Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

#43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

    I've heard the Petty camp does NOT like to talk about this at all. One of the reasons people don't know about it.

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

      I knew of the drag racing and the accident that resulted in a death, but had never seen pictures and heard it was cause he broke an axle. I also heard that this ended drag racing for him.


      Cool car though and dig those hood scoops!!!









      Comment


      • #18
        Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

        Petty?s 1964 / 1965 Barracuda, restored.
        http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.com/mmo12007.html

        Hot Rod Feb 1965.



        Comment


        • #19
          Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

          Originally posted by BigDad
          I'm surpised this is such little known info ?

          only in circles that never liked nascar and petty for years wouldn't talk about it..
          it really hurt him that someone died..

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

            even D/F made the rookie move of asking the king about this car..

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

              This was published in a book that I think was an autobiography, I believe the book was done in the mid 70's and it had a complete chapter on the drag racing along with the accident. Still trying to find the book or references.

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

                Originally posted by BigDad
                I'm surpised this is such little known info ?
                Don't be!

                There were major parties involved who all had an interest in seeing this story die at a local level and not hit the "national wires".

                There was:

                Wally Parks/NHRA -- trying to advance the sport of drag racing which had finally started to remove itself from the realm of "socially irresponsible" behavior. This would have been VERY BAD, even though this was not an NHRA track it would have been bad for the whole sport.

                Chrysler -- They would have had bad press city for essentially condoning such wild behavior by backing his efforts with the car.

                The Petty Family -- One of the most powerful and influential racing clans of the era.

                NASCAR -- Yes he was out of NASCAR at the time but they would have been tied to this 8-ways to Sunday.


                The reason it isn't too well known is because it was squashed by the above (and possibly more) parties and the story never made the big papers, media, etc of the day.

                I sure as hell hope it bothers Petty because if it didn't he'd be some sort of monster.

                Brian




                That which you manifest is before you.

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

                  i remeber dad telling me this because we saw a pic at don garlits
                  he was on the the ground and the car came flying into the crowd and him and my grand mother ran to my grandfather in the pits because he was up to the strip next or the next couple cars to run
                  The youngest guy on the board
                  76 vega
                  86 fiero

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

                    Here is the name of the book, read this and learn,
                    Grand National: The Autobiography of Richard Petty (1971, memoir, with Bill Neely)

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

                      The mag pages I posted above show the car in action on a "dragstrip".
                      I saw those pictures posted elsewhere and the author described the strip as
                      "someones driveway" well below any decent standard to run a fast car.

                      You can see spectator protection is non existant.


                      "Petty?s 1964 / 1965 Barracuda, restored."
                      I should have written cloned not restored.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

                        Originally posted by malc
                        [color=blue]The mag pages I posted above show the car in action on a "dragstrip".
                        I saw those pictures posted elsewhere and the author described the strip as
                        "someones driveway" well below any decent standard to run a fast car.
                        Honestly, that was what the typical Southern strip look like circa the mid-1960s. There is a chain-link fence, which was about as big as safety got at lots of places. Note the grass in the center of the track, another pretty standard issue deal when looking back at tracks like Piedmont and others from the era. Lots of tracks sprung up from hunks of abandoned road that became unused or redundany when the interstate came through.

                        While I agree the place has the quality of someone's driveway, that looks all the world like an organized strip to me.
                        That which you manifest is before you.

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

                          We still have local dragstrips that look like peoples driveways.. ???





                          sigpic

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

                            This is an unfortunate era of racing for the Pettys and drag racing. From the book "King Richard" there is a short section of this part of Richard's career. As everyone has mentioned, this was not talked about much and was very hard on the Petty family. I really love the car and photos, thanks for sharing.
                            200WINS HRPT Long Haul 2008, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Bettendorf, WI Dells, 15 Champaign, Madison, 16 OK City, Wichita, KC, 17 KC, Newton
                            Forum Freaks Road Trip, 2020 Kool Deadwood Nites, 2021 Southernmost Road Trip, 2022 Great Southern Tour

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

                              The pages I posted come from the very first Hot Rod mag I ever saw and owned, the original fell to pieces, that above came off e bay.
                              I was fourteen at the time and was so impressed on how that car was gutted, turned into a racecar and still looked outwardly stock.
                              Prior to the Petty article is a piece on "Match Race Stockers", Landy, Hemis, "dancing rosin" etc.
                              Powerfull stuff for my first drag racing class.

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: #43 jr a King and his drag car --& D series truck

                                I was told by my aunt that her first husband and her dad (my grandfather) were at that race. A link to a time and place that I never new existed until recently.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X