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Discussion starter · #982 · (Edited)
From the Petersen Museum archives: 1970 Riverside- Roger McCluskey
He saved the day for Mopar with his 2nd place finish, otherwise it would have been a 1 - 3 FoMoCo sweep. I was there all 5 days that the track was open for practice/qualifying/racing and the race was a real letdown after the winged Mopars had showed so much promise during the week. The smart $$ was on Gurney's #42 Petty crewed Superbird to win but he had to come in on the first lap for brake work and never could make up the 11 laps he lost. I still blame the Petty crew for not double checking the brakes before rolling the car to the line.
 
NEW link added to Woodward Garage info from the Bill Wright archive -
http://www.billwrightdocumentarchive.com/TableOfContents.htm

Late 60s wing cars, trans am and drag cars that the Woodward Garage worked on.
Nice pic of the Woodward Garage SuperBird doing laps at the Huntsville Airport testing a 727 trans for road course use.
Guess who was driving??
 
Discussion starter · #985 · (Edited)
NEW link added to Woodward Garage info from the Bill Wright archive -
http://www.billwrightdocumentarchive.com/TableOfContents.htm

Late 60s wing cars, trans am and drag cars that the Woodward Garage worked on.
Nice pic of the Woodward Garage SuperBird doing laps at the Huntsville Airport testing a 727 trans for road course use.
Guess who was driving??
It'll take me a while to read through it all but I did look at the letter on the Proposed Riverside test. I never heard that Chrysler tested an automatic trans, The only car I ever saw racing on that track with an auto trans was Jack McCoy. He had mangled his arm badly years before in a modified-jalopy race and always had trouble with the constant shifting needed in a 500 mile road race. The trans only lasted about 35 laps and he went back to a stickshift for the next Riverside race.
 
Discussion starter · #988 ·
Buddies...........

Country singer Marty Robbins was a regular in the Nascar Cup series for several years in the 60's & 70's. There are multiple posts about him and his Mopars earlier in this thread. Ramo Stott raced Mopars in the IMCA series (runner-up in the championship battle 4 times), then went to ARCA and won the championship in that series in 1970 and 1971, then went to USAC and won the championship there in 1975. Ramo also raced intermittently in Nascar, especially in several Daytona 500s.

Vintage advertisement Vehicle Car
 
What a great era when these two were among the starting Grand National field. All the drivers had personalities, and it was love of the sport that made the racing so good, not the money. Love of the sport...and real stock cars like this Plymouth!
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Classic car

One of my life's most memorable experiences was when, I and a couple of guys from our dealership enjoyed a night on the town with Ramo Stott.
 
I was at the 1975 Firecracker 400.
We got there a few days prior to the event, when the cars were arriving.
So, up pulls the STP Dodge, on an open trailer behind a box truck.
Out pops Richard... He drove down from Randleman with the car.

Wonder who does that today? lol....

Oh, Richard won the race after starting 13th. and qualifying in the 180 mph bracket.
He ran that speed all day and passed Baker for the win with a handful of laps left.
Buddy had slowed to 178... !!!
 
Discussion starter · #991 ·
Oh, Richard won the race after starting 13th. and qualifying in the 180 mph bracket.
He ran that speed all day and passed Baker for the win with a handful of laps left.
Buddy had slowed to 178... !!!
IIRC, by that time Baker was driving a Ford so it was thumbs down from me. I think Dave Marcis was also up there in the #71 Dodge.
 
IIRC, by that time Baker was driving a Ford so it was thumbs down from me. I think Dave Marcis was also up there in the #71 Dodge.
Yes, Buddy was in a Ford. I don't remember where Marcis finished up...

In 1975 the STP Dodge and K&K Dodge, due to their combined wins and high finishes, won the very last Manufacturers Championship for Dodge.
One of the goal set by Daimler in 2001 was to win another Manufactures Cup. One reason why they had 10 cars out there that dwindled over time
down to Penske's team in 2012. Well at least Brad got one for himself!
 
Discussion starter · #993 ·
Yes, Buddy was in a Ford. I don't remember where Marcis finished up...

In 1975 the STP Dodge and K&K Dodge, due to their combined wins and high finishes, won the very last Manufacturers Championship for Dodge.
One of the goal set by Daimler in 2001 was to win another Manufactures Cup. One reason why they had 10 cars out there that dwindled over time
down to Penske's team in 2012. Well at least Brad got one for himself!
Marcis ended up 3rd (I just looked it up). Man, that was over 40 years ago but I vaguely remember sitting around the apt pool with my radio and sweating it as Baker led the most laps, by far, and I had several $10 bets with my Chebbie and Ford loving buddies at work that a Mopar would win ;).

Winning a manufacturer's championship once GM got back into Nascar was a long shot, at best, even with 10 cars. GM had about 20 factory backed teams in those days and had infiltrated Nascar's heirarchy with their former executives, which assured that they usually had an edge in the rules and requirements.
 
Discussion starter · #997 ·
(Part of) Firestone Tire ad congratulating Ray Elder on his Winston West win @ Altamont Speedway in 1973. Dick Bown finished 2nd in his Dodge.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Coupé Sports car


The picture is actually from turn #6 at Riverside Raceway shot the prior June when Ray won the "Golden State 400", not from Altamont Speedway.
 
Discussion starter · #1,000 ·
Just saw this.........

Texas World Speedway: Former NASCAR track being torn down - Racing News (at https://racingnews.co/2020/04/03/texas-world-speedway-former-nascar-track-being-torn-down/?fbclid=IwAR1RJkqBCOSnGwXqjof8pPG80SH-SzFA5TS7VFManjCooOX_WDou6-nOcu4 )

I always liked that track (compared to the current Texas Motor Speedway) and never understood why it couldn't make it financially - look at the over-full parking lots in the photo. Bad management maybe??

The track held 8 Nascar Cup races total between 1969 and 1981. Mopar drivers won 5 of them.
 
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