It was 30 years ago today I organized the Holman & Moody Reunion during Charlotte Motor Speedway World 600 Speedweeks . It was at the former Metrolina Fairgrounds. Our special guest was Fred Lorenzen who had not been to a NASCAR race since retiring nearly 20 years earlier. He brought his 16 year old son Chris who experienced for the first time how famous his father was. Fred was also reunited with one of the original 1965 Fords he raced in '65 and Chris was just amazed. Most of his crew were also reunited with Fred. There were over 100 former HM employees on hand including just announced NASCAR HOF member Waddell Wilson. It was one of the most memorable days in my life.
Fred was a great racer and a very nice guy. He was the local hot shoe in the late 50's before heading south. He said of his Nascar experience, 'I went South with nothing and I came home with nothing". I always liked asking which race win ring he was wearing when I saw him. Phil
I got in touch with Fred through Humpy Wheeler who had tried unsuccessfully to get him to a race at CMS for years. When I got in touch with Fred I mentioned I had organized a few drag race reunions and he told me he started drag racing first and Arnie Beswick was a friend. He said he was offered a ride in a dirt track car and decided to try it. "The reason I stuck with round track racing was because I took home cash instead of a trophy".
With all the attention the Ford v Ferrari movie about the 1966 24 Hours of LeMans is getting, which I am going to see with my two sons soon, I am curious if Holman & Moody will be covered accurately. They entered three GT-40s built by Shelby American but were tweaked in the H-M shop. I visited Lee Holman today and he has of course already seen the movie, which was #1 at the box office this past weekend. One of the H&M cars finished 3rd behind two of the Shelby American cars but could have easily won according to Lee. He was there working the race. If you have read this entire thread you have seen proof. I will comment on the movie and my conversation with Lee after seeing it this weekend. I believe you will find it "very interesting".
I thought the movie was well produced but like all movies "Hollywooded". Lee told me the scene where a large part of the suspension was removed and replaced in a quick pit stop was fake. He did tell me the H&M shop made changes to the disc brake pad replacements that sped up brake pad changes by several minutes over the Shelby American cars. He also said the H&M drivers were limited to 6400 rpms because the push rods could not hold up for the 2900 miles covered in the race above that. They also found out their marine cam worked much better powering off the turns. And lastly, it was their car that finished third driven by Dick Hutcherson, who was at the Holman & Moody Reunion I organized in 1988, that was asked to hold back, not Alan Miles. I posted the letter proving this on page 31 of this thread second post from the top. It also shows the Hutcherson team on a pit stop with Jimmy Tucker at the rear wheel and John Holman in the background.
There are TOO MANY people and too many details for any one movie to cover. Holman-Moody contribution was almost completely passed over except for brief mention of them using NASCAR parts on Walt Hansgen's GT40. But the movie was about Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles so that is to be expected. ETA: Phil Remington altered GT40 suspension hubs to allow disc brake pads AND rotors to be changed quickly and together saving significant pit time (FIA and Automobile Club de l'Ouest be damned lol). That was done in California and of course I never saw any of it. ETA2: The movie ignored the work done in Dallas at Carroll Shelby's dealership/race shop too. Everything was set in California but that was probably necessary to simplify the screen play.
Behind Tucker is one of the NASCAR oil coolers Phil Remington was concerned about. A Harrison/HM part iirc.
Hutcherson must have been in the loop for the planned finish - but, not likely that Leo Beebe was interested in formalities when he told Shelby the plan, and Miles needed to slow down - he certainly was not going to write a Thank-you note to Shelby/Miles
Speaking of Leo Beebe, Lee Holman told me the "strained" relationship between Beebe and Shelby portrayed in the movie was accurate. Lee and his wife entered a gala one time and Beebe and his wife were already seated. Shelby entered as Beebe invited the Holman's to join him and his wife at their table but didn't speak to Shelby.
I recently had a HM 427 motor apart to freshen up, I was amazed at the meticulous detail like each piston was cc'd and its spec's scribed into the pin boss (ie +3.55cc) and the date. I was very careful to preserve their work so the next guy to take it apart will appreciate it as much as I did, it was like jewelry in there.
Frank-Great comments, Thank you. I have not gone back and reviewed this whole thread- Is Lee in any of the old photos? Trying to speculate how old he was at that time..16? 18?
I recall a Richie Evans driving Supers at Oswego? Got killed there 30yrs ago? One of the best, I believe he had a westcoast Super too, all black and chrome, one of the most beautiful racecars ever built.
I'm not sure Richie Evans ever drove a super - I don't remember reading of it, but he was killed in a modified at Martinsville, Virginia in 1985.
Yes, I must be wrong about him in Supers. Can't be two different Evans'. I've looked but can't find anything, Google keeps taking me to the same places no matter how I word the search.
I hadn't checked this thread in a few years. Some great stuff. Frank Spittle is a prince of a man. I really enjoyed meeting and chatting with him at length at the California Hot Rod Reunion about a dozen years ago . If they ever open the border again and let me in I want to visit Holman Moody. I've met Lee at the Sema show and Ford 100th before that.
So, I am posting on here because my son texts me today to inform me he changed his major in college to mechanical engineering with a focus on motorsports. I then proceed to tell him that he would be following in the footsteps of his great grandfather whom worked at Holman Moody but not sure of the years, I am guessing the 50's, 60's etc.. I have no clue when, he passed away in 85 or 86. I decided to look up Holman Moody and sent my son the Wikipedia link so he'd have an idea of the company. I then Googled Holman Moody with my grandfathers name Jim Brown and it brought me here, I nearly teared up and got the chills. Any info or a link to the pic mentioned above to see if it is my grandfather would be awesome and greatly appreciated, if anyone is still active on this thread. I may also have to take a ride to the shop and see if they have anything from where my grandfather worked there. Last I knew my dad had ton of the "Beep Beep" stickers and an old blue and yellow Holman Moody jacket somewhere, need to see if I can get some pics and post them. Thanks!
Your post is worthy of a bump. Have you tried reaching out to Lee Holman at holmanmoody.com? I would bet he remembers your grandfather.
Thank you! I have not reached out to him and honestly I didn't know they were still in business. I will be reaching out and more than likely going by the shop here very soon. I need to talk to my dad and see what all he can tell me and has from then.
Hello Swisshemi, I am trying to find more information about Norbert Schmidlin, as I believe I own his Ferrari 308 GTB from 1978. I would be very grateful if you could possibly provide me with any information that can get me further to his relatives. Norbert only owned the car briefly before sold on to its previous possessor who had it from 1979 until 2013 when I bought it. I am in touch with the second owner and would be very happy if it would be possible to complete the history line by getting in ouch with Norberts relatives. Please do write to me at niklaswalentin@icloud.com if possible. Thank you !
I have enjoyed reading about the Holman Moody racing team and the history. I havent been on the HAMB in a few years since my last build which was the 1963 1/2 Galaxie 500 Dan Gurney tribute car that I created and posted back in 2013/14 time frame that took me a year to put together. I sent pictures to Mr. Gurney back then and he sent a nice card and thanked me for the memories . I sold her a year after completing it and regretted it every day it did however wind up on consignment at HM for 35K way more than I sold her for. After that not sure where it is now. Well I was able to track down and acquire in North Carolina another 63 1/2 Galaxie 500 XL Fastback 390 4speed car missing the original P code motor my car is a factory P code model. The motor in it is a 63 Galaxie Thunderbird Z code motor. My car has manual brakes / steering the plan is to gut it remove all the trim and create a Fireball Roberts tribute (street legal) driver. The interesting thing the owner had the car 3 years had plans never got around to making his moonshine car he worked for HM back in the 60s as an engine / transmission builder and truck driver for the races it was great listening to his stories and the builds the races and the drivers he is 77 and driving a big rig now. he was excited about what my plans are I gave him my HM ballcap. My plan is to post my build like last time and will be painting it the Regency Purple and get all of the logos hand painted like my last build. My other Galaxie build that body was rough and not an XL so I am hoping this new build will only take about 3-4 months to complete since I am retired and can focus on it full time.
a local racer that raced the Nascar tracks in the late 50's said Hoolman and Moody went broke guaranteing the Y block Ford race engines they sold. Then Ford bailed them out in 57. THe local racer Dale Swanson, raced chevys. But he also race a 43o T-Bird for a short time. Never liked the 430, too heavy for a dirt car.
You cant really mention Ford and racing without HM! You couldnt have one without the other. What a team they made.
The Jalopy Journal
