I know Carl Battis and I've raced against him in Division 7 in recent years. He's a good guy and I certainly hope that information leading to the recovery of his property is forthcoming. Please note that his car was a very clean and well-prepared piece. When the parts begin to appear for sale, they should be striking in quality and appearance. Chuck
Follow-up to stolen Camaro alert: Nov 6, 2013 6:20CST Update First off, I want to thank everybody who has called, emailed, texted etc. over the past few days to offer help or condolences. The drag racing community is special in that way - who else would loan parts to their next round opponent just because they are in need? Certainly not the norm in today's world - and it makes me proud to be a part of the drag racing community. The trailer was recovered yesterday morning by the Grand Prairie, TX police department. I checked it out this morning at the impound lot - a bittersweet experience to be sure. All the good stuff is gone - my beautiful B/SA Camaro, the Honda Q3500 generator, a brand new transmission from Remac (thanks Leo - sorry I never got to run it!), a set of S&M lifters etc......you get the idea. So now I have a trailer that needs a bunch of repair from the butchery inflicted to open it up and strip it - and no car to haul around or race. Detectives from several cities are coordinating the investigation as my car was taken by a well-known set of thieves who have been very busy in this area the last month. Let's hope they can find the car before too long. In the meantime I have offered a substantial - no questions asked - $$ reward for the return of the car. I am hopeful that somebody knows somebody who knows somebody who can figure out a way to get the car out of hiding and returned in order to collect the reward. I just want to go racing again in my car. So, the car and/or its components are still out there, likely in the Dallas area. Any help will be appreciated. c
Chuck, Can you get a list of some of the major driveline components that we might be watching out for on Ebay, HAMB and Craigslist?
Carl has not provided a list of specific parts but he posted pictures of his car and its engine at the following site: <http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=50216&page=2> From the pictures posted on Classracer.com I believe that an MSD Digital 7 ignition box is mounted in front of the shifter. The cast aluminum valve covers are relatively unique with the attachment of twin PCVs. The intake would probably be the most recently released version of the GM #163 big block aluminum. The heads are probably Edelbrock aluminum since that is the only superseded number that will pass tech. The carb is a derivative of the original Holley for a 375 horsepower, 396. So many parts have been superseded into the "approved" list over the past 10 years that it's sometimes difficult to make a guess as to what specific parts he was running. Based on the statements in Carl's most recent post, it sounds as if local law enforcement is closing in on an active cell of thieves in that area of Texas. Thanks for asking. c
I bought the car from Jim probably about 10 years ago. I put the car back into yellow from the brown Jim had painted it and then had the lettering added. My goal was to save the car from being turned into a street rod like is the fate of so many other old race cars. I had all the original history, news clippings, pics and trophies that Jim had kept as I felt they should go with the car. We copied all the paper history for Jim to keep as a record of his achievements. Later I sold the car to a guy in Phoenix who started to race it again. It turned the same times that Jim had recorded all those years before. For some reason the new owner did some modifications to the dash by removing the oil and water gauges and placing them in an under dash panel and he states he rebuilt the motor. When I got the car it had been fitted with a 4 speed. I installed the 3 speed overdrive. Eventhough I doubt it came with the overdrive, it made the car more streetable since it ran 4.56 gears and it was more authentic with the 3 speed. I didn't really want to sell it but, at the time, I was in mid-restoration of Gene Moody's "Moody's Garage" gasser and that was my prime focus financially. The new owner later sold it at Barrett-Jackson and it went to Ralph Whitmore for his car collection/museum which never happened. Last I heard was that it was sold at RM Auctions in 2009 and was I was told Ralph bought it back, but that is only hearsay. I have no idea where it is now. Unfortunately Jim passed away December 2011.
Speaking of Tri-Fives, it looks like there are 12 55-57 Chevies already signed up and confirmed for the York Show in July. There has got to be other stuff out there tucked away in garages from the 69 era. Maybe drag them out for the York show . Were going to have a blast with some surprises showing up. It's only November leaving 8 months to ready your ride. That's still plenty of time. As the post above shows, we just don't know when it's going to be time to go ....
Got my invite last week from Darwin in the mail ,went down many times with the nomad in the past,lately been going to Syracuse nats instead a couple of weeks later,more for the wife & family to do there plus less than half the distance for me. I like the drag show but after about 4 or 5 hours it gets to be boring. Mine's not a junior stocker anyway.Mod/Production
I have signed up for the York reunion my space is 116. Hope I did it correctly cause it tells me I am a vendor. Will be there for show and plan on going to Beaver for the race. Not my favorite place to race but this should be a good weekend. Getting hard to do things like this. Hope to see a bunch of Jr Stockers. Owned the car since 1978 and has been garaged and raced since then. Sorry it is not done up like it was in the 60's when it was Doc's Delivery and a Record Holder. But it has the History. Did not know back then this would be big as big as it is now. All I new that I loved the Jr Stockers more than anything when I was a kid and I vowed to put one together. Thanks for allowing me on the site.
Thanks for the info. I tried e mailing Jim a while back when all the junior stock stuff was being posted but came up blank. Now I know why. Do you know anything of his wife and kids?
Larry, yes it does have the history, that's for sure! Thanks for posting this. There will be 6 Deliveries at York that I know of now and it's only November. It's going to be a great time and they'll be a ton of guys who raced in the day coming by. Based upon the picture you attached with the car leaving so hard I will be ducking you in the staging lanes. Just sayin. Thanks for the post, see you at York. Thanks.
A few pages back we discussed the "Spin start". Here is a pic of one. notice the tires are still smoking. The pic was taken on the "upward" hop. Thank goodness that Marv Ripes got involved and made a good converter that killed this kind of thing.
Just a little OT, but has anyone heard from Tim P., who now has the "Hustlin' Hoosier", 57 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery originally built and raced by Kyle Marshall. Tim normally posts here fairly often, and makes quite a few of the races. He has't posted in a while, and has't answered my e-mail. Hope he's OK, and just too busy. Thanks, Butch/56sedandelivery.
Found this old JR stocker online it is NOT mine I have no connection to it but thought it was interesting as I had seen it in the old days at Lebanon Valley. http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=331068636643
It's for sale on here as well. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=844994 also this 63 Impala http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=845658 Sorry Butch I've been busy around here and guess it slipped my mind.
Was told maybe the guys on this thread could help me out here. Yesterday my Dad and I went out to go see one of his old friends that has a bunch of cars (including a 34 Ford 5-window he has owned since 1956) and decided to make a stop along the highway. We have both passed this place multiple times and never stopped. The guy has a bunch of bullet birds, Falcons, Comets, and even a 1961 Sunliner. All of which are sitting outside. As I was walking over to check out a 64 Comet I noticed the lettering on this 56 Chevrolet. It says along the roof 1965 NHRA NATIONAL CHAMPION. I'm not sure where to check to see if the car is in fact an actual champion. It is in a sad state as it sits. The owner tried to lay some primer on it to keep it from rusting anymore and covered up almost all of the original paint. Apparently the car was red, white, and blue from what the owner told me. He also said it was in loose hands since it's a Chevrolet and he's a Ford guy. If it is in fact the NHRA national champion what class would it be? Any info on this one?
I did not. It was very rusty and had a pretty big hole in the transmission tunnel for a floor shifter. That's all I can recall. I might swing back by in the next couple of weeks and try and get some pictures with something other than my cell phone.
Someone must have an old Hot Rod Magazine with a list of class winners from the U.S. Nationals of 1965. It was common for class winners in that era to adopt the designation "U.S. National Champion." After all, it was the biggest race of the year, every year. Probably no more than two or three '56 Chevy's won a Stock class that year. c
Ive got a 1973 Indy program that shows a Victor L Gulley from Moores Hill,in. had entered his 56 Chevy in SS/QA. He called it the Marra Kesh Express. Some guys did convert their Jr.Stockers over to SS when they changed the rules .Some changed over to Modified.Ill send a PM to Redman to see if he knows of the car.Got a friend who has a big collection of Hotrods.Will try to get 65-67 and look at the Indy class winners.It was usually in the November issue.Just read the 68 results.A whole group of stockers(13) got DQed.Cam,springs etc.
I can't be sure, but that lettering looks familiar. I'll throw this out it may help. A few years ago i may have seen that car west of Indy in a garage. Last I knew it got scraped. But you never know what happens once its hauled off. The owner painstaking removed old layers of paint to find old lettering. He claimed it was his dad's old race car. At the time I knew more details but it's been several years and it was a brief in counter. Seems that car had a name Music Man maybe not sure of class maybe M/P. Ron
If its an old Jr/Stocker someone will know. I sent a p.m. to Dick Butler and Paul Cesarine to see if they know anything. Paul can find the Nationals Class Winners list for us.
Here's the list that was in November 65 Hot Rod. Only two 65's listed in stock,Dickie Ogles and John Snyder, and one in M/P Ralph Blaschke. The gas classes only list the motor brand so it could maybe one of those classes.
The lettering says "Nationals" not "US Nationals", shouldn't we consider it a possibility of "Winter Nationals" also?
Indy was'nt called the US Nationals in 65, just The Nationals. The time slips I got with my delivery it looks like in 70 it was still called The Nationals. Anybody know when it bacame the US Nationals?
I can't help identify the 56 yet but I can tell you that Doug Kahl from Lansing Mich was the 1965 World Champion in Jr. Stock driving a 62 Plymouth Fury. And Gene Moody was the Street Eliminator World Champion in 65. Still looking. Pat
In my 1966 Nationals yearbook it has the 65 Nats coverage and it says : "Jr. Stock Eliminator honors went to Jon Callendar's 59 Chevrolet, winning a rematch over William Spankos' '55 Chev. I didn't see William Spankos listed in the stock winners posted above." OK I found that William Spankos had the "Monster Mash" car tuned by Jenkins. Pat
That's interesting since it looks like he was in I/S and the winner for that class was disqualified, he must have been the runner up and Hot Rod just did'nt report it that way.
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