Folks Of Interest What do drag racing and the Hope Diamond have in common?

Mamie Reynolds

From "Speed Queens of the drag strip"
Mamie Reynolds
1942-2014
Mamie Reynolds, a wealthy heiress from Asheville, North Carolina, was the daughter of former U.S. Senator Bob Reynolds. She competed in her first drag race in spring 1961 at Asheville-Henderson Raceway in a Ford Falcon station wagon. She raced at drag strips in North and South Carolina and Florida in 1961-62. She won more than 65 trophies with her '61 Corvette B/SP, '62 Ford convertible, and '62 MG. Dave Rickman drove her C/MSP Vette to wins at the Daytona Beach Winter Championship Drag Races in 1962. "I guess what I am most proud of are the prizes I have won racing. In most races I personally drove in and won, I could have had a trophy or a five-dollar bill, and sometimes I took the money." In 1947, she (and other grandchildren) inherited the Hope Diamond when her grandmother, Evalyn Walsh McLean, passed away. Mamie had played with the famous diamond in her sandbox when she was a little girl. The grandchildren sold the diamond to Harry Winston, a New York jeweler, in 1949. She got involved in NASCAR racing when she sponsored a Holman and Moody '62 Ford driven by Darel Dieringer. She also became the first woman to qualify for the Daytona 500. In 1963, Mamie married Italian race car driver, Luigi Chinetti, Jr. They divorced in 1965. That same year, she married Joseph Gregory and in 1967, purchased the ABA Kentucky Colonels pro basketball franchise. She was an accomplished breeder of show dogs.

 

“Played with the Diamond in the sand box”

Incredible.

 

Very interesting person. Thanks for posting it

 

Fascinating life story that I had never heard about. Thanks.

 

So not all Hot Rodders are broke and hoodlums?

 

Cool

 

Luigi Chinetti Sr. was for many years the sole importer of Ferraris to the U.S. appointed by Enzo himself..

 

Yuppers and the guy who loaned the cars to the magazines to test back then. There was usually a note in the article about him loaning it.
When I was living in Texas the first 7 years my wife and I were married, (almost 53 now) we went to church with a gent who had been the original importer for Volkswagons in Texas and the southwest. He owned a VW dealership for years too. A very quiet man that you wouldn't think was that much of a mover and shaker.

 

@carcruse , How did you find this story about a young girl with a fascinating life? Looking at the second picture, one can see her interest in whatever she's watching or discussing. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

 

Kentucky Colonels, the arch rivals of the Virginia Squires.

 

@alanp561, there is a HAMB thread where a lady in trying to find racing info on her mother, Darlene Lewis. In seaching for early women drag racers, the Mamie picture came up which then lead to the article at https://benelliman.wixsite.com/women-drag-racers

 

"The way to make a small fortune in racing, is to start with a large fortune."

The hoodlum part just comes from experience.

 

Wow this was a great read. I really enjoyed it.