History Stock-S/S-F/X 1959-1966

Heres a couple of pics of the early mercury heros.TOM STRUMN and his 1963 Mercury Marauders.

 

Great thread-keep em coming

 

Yes, let's keep 'em coming! It has been a dry spell for the thread. I've been busy but I hope more images and remembrences turn up.
Great Tom Sturm Mercury shots. Color on that car is rare. The first one looks like it is at York, PA.

Joel

 

The '62 Ford to the left in that NHRA Nationals shot is the Fermier Bros. 385hp Ford, now restored and running the N/SS races ... in it's blue trim.

Joel

 

I recently saw the '62 at the Old Drag Racers Reunion in Montgomery, AL and it is real nice and runs well too. FE Bob and Jim Amos did a good job of bringing it back.

 

That blue Ford is owned by Jim Amos of Bee On Video, very nice restoration.

 

That's a '61 Invicta named "Old Nailhead." It followed their '59 Invicta. I'm trying to find out what color it was so I can draw a cartoon of it. I think the '61 was a stock eliminator champ in '62.

 

This is a great thread. I'm really glad you posted the Va. Twister Dodge. I saw that car at Atco in '65 racing the Golden Commandos. The Twister was the meanest looking car I ever saw. It was spitting out blue nitro flames so long that they actually flickered. That leaves a lasting impression on an 11 year old boy. And ironically the Commandos beat them like 3 straight. The factory really had a handle on things that year.

 

pettys only built one car, ran a few times and went off track as something broke and a spectator was killed. the car was then ran over with a bulldozer and pushed in to the creek behind the shop. late 90's they were expanding and the creek was filled in for a parking lot. some one new the cuda was there and fished it out. the owner said he will never show it or rebuild it (he is a family friend of the pettys) here is how it looks today and the first and last time (i know of) that it was potographed after getting out of the creek.

 

According to Arnie Beswick they built a second car after the crash.

 

i did not now that, every thing i have read said they only had the one. but maybe they did a second.

 

does anyone have pics of a s/s ply with "ted doebler" painted on the side? a friend of mine was the driver, and was hoping there were some pics out there.

 

A classic lineup at the Double H Drag Strip, Blue Ridge, Ga., sometime in 1965. In the six cars pictured, you have pretty much everything that made super stock and F/X racing from that era so great.

 

I was involved with the operation that restored the Flynn car. Bob George restored it for Tom O'Brien of Pittsburgh, which sold it for big bucks. I believe Mike Guffey does have it now.

The car was a mess when it arrived at Bob's shop. It was completely redid, and Bob's late son Curt drove it at the 2003 or 2004 MoPar Nationals. Curt lost his life shortly thereafter. It was restored immaculately, and Curt's name was on the front fender, but the otherwise the lettering was totally reproduced. When it showed at the Hemi reunion Curt's name was gone...which caused a lot of personal anguish for Bob, as it had been Curt's baby. The excuse was "it was not original", I can tell you, I was involved with that operation from start to finish and there is not much on the car that is original. Attached is a link to a piece that I wrote on the car for Competition Plus.

Not trying to pick a fight.....but I want to set the record straight.

http://www.competitionplus.com/2005_06/yankee_peddler.html

 

Your story is way off.Mike Guffey found and bought the Yankee Peddler and had it restored.It is now owned by Todd Werner in Florida.Someone is full of B.S.

 

It isn't us. I was there when they bought the car into the shop....I was there during the entire process. Someone IS full of b.s....and it isn't us.

If you have Jim Schild's "Maximum Performance" hardback book on MoPar racing, check out page 80. There is a shot of it, restored, with Bob George Racing lettered on the front fender.

I saw the car for the first time since "the days" back in 1994, while racing at the old Nostalgia Nationals /Super Car Showdown when it was on display. I didn't hear from it again until O'Brien bought it. I have photos here somewhere of my son Kyle (who also races NSS) sitting in it at Bob's shop. Curt put his heart and soul into the car, and when Curt was killed Tom used it to show. Tom told me at the Pittsburgh Chrysler Classic in 2006 that he had been offered BIG bucks for it and it was going to be sold.

I don't know who you are, my name is Steve Reasbeck. Anyone who tells you otherwise of the story is full of it....and you can tell them I said so. I can be found racing at most major NSS races in the east coast...tell them to come up and challenge my story. In fact, you can come with them if you like.

I don't say this for any other purpose other than to set the record straight.

 

Just to re-iterate. Bob is one of my closest pals, has been for thirty years. His fingers are in many MoPar race cars throughout the country. Curt was quite a guy, as well, as poured his heart and soul into that project prior to his accident. He did have a vested interest in the car.

When the car showed up at the Hemi Reunion without the Bob George decals on it, it really hit a lot of us hard, for emotional and sentimental reasons. They had been on there at Carlisle, but had been removed for the Reunion. The story we were told was that they had been scratched at the Woodward Dream Cruise, which may or may not be true.

Either way, I really don't care who gets the credit for doing the resto and the engine, it's not important. But, I do get upset when these stories go around and Curt is not mentioned at all.....it must be happening as "Funny Car 65" or whoever he is was not even aware of Bob George Racing's involvement in the project. However, it seems to me that the right thing to do would be at least acknowledge Curt & Bob's effort.

Curt's passing was an emotional time for all of us involved with BGR. It still is. I know that it is not meant to be, but many of us consider this a slap at Curt's memory. My apologies if I'm misinterpreting these incidents.

 

Here's Bud Faubel with the restored "Honker".

What a lot of folks don't know about Bud, is that he is a genuine war hero. He was an Air Force fighter pilot....flew P-51 Mustangs in World War II, F-86 Sabre Jets in Korea, and F-4 Phantoms in Viet Nam.

A great guy....a great showman.

 

Steve, this is the correct story. Mike Guffey found the car in Las Vegas and Todd Werner now owns it. The George's may have worked on the car afterwards but Mike restored the car initially.

 

Jody, you are correct, Mike had restored it and O'Brien then obtained it.

However, the car was completely disassembled and rebuilt at Bob's shop while O'Brien had it. Mike had restored it for show, but Bob and Tom had ideas of racing it exhibition. The chassis was bent and had to be straightened, and a lot of things were a mess, OK to show but not to drive it. The car has been completely done over since Mike did it originally. I'll get some pics of the project and post them. Bob did the engine using a lot of parts from in his "vault", and as far as I know the engine has not been apart since.

Curt drove the car for some exhibition passes at the MoPar Nationals in 2004. Then, in October Curt lost his life in an industrial accident and it just kind of fizzled out. At the Pittsburgh Chrysler Classic in 2005 O'Brien told me he had been offered big, big bucks. When he quoted me the price, I mentioned to him "that's a lot of money to walk away from", he said "I haven't walked away from it yet". Then it was sold. I don't know if Werner bought it directly from Tom, or if someone else owned it in the meantime.

 

Hey: I am new to this forum and am in need of some information. My father (Charlie Bush) raced at many of the area tracks back in the day (Camp Wheeler, Yellow River, Phoenix City, etc.) He drove a 60 Chevy with a 409 (and maybe other cars). He raced against Richard Petty a couple of times. My cousin had some publications with him listed in it, but when he moved he threw them all away!!! I would like to know if you could provide some names of publications that covered racing in GA and Alabama. Hopefully, I can find information on his racing past in print. I will also try to assemble some information from him as well as some pictures. Thank you all for such great information and for your help with my search.

 

Try this site, someone there may be able to help.

http://www.georgiadragracing.com/

 

One of drag racing's greatest passed away December 5th ... take a look at Bret Kepner's story ...
http://www.dragracingonline.com/finishline/xi_11-georgeray-1.html
Joel

 

Neat looking AWB Mopar cartoon art. The VA Twister '65 Dodge was a favorite of mine but the Commandos' car was a factory car and undoubtedly was lighter that the converted A990 VA Twister. Those early-mid sixties were the best years in my opinion, glad that I saw alot of it.
Joel
www.JFNStudios.net

 

Joel,
Way back on post 991 you posted a picture of Mike McCluskey's 61 409 at Inyokern that you got out of the 12/1/1961 National Dragster. My car, the Brendan Grassman Corvette, tuned by Dyno Don, won AA/SP that day at Inyokern. Do you happen to have a picture, the results, or the article you can post here or email me?
Much appreciated.

Here is a shot of the Grassman, Osterman, Nicholson, & Wade Corvette going against the Profitt A/FX Tempest at the 62 Winternationals for Street Eliminator a couple of months later. I've owned the car since 1968. This thread is really cool.

 

I'll look it up for you. Hopefully I still have that issue. I'll post it here and send it to your private email if you care to give it to me.
Joel
[email protected]

 

1961 Nationals at Indianapolis

 

1964 A/Sports class...289 Cobra vs 327 FI Corvette

 

Reading Charles Morris' "Factory Lightweights" book, I saw your comments about Richard Broome's Z-11. Did the car have a name?
Thanks.

 

As much as I like Mopars, those super duty Pontiacs were bad ass.