43 jr Drag car

[C Body Bob]

In 1965 NASCAR bands the Hemi engine. The Petty team boycotted NASCAR as a result. So they built 2 64 Barracuda's to run in various drag classes. Both where Hemi powered & where fast. With Richard driving. Late in the 65 season at a track in Georgia Richard was racing down the track when a wheel broke. The car quickly veered off the track crashing through a wooden guard rail & killing a 12 y/o boy. Richard was heart broken & hung Up his drag racing helmet for good. Fast forward to the early 90's. I was building a 67 a Coronet street car for a friend. There was this guy named Billy West who was a retired drag racer & had a ton of parts. His shop about an hour drive away. Billy was a MOPAR racing guru. He was friends with the Pettys & bought much of his racing parts from them. Billy had a lot of old vintage drag cars. He let me walk through his junk yard as he told me about the various cars. Many where Hemi & Max Wedge cars. While looking at a Max Wedge convertable car with a name painted down the side I noticed a piece of metal showing through the dirt just a few steps away. It was Petty Blue. I walked over & kicked the dirt away & it had painted on it 43 jr. I turned to Billy & said Billy is this & before I can finish the sentence his eyes beamed & he started knodding his head in agreement. I asked how did you get this. He told me the Pettys destroyed the car & buried it behind their shop. And years later it was dug up & Billy asked them for it. Now let me be clear. All I saw was what looked to be a section of the quarter panel. Billy said he also buried the car so I never saw the whole car. But why would he lead me to believe it was the whole car if it was just a piece of it. Anyway Billy has passed on & he knew a lot of top Mopar people from all over the country. I imagine someone else knows about this car. This is a true story. Anyway here are some pics of the 43jr drag car

 

[cantflip]

cool story... never understood burying a car. Seems that was a junkyard habit at one time.... I knew a wrecking yard that supposedly had several competitors tow trucks buried, but that's just rumor...

 

[C Body Bob]

Well I don't know for sure, but I think it was buried so Richard could have some closure & no chance the car would be sold to someone who would repaire it & race it. Why it was dug up I can't say

 

[67-Fury]

From this.



To this.

 

[C Body Bob]

Yes that's the first car with 43 jr on the quarter. This is the car I saw. It had a crossram Hemi in it. The second car had an injected Hemi & 43 jr on the door. I have seen those pics of the crumbled up Cuda, but have never been able to confirm it was the car. The second car is in the hands of a collector so I have been told

 

[BIGBARNEYCARS]

You rang my little memory bell by showing the 43jr Bob. Got any pickz of Richard and the boyz when they ran the Hyper Pack / Valiantz and ate the competition for lunch? Top 7 finishez in ah row az I remember. I still get all warm 'N fuzzy when I conger up the pic

 

[1978 NYB]

Very cool story.

 

[polara71]

I have heard over the years that The Petty made a habit out of burying cars and parts.... True Bob?

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

2015 Nationals....

 

[C Body Bob]

You rang my little memory bell by showing the 43jr Bob. Got any pickz of Richard and the boyz when they ran the Hyper Pack / Valiantz and ate the competition for lunch? Top 7 finishez in ah row az I remember. I still get all warm 'N fuzzy when I conger up the pic

Yes I do, however I didn't know the Pettys where involved with those cars

 

[C Body Bob]

I have heard over the years that The Petty made a habit out of burying cars and parts.... True Bob?

Yes true

 

[BIGBARNEYCARS]

Yes I do, however I didn't know the Pettys where involved with those cars

Yup, The king was rite there in the pack with 'um. And the none believerz in the Bowtie and Blue oval camps still don't have ah clue how bad those leanin' tower of power /s were for what they were, lol

 

[C Body Bob]

Well I'll be. Good to know. I'll post some Hyper pics & stories later. Working on my Funny car thread right now

 

[C Body Bob]

On the cover of Super Stock

i have this issue in my collection. Bunch of roundy round boys on the cover of a good drag racing mag. Whats the world comming to LoL.

 

[C Body Bob]

The two cars

Cross ram car top. Injected car below

 

[C Body Bob]

The crew

Wonder where the hauler is these days

 

[polara71]

Wonder where the hauler is these days

Dig another hole...

 

[C Body Bob]

LoL, no I imagine it got sold to another racer

 

[livininharrow]

that 65 barracuda rocks.

 

[C Body Bob]

It's a small world

Ok remember at the beginning I was looking at a Max Wedge convert & saw a piece of metal sticking up through the ground that was Petty blue. Well a guy I chat & trade info with on the Internet who is a hugh MOPAR collector (mainly Hemi cars) post a pic of a Max Wedge convert he has owned for years & is looking to start on soon. I had no idea he owned it. I confirmed the location of the pics take & Yep this is that car I was looking at. Turns out it's an ex Arken Vanke car. Sold to some guys in NC. And ended up in Billy West MOPAR junk yard. The Petty car was in the ground right next to this car. I figured this car was long gone. It was rough. I passed on it. Don't remember Billy telling me it was Vanke's old car. Anyway more spice for the story.