. Those people moved on, but the cars turned bizarre still racing on 1,000 ft or "3/16" outlaw strips around the hills. An otherwise untold story that's just becoming popular in places like the altered wheelbase forum or Magnante's new book on the subject. Tom S. in Tn.
i haven't heard of magnate's book , tom . what's his full name and the title of the book ? i also didn't know there was an altered wheelbase forum on the HAMB . i hope i can find it [ i'm basically computer illiterate ... i hate these things !! ] .
thanx again to claymore for sending me the link to the altered wheelbase thread . much appreciated . jack edit - now can anyone tell me about magnate's book ?
Bookmark 'em Jack AWB thread. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=393460&highlight=old+farts+drag+racing Thunderbolt thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=136384 S/S-F/X thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=247089&highlight=super+stock+1962 Modified coupes and sedans http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=174989&highlight=modifieds Drag Cars in Motion http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=228509&highlight=drag+cars+in+motion Vintage Sprint Car Thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236178
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