I found this motion picture while browsing YouTube last night. The title is something along the lines of "Junior Johnson at Ascot Park." However, at the end of the clip you can see the name "Mike Marsh" painted on as the driver's name. Even so, the d... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
These were the "true" stock cars; big blocks and all. Pretty lame today. It never fails that cars screech the tires on dirt in the movies though.
Great footage! Back when stock cars were stock cars and men were men. I saw a documentry on Junior Johnson the other day. That guy was the real deal. Thanks for sharing.
Cool footage, I liked the "Ascot Stripe" he added on one of his last laps. He was getting the feel of the place, you don't know where the edge is until you've gone over it. I forgot that Ascot was a big motorcycle track, I did an initial WTF when I saw the Honda, etc. signs. Bob
Pretty damn cool cars, those drivers had balls the size of church bells, and made of brass. I raced several years on dirt, tires do and will "Squeel" on that type of surface, especially the old hard tires they had, one has to remember that the dirt they are running on is harder than most asphalt of today, and probably more abrasive. Fenderless
Looks like Parnelli to me. If you were looking for someone to drive Ascot, like that, for movie footage he would have to be first on the list.
Kind of does to me... Since the video was shot in at least 1964, we know it was later in Junior's career... and he did get skinnier... Then again, it could just as easily be someone else...
Fenderless is 100% correct i think the sound-track was likely "sweetened" for drama, but those ol' tires will howl like banshees. really something seeing him roll that 4000 lb beast into the corners, looking for some grip at the bottom. awesome clip!
Looks to be from "Red Line 7000" 1965 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059641/ Jr. or not, that dude knew his way around a track! Being that it was shot in the LA area, it could have been any number of guys driving. For fun, I'll keep thinking it was Steve McQueen. Loks like fun though, I'd love to have a go at it.
Thats him for sure, could not see him good enough in the clip and looked too skinny. Hope to go to his event later on this year , heres the link. http://www.southernculturesociety.org/shinefest.php
Junior is THE man! He's 78, and STILL drives like that. I was at Bristol last year and he participated in a "legends" race. He ran flat out, and crashed, early in the race
Cool video and yes Junior is the man. i raced at ascot it was the best time i had racing. lets see some more. thanks. 33, 1 Peter 4;10
Holly Farms Poultry was a sponser that Junior had during this era and I am pretty sure he drove the 27 car, so it would make sence that he might be the stunt driver in the movie.
I loved that movie. Its been a long time since i saw it, but it was chocked full of great racing scenes from the very beginning. of course it was before my time but i can only imagine what it would sound like with a track full of big blocks screaming. music, sweet music.
If I remember that movie right didn't he take a Hertz Mustang on the dirt track at night and do a few laps ?
Great footage. Was kind of hoping that it was Junior so I could research it a little further for you guys (y'all). Tons of history around this place.
Junior Johnson was one of the greatest stock car drivers/racers there ever was ! He was a true and learned to drive on the back roads running moon shine . I really miss the days when racing was racing and you run what you brung ! Now they are getting too much "Cookie Cutter" cars and the one way to win is staying out of trouble , out front and the only real way to move up the track is making time up from a pit stop . France screwed stock car racing up with too many rules ! Anyway Junior has my vote and glad he is on the Hall of Fame where his name belongs ! Retro Jim
Since the car bears one of his sponsors names and his number, it wouldn't be a stretch to think that the car was maybe leased from Jr.. If that were so It certainly wouldn't be hard to believe that the man hot lapped it a little for the cameras. Lots of celebs do cameo appearances in films without credit. Was product placement around then? Maybe the poultry farm needed to sell more chicken. lol
Don't know who did the stunt driving, but the guy playing "Ned Arp" did look a little like Junior. That scene was when he was auditioning, driving the car "Mike Marsh" or James Caan had been driving. He got the ride and Marsh-Caan went to the #28, sponsored by (surprise!) Lafayette Ford. This allowed them to use a lot of real race footage in the movie. Wish I had a DVD of that movie.
Perhaps the stock cars were on the west coast to run RIverside or something like that at about the same time? Or they just used a local car painted up like that for the movie? Gary
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