satterwhite78

How many time while listening to the broadcast of a Nascar race on the radio did you all of a sudden catch your breath and key on every word the annoucer said from then on.  Old color photos were recently found at a yard sale that provided a visual to one such incident in Turn Two.

"Looks like trouble off Turn 2 with the #98 of Leeroy Yarborough hitting the wall and spinning down into the grass. Flagmen in Turn 2 report hearing the left front tire blowing out from debris and Yarborough's Mercury slamming the wall, apparently rupturing the oil lines and spinning wildly down the backstretch tagging the wall again before coming to a rest on the lower apron of the track......Leeroy is climbing out of the Jim Robbins Cyclone and walking to the infield wall as the oil-splattered Mercury is still smoking, seems to be a small fire developing as the Yellow Flag is out and the leaders are headed to Pit road......

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Without the Smoke and Mirrors.......
I had the body laying around while I used the chassis as a test fit subject for other future projects. While everybody enjoys seeing a clean rolled off the starting line build, I thought it would be different to see a "fresh run into the wall" wreck .

Thanks for looking!.......and now back to the race....

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To all of those who serve and defend this great country of ours,  I extend my deepest thanks and everlasting support!

Chuck "Satterwhite78"

 

Straight OOB build of P/L kits with Yesterday's decals.

Pete Hamilton's #40 Petty Enterprises Plymouth Superbird

Started racing in the Northeast in 1962 and finally winning the NASCAR National Sportsman division in 1967.  In 68 he entered the Grand National Division (Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup) and was the series Rookie of the Year recipient.  In the 69 season Pete won 12 of 26 races in the  Grand American (Busch/Nationwide) Series and took the series' Championship.

Shortly before the start of the 1970 season Pete signed on to drive for Petty Enterprises two car team.  The first race being the Daytona 500, Pete qualified 9th.  Ford and Dodge swapped the lead throughout the race with David Pearson's Mercury leading the most laps, 82

With 18 laps to go and Pearson leading, Richard Brooks's #32 Superbird spins out from a blown engine.  Pearson pitted taking on two tires with Hamilton doing the same.  Petty, who blown his engine in the early stages of the race and was in Hamilton's Pit, calls Pete in the next lap around to take on two more tires. Pearson takes charge with the drop of the Green flag and with nine laps to go, Hamilton's four tires hold for the pass of Pearson's Mercury and on for the Checkered Flag.

Of the 15 races for PE, Hamilton racked up 3 victories, 9 top 5's and 11 top 10's. Of the 3 wins, Pete was the first to win Talledega twice in one season ( Dale Earnhardt was next in 1999).  Due to a neck injury suffered early on in his racing career, Pete retired from NASCAR's top series.

On the faster speedways and superspeedways, two or more vehicles can race faster when lined up front-to-rear than a single car can race alone. The low-pressure wake behind a group's leading car reduces the aerodynamic resistance on the front of the trailing car allowing the second car to pull closer. As the second car nears the first it pushes high-pressure air forward so less fast-moving air hits the lead car's spoiler. The result is less drag for both cars, allowing faster speeds

 A trailing car (perhaps pushed by a line of drafting cars) uses the lead car's wake to pull up with maximum momentum at the end of a straightaway, enters a turn high, and turns down across the lead car's wake. The combination of running downhill and running across the zone of lowest aerodynamic drag allows the trailing car to carry extra speed and pass on the inside of the leader.

We now return to the Tarheel 500 in progress.........

(Voice of Chris Economaki) " Race leader Buddy Baker's Dodge coming off Turn 4 with the Mercury of #24 Cecil Gordon closing  in behind setting the #11 up for the slingshot pass.  Baker has set a blistering pace but seems to falling off. Gordon with fresher tires has caught the leader with the help of the Draft."

"Passing the finish Line Gordon pulls right up to the bumper of Baker, nose to tail, as they enter into Turn 1.  No traffic ahead.....Baker and Gordon ride high into Turn 1...Gordon drops down coming out of Turn 2 rocketing pass the #11 Dodge as they head down the Backstretch........"

"Gordon takes the lead from Baker on lap 48.........

"The Caution Flag is out.....seems to be trouble in Turn 2 as the race leader Cecil Gordon and 2nd Place Buddy Baker race back to the Finish Line with Gordon holding on for the Lead.......We'll take this break for a Station Identification of the Nascar Tarheel 500 and return back to the race...."

Don't know who won but Thanks for tuning in and see ya at the Races!

Having run across an MPC flat hood some time back, I had originally plan to do Buddy Baker's PE #11 White Dodge, but some one had already posted a version of it so back to the decal box I went. Having a slew full of BA leftovers from the Yesterdays sheet of his 69-71 Dodge and Chevrolet sheet, there was enough to combine for a version of  the 71 Coca Cola Charger.

I started out with the PL body but got to thinking that the AMT Stock Charger had smoother lines that tended not to be as blocky as the PL. So with a scrap kit using the chassis, suspension, and body. One discovered flat hood from the scrap parts bin, a donated cage and tires from early nascar kit that was reworked, a RM Hemi and assorted engine parts and PPP rims eventually it all came together. Testor's Gold Met. and Guards Red grace the body

A little history on the 71 Charger...Out of a 48 race schedule for the 71 Season, bobby won two events in a Dodge, the Winston Golden State 400 (6/20/71) at Riverside, CA in a 70 Charger and the Space City 300 (6/23/71) at Houston, TX in a 71 Charger. Of the 71 new body style Charger, it appeared 8 times thru out the season....The last race in a Dodge was at the Buddy Shuman 276 at Hickory, NC on8/28/71 in a 70 Charger. The rest of the 71 Season Bobby was behind the wheel of 69 Mercury, a 71 Mercury and Ford. 5 different cars driving for himself and Holman-Moody!

Bobby ended the 71 season with 11 wins and placing 4th in the final standings while tying Petty with 9 poles and placing 2nd to Petty in laps led.