SUPER/STOCKERS OF THE 1960's
The Years of Change
1965 - 1969
DVD #025
This two hour and three minute original video production takes a look at the early years of Super Stock and Factory Experimental drag racing. The video includes S/S & FX racing at twenty-eight different drag strips around the country.
The video begins with a visit to Pomona Ca and Phoenix, Az where we see some examples of Chrysler’s altered wheelbase (AWB) cars for the 1965 season. From there we catch up with Richard Petty as he takes on Huston Platt and his Dixie Twister Z-11 powered Chevelle. We include an interview with Huston where he talks about his early involvement in the S/S & FX wars.
After our visit with Huston Platt we meet up with Hubert Platt and his Georgia Shaker ‘65 Falcon. We include racing action from Pietmont NC and an unknown eighth mile track somewhere in Georgia. We also travel to Aquasco Dragway in Maryland where Hubert takes on an unlettered AWB Dodge. As it turns out Roger Lindamood was test driving the Bill Flynn Yankee Peddler car before it was turned over to Flynn. Roger even does some wild wheelstands with the car. We include an interview with Roger where he tells us the story behind the race with Hubert.
Another guy doing giant wheel stands with his AWB Plymouth was Pee Wee Wallace. We show Pee Wee dragging the rear bumper and then we talk with him about the car. Neither Pee Wee nor Roger is with us any longer but their story lives on at Bee On Video.
We also travel to Roanoke Dragway in Virginia and catch Pee Wee Wallace racing Lindwood Craft with his Hemi Powered 1965 Mustang. Lindwood’s car is too cool.
Our next match race takes place at ESTA Safety Park in Cicero, NY. We see Matt Fenton’s AWB Comet (Dyno Don’s ‘64 Comet) take on the real Bill Flynn with his AWB Dodge.
Old Dommion Dragway in Manassas, Va is our next stop and we see a great match up between Hubert Platt’s ‘65 Falcon and Bud Faubel’s ‘65 AWB Dodge. We also include an interview with Hubert Platt where he talks about his ‘65 Falcons. Yes I said ‘65 Falcons as Hubert actually ran more than one ‘65 Falcon. From there we follow Hubert over to Roanoke Dragway were he has a match race with a 427 Chevy II. Before the race got underway Hubert broke the Falcon so he borrowed a ‘65 Comet from David Carmichael and did a handicap race against the Chevy. You get to see Hubert adjusting the valves on the Comet while the engine is running. Too cool.
There is more of Hubert. This time he takes the Falcon to US 30 Dragway in Gary, In and takes on Big Steve Bovan and his blown Chevy II. These guys really go after it at one of the most famous tracks in the country. While we are there we show you some wild wheel stander action. You won’t believe what you see in this piece. After the US 30 race we follow Hubert out to Bee Line Dragway in Az and see him in action against a variety of cars.
Our next stop is Atco Dragway in NJ and we see a group of S/S FX cars in Action. How about Sam Auxier, Jr’s ‘65 Comet, Al Joniac and his ‘65 A/FX Mustang, Bill Jenkins with the Black Arrow Plymouth, Bob Harrop and his 2% AWB ‘65 Dodge, Bob Hamilton’s ‘65 A/FX Mustang, Billy McDuel’s 1964 Comet and Sam Auxier’s ‘64 Mercury Comet.
Mason Dixon Dragway in Md is next and we see Bud Faubel, Phil Bonner, Bob Harrop, Harold Ramsey, The Golden Commando’s and Dave Stickler. How’s that for a star studded line up.
National Trail Dragway in Ohio is next and we see several S/S and FX cars going down the track. Local racer Arlen Vanke is there and so too is Foster May with his Wildcatter Plymouth. The feature match of the day is between two topless cars. Ed Rachanski’s Super Marauder Comet and Melrose Missile Plymouth. We have also included an exhibition vehicle that made a pass down the track. It is the Munster’s Dragula dragster that appeared on the popular TV show. We have some great close ups of the car and you will see it make a pass at National Trail.
Richmond Dragway in Va played host to many of the S/S and FX cars back in the day and we show you Dyno Don’s ‘65 Comet, Sox & Martin ‘65 AWB Plymouth, The Professor Bill Shirey, and Sam Auxier, Jr. We use this race to introduce a story about the journey Dyno Don’s Comet took after Dyno sold it. As it goes, Dyno sold it to Pete Gates and then it went to California where it changed hands several times. Eventually the car was purchased by a father and son team in Pennsylvania and they began the process of restoring the car. To help with the project they brought in Tom “Snake” Jones who was one of Dyno’s crew members back in 1965. We did an interview with Snake and he gave us some very interesting insight into the Comet. The Snake mentioned that the car was built by Bill Stroppe in Long Beach, Ca so we included a very rare interview we have with Bill Stroppe. In the interview Bill talks about his involvement in several forms of motor sports including drag racing. Bill Stroppe is one of the Giants of motor sports racing and I’m sure you will enjoy the interview. After the Stroppe interview we go to Capitol Dragway in Md and see a match race between Dyno’s radically altered ‘65 Comet and the Ramchargers AWB Dodge.
Our next stop is at the 1965 NHRA National Drag races at Indy. There was a great group of Super Stockers at the race. Actually we begin at the Speedway Shopping Center were the cars were going through tech inspection. This was a great place to see all the cars up close. Most of the big names were there. Butch Leal, Al Joniac, Don Gay, Dick Brannan, Fast Eddie Schartman, Phil Bonner, Jack Chrisman, Bob Sullivan, Dyno Don, Hayden Proffitt and many more. We do an interview with Hayden in the Indy segment and he talks about his ‘65 A/FX Comet.
Pensacola Dragway in the Florida panhandle is next and we see the radically altered Kid Goat Dodge Dart of Billy Jacobs. Bill was racing an AWB ‘55 Chevy called Golden Rod. Our next Florida track is West Palm Beach and we see a whole bunch of Super Stockers. We show a different Color Me Gone Plymouth and a S/S Plymouth called Lone Ranger. The Saint was an AWB Plymouth that ran out of St Augustine, Fl. Don Gay and Tom Sturm were also running at Palm Beach. We do a feature story with the late Sidney Foster and he tells us about his S/S cars. Sidney ran a Z-11 Chevy and a Ford Thunderbolt. At Palm Beach he was running an altered ‘65 Mustang. Sidney later bought a stretched ‘66 Mustang from Hubert Platt. Great story from one of the legends of the sport.
While we are discussing Hubert’s stretched Mustang we show you the car running at Bee Line Dragway against Dick Harrell and his Chevy Nova. We also see Sox & Martin, Butch Leal and Dick Landy.
Further west we found Irwindale Raceway in California where they were running the 1966 AHRA Winternationals. Boy did they have the cars. Here are just a few. Gas Ronda, Les Ritchey, Tommy McNeely, Bill Lawton and Bruce Larson.
Next we visit Bristol International Raceway in Tn where they were holding the annual NHRA Springnationals. Once again a great group of cars. Jenkins Chevy II, Fenner Tubbbs Plymouth, Arlen Vanke, Mary Ann Foss, Bill Flynn, Sox & Martin, Shirley Shahan, Don Grotheer and many more.
How about a match race between Bill Jenkins in his ‘67 396 Chevy Camaro and Ronnie Sox in his 1967 Hemi GTX Plymouth. The race was held on the narrow lanes at Piedmont Dragway in NC and it was great.
Our next stop was at the annual $10,000 race at the Atlanta Speed Shop Drag Strip in Georgia. The Super Stock cars were out in force and we see the ‘67 427 Fairlane’s of Hubert Platt, Harold Dutton, and Ed Skelton. We also show Tom Sneeden and the Bob Banning Dodge Super Stocker.
We make a quick stop at New Jersey’s Island dragway and see the Downing and Ryan ‘67 427 Fairlane getting ready for the 1967 Super Stock Nationals at Cecil County Dragway. At Cecil County we check out some of the Super Stock cars running in the 3000 lb and 3400 lb gas classes. Some of the cars you see are: Bill Jenkins and Frank Bash’s Camaros, Nate Cohan’s ‘67 Fairlane, Dick Landy’s SS Dodge and Howard Malsales’s Pontiac. We also show some of the 2700 lb gas class cars. Drivers include George Weiler, George Kennedy, Vernon Rowley, Dave Reitz, Don Goodrich and Ken Vogt. At this point in the video we break away and talk with Kenny Vogt about his big day at the ‘67 Super Stock Nationals. Ken was running a SOHC powered ‘67 Comet at the race and ended up being the Super Eliminator Runner-up.
Our next track is Fremont Drag Strip in California. Once again they had a great group of Super Stock type cars. You’ll see Melrose Missile Plymouth, Shirley Shahan Drag-On-Lady Dodge, Ed Terry’s 427 Fairlane among others. We also show a wheel stand exhibition with the Hurst Hemi Under Glass Barracuda.
We check back with Lindwood Craft at New London Drag Strip in North Carolina and see his new Hemi powered fiberglass Mustang. Lindwood was testing at New London and then he goes over to Piedmont Dragway where he had a match race with Dee Simmons and his Chevy Corvair.
Maple Grove Dragway is next and we see Bill Stiles, Tritak and Morgan, Ed Miller and Al Olster.
Our next two segments take a look at some of the Super Stock cars that were running on the NASCAR drag racing circuit. The first stop is at Richmond Dragway in Virginia and the second is Atco Dragway in New Jersey. Some of the people you see are: Sam Auxier, Jr., Ed Miller, The Shallcross Brothers, Chick DeNino, The Morley Brother’s, Joe Weiss, Paul Moody, Tom Sneeden, Sam Kennedy, Jerry Stahl, Bob Beck, Ken Montgomery and George Weiler.
Our final stop is York US 30 Dragway in Pennsylvania. We show you both the 1969 Super Stock Magazine Nationals and the 1970 Super Stock Magazine Nationals. The 1969 race showcased an experimental Super Stock class in which all the cars ran heads-up. We had a chance to talk with Fred and Tom Shallcross about the race and they told us how they were able to beat Ronnie Sox for the X/SS crown. Very interesting story of how they made the switch from a gasser to a Super Stocker.
Prior to the 1970 racing season we learn from Buddy Martin that he and a group of Super Stock racers were able to convince NHRA that the heads up format in what would be called Pro Stock was the way of the future. NHRA agreed and the rest is history.
We close out the video by looking at some of the great Pro Stock Cars that came out to York for the 1970 SS Nationals. Great stuff. One of the cars competing at the race was a Mustang driven by female racer Patti Young. We do an interview with Patti where she shares her racing history with us and then tells us a little bit about how it was to be a female competitor back in 1970. Great story.
This video concludes our look at the Super Stockers of the 1960's. We began the story by covering the Early Years (1960 - 1965) and conclude with The Years of Change (1965 - 1969). We have shown you hundreds of Super Stockers and Factory Experimental cars in these two video productions and although it does not show every car from the era it shows a vast number of both famous and not so famous cars. Best of all they come to life in moving video footage with real car sounds. We also provide relevant narration to help you understand what you are seeing on the screen.
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