Full Throttle

There is still much work to be finished onsite but the first auto racing related entry had to be posted eventually.

The racing habit started at the Drag Strip in the early sixties. The earliest (front engined) Swamp Rats, “Dyno” Don Nicolson, Woods Brothers Willys Gassers, the “Color Me Gone” Plymouths all held me in my seat on Saturday nights and wasted many hours duplicating them in 1/24th scale.

My “High Priests” at the time were Jim Mckay and Chris Economaki who hosted ABC’S Wide World of Sports tape delay of NHRA National events.

A transformation took place when a local UHF station aired tape delayed coverage of the Mount Clemons Speedway Stock Car Races and I learned to turn left, on dirt. The tracks main claim to fame is the Northern migration of a young Benny Parsons. With teammate Danny Byrd he competed and won driving the #09 1959 Edsel. I have been partial to, but not obsessed with, Fix Or Repair Daily ever since. The most notable exceptions are Richard Petty’s ‘67 HEMI Plymouth that forced Ford to development of the “69 SOHC Talladega Fords and Mercurys. And the famous (infamous?) Smoky Yunick “Mini” #13 Chevelle.

In todays era of “cookie cutter” bodies NASCAR needs to recall its own history. With the media exposure today added to some of that eras manufacture, driver, and owner controversies the mix could only help in NASCARS fan appeal and expansion. I believe if the NFL continues down the road its on (i.e. its best RB charged with drug dealing) Nascar could, in very few years, surpass it in television ratings.