Commercial Break: Weathershields Sunway Roof, 1964 (UK)

Sebring 12 Hours, March 21st, 1964

The Stirling Moss Auto Racing Team at Sebring in 1964. This Lotus Elan was one of their cars and was driven by Hugh Dibley and R.G. Rossler; as you can see the infamous Hairpin turn and sandbank was too much for the driver. Many drivers feared those sand banks and often would carry a shovel in the car to use if they ended up in this position

Newton Davis or Paul Layman, with Lotus Elite, again at the Hairpin as the Elan. They managed to dig himself out and the car finished 38th.

Drag Racing History - the Bushwacker

1964 Tognotti Speed Shop A/A Fuel Dragster

Don Tognotti was a well-known name in the world of street rods. His Avenger Deuce coupe and Green Voodoo ’55 Thunderbird were popular on both the show circuit and in the magazines. At the Oakland Roadster Show in 1964, his teal and chrome King T was crowned America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. The King T’s place in hot rod history was secured the following year when it was released as a 1/25 scale model from AMT.

Tognotti actually took two cars to the Roadster Show that year. The King T and an AA/Fuel Dragster he’d built to promote his speed shop in Sacramento. Dubbed Goldfinger, it was displayed next to George Barris’ Munster Coach. As expected, the Munster Coach was a hit with the masses, but Goldfinger stopped real rodders dead in their tracks. It was unlike anything seen before. In the early 60’s most dragsters were still being built out of exhaust tubing, but Tognotti built the streamlined, aluminium-bodied Goldfinger the way he built his street rods; Beautifully designed, expertly crafted, and stunning in its fit and finish. Years later this meticulous craftsmanship would lead to its rescue and full restoration.

Goldfinger’s build team read like a who’s who of drag racing. The chassis was designed and fabricated by Pete Ogden, while the aluminium body panels were massaged to perfection by metal man Arnie Roberts. Tognotti himself was a professional showman and Goldfinger’s paint and graphics were show-car quality, but the name and number 007 were only to last one year. In 1965 the car was repainted and re-launched as the Bushwhacker. Painter Don Honstein was tapped to do the new colours and graphics. 40 years later he would return for an encore performance, painting the car once again in its pearl-yellow and lime Bushwhacker livery.

Like many cars of that era, the Bushwhacker became a celebrity at shows and drag strips — then fell off the face of the earth. The car didn’t resurface until 2006, when it was discovered, rough but surprisingly intact, behind a barn in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was purchased by a vintage drag racer who planned to run it with a blown flathead. Upon stripping down the car its level of craftsmanship became quickly apparent. Realising he could be sitting on something significant, he slammed on the brakes and turned to the internet. Within 24 hours he discovered the slippery-looking dragster in his garage was the Tognotti streamliner.

The car was sold to collector Larry Crossan who, with experienced craftsmen like Honstein, restored it to its 60’s era show-car glory. Original-style American mags were fitted, along with a Simpson drag ‘chute. The paint, including graphics, panels, fogging and pin stripes, were re-created just as they were when the Bushwacker was unveiled in 1965.

Tune in next time for the patter of Little Mouse feet…

Drag Racing History - Dick Landy's 1964 Dodge: The First 'Funny Car'

In the spring of 1964, Chrysler Corporation built a small number of Dodges and Plymouths powered by its new 426 ci Hemi engine. These were to be used in sanctioned drag racing. California racer "Dandy" Dick Landy was given access to one of the first of these cars, a Dodge 330, and he campaigned it during the summer of '64. These cars were raced in NHRA's Super Stock class with either automatic or 4-speed transmissions. Dick Landy competed in this class at the "U.S. Nationals" on Labor Day weekend of '64 with his silver Dodge. The car had an automatic trans so it was lettered with "SS/A,", super stock automatic, and its competition number "676".

In the fall of 1964 Landy decided to go "match racing" so he made several radical changes to his car. To reduce weight he removed all of the front suspension and replaced it with leaf springs and a solid front axle from a Dodge van. Because traction can be improved by having the rear axle carry the majority of a car's weight, Landy relocated the rear axle forward about 8 inches. The front suspension was moved forward about 6 inches. These changes moved the majority of the car's weight over the rear tires. Landy used the car in this configuration for numerous match races in me last few months of 1964.

In late 1964 Chrysler was building 1965 production cars and several special race cars, the "A/FX's" for the upcoming 1965 racing season. About a dozen of these cars were to be built with the rear axles moved forward 15 inches and the front wheels moved up 10 inches. These were at first called "altered wheelbase" cars and they were intended to compete in NHRA's "A", factory experimental class ("A/FX"). However, given an early preview of me first altered wheelbase car, the NHRA abandoned this idea.

Also in late 1964 some unknown individual observed that the radically altered wheelbase Mopars appeared somewhat silly-looking from the side view. The front wheels were almost touching the front bumper while the rear wheels were very close to the doors. This person came up with the phrase "funny car." Chrysler went ahead and completed several of the A/FX cars. They first raced at the winter AHRA meet in Phoenix in early 1965. Dick Landy received one of the altered Dodges and he ran at this meet. In films of this event the announcer was calling the Mopars the "first funny cars".

Note that Landy's 1964 Dodge was converted to an altered wheelbase configuration and was at the strips at least three months before the factory's '65's raced at Phoenix. Although the factory '65's had more "alteration" (10" front/15" rear versus Landy's 6" front/8" rear) it is clear that Landy's 1964 Dodge is truly a "funny car". Since Landy's 1964 Dodge was on the tracks first, it could legitimately claim the title of "The First Funny Car".