Decades before the internet would become a thing, there were legendary racers who were as big as any of the professionals, but only in the area that they raced in. That meant that some of the “biggest names in Drag Racing” might include someone that raced only in your home state. Today you can race at on track in the country, and with the help of social media you can become a well known star, without ever leaving your home track. In Robert Nance’s time, you were only as awesome as the people said you were and that meant the folks that actually saw you racing.
Check out the great video from our friend Tommy Lee Byrd, the Hot Rod Hoarder, as he talks about the legendary Mr. Plymouth, Robert Nance.
Video Description:
Robert Nance is a Southern Gentleman who was a Ringgold, Georgia dairy farmer who went drag racing and WON! He started racing in the 1950’s and made a name for himself locally, which led to a factory-backed arrangement with Plymouth, starting in 1962. He raced Max Wedge cars in 1962 and 1963, moving into a Hemi-powered Plymouth in 1964 and beyond. By 1965, Robert Nance and hired driver James Lake campaigned two cars, a Super Stocker and an A/FX car. This led to two funny cars in 1966 and 1967, and Robert eventually landed another factory race car, a 1968 BO29 Hemi Barracuda. He went on to build a Plymouth Duster Pro Stocker and a Plymouth Duster Super Stocker, which still lives on to this day and proudly wears the Mr. Plymouth name on the door!
Follow along as we document Robert Nance’s racing career, from his earliest days running on the Daytona measured mile beach course to his final days of bracket racing in the 1980’s. Through this history lesson, you’ll see lots of great photos and video clips from back in the day, as well as an up-close look at the surviving Plymouth Duster Super Stocker, which still lives in North Georgia and races at nostalgia drag racing events in the Southeast. A Hemi legend, Robert Nance’s legacy lives on!
