Make an entrance, don't just show up.

Texas Motor Speedway, NASCAR Dickies 500, 2009... the Chevrolet Camaro SS pace car arrived at a race in style.
In a Chinook helicopter.
As a salute to US military veterans, the monster double-rotor chopper touched down by the side of track, releasing the Camaro driven by NASA astronaut Doug Hurley, who is not only a US Marine Corps colonel, but also holds a Texas Motor Speedway season ticket and piloted the shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station in July.

Black and white and cool all over

Sophia Loren on the hood of a 300sl

Nixon in Paris 1957

Bumper cars at a British carnival

The concept car Ford Seattle

Dizzy Dean trying to start a 2nd career

Daytona Beach racing 1953

Train wreck Palatine Illinois 1950

Cincinatti 1950

Looks like James Dean's Porsche

Brooklyn 1955, maybe a Packard taxi

From "If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger,There'd Be a Whole Lot of Dead Copycats" a blog about all pre-1970 American culture via photography http://tsutpen.blogspot.com/

Nixon had race cars over to the white house, and fired up Richard Petty's and Mario Andretti's race cars

http://sca.gmu.edu/exhibit/atkins_1.htm

If you want to click on it for the full size and read the whole thing, that is the best way to get all teh info, but simply put, Jackie Stewart and his Lola Chevy, a dragster, Richard Petty's 1971 Road Runner stock car, Mario Andretti's Indy car were there, in the White House drive way.

Petty and Andretti fired up their cars. Wow, that would have been great to experience!

Others there, Swede Savage, Dan Gurney, Penske, Posey, Donohue and Graham Hill

From the Nixon Library:

515 to 527 pm Sept 21 1971 White House

The President viewed an exhibition of race cars. He was accompanied by race car driver Mario Andretti, winner of the 1969 Indianapolis 500 and member of the President's Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
The President spoke briefly to the owners and drivers of the cars:

James Lee, owner

Richard Petty, owner/driver

Andy Granatelli, owner

Carl Hass, owner

Jackie Stewart, driver

535 to 645 pm
The President hosted a reception for automobile racing figures.

from http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/virtuallibrary/documents/PDD/1971/042%20September%2021-30%201971.pdf just page 3, and Appendix D actually doesn't list the racers, it says they were all issued invitations verbally and this no comprehensive list was made

See a photo of it on page 76 of "Cars of the King" http://books.google.com/books?id=Txbx3Y2mDL4C&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76&dq=1971+white+house+race+cars&source=bl&ots=sSwEUIdUS_&sig=ELJG5IhIK1YMdpjWObWP3vV8SzA&hl=en&ei=GZtiS_e9GY-ssgO_3rCdAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CCMQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=1971%20white%20house%20race%20cars&f=false

Natl assoc of WHAT cars? Here's another banana, and another profile comparison of factory to race banana

Notice the differences in the 2 race cars, that Petty's was customized to race against all other "STOCK" road runners yet is obviously a ringer, the wheel wells are better, the c pillar looks smaller, looks like about an inch chop, and the rear tires look set back an couple inches, the truck looks more horizontal too.

For the Jr Johnson "yellow Banana" of fame : http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-junior-johnson-made-1966-ford.html

How Junior Johnson made a 1966 Ford competitive in NASCAR

Above via: http://www.fredlorenzen.com/banana.htm

even in 1966 stock cars weren't. This one was nicknamed "the yellow banana"

Original NASCAR Chevelle at Speedfest

That is a wonderfaul paint scheme and cool look... this generation of Chevelle has such a macho looking front

Best damn coverage of the interesting, amusing, funny, and attention grabbing stuff that happened in the 1970's NASCAR

http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/RapidRoy/2009/01/31/The_Evolution_of_the_Stock_Car

Thanks Harv!

It's not the record winning #21 that Pearson drove in Nascar to 11 straight pole wins, and still holds the Darlington track record for most wins

The #21 David Pearson set records with has a 429 and is in the Darlington museum... is restored, and looks beautiful. This 351 Merc is likely a tribute car of a fans from the 70's. It was at the Auto Club 500 very recently http://www.rowdy.com/content/profile/blog/29050/auto-club-500-pt-2-raceday-pics

Pearson drove from 1960 through 1986, winning three championships despite rarely running a full Cup schedule. With 105 career victories and 113 poles, only Richard Petty -- who made many more starts -- ranks ahead of him in either category.

http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/opinion/03/06/one.menz.jmenzer.dpearson.atlanta/story_single.html

I can't tell what race series this competes in... the number 2 Miller Lite / PPG

I find the lack of thread interesting, rounded ends of the lugs, and wonder what the safety is in having longer lugs without threads.

Dan said...
on the studs; the round ends and blank lead-in would be for quick changes, with that amount of blank there is very little chance for a crossed thread and the round ends make it easier to get on target with the gun. As long as the nut covers sufficient thread I don't see any issues with safety.

Dan, I was wondering why the length... I recall that extra long lugs were a safety requirement, and thought it was to have the extra inch or so of threads... for the nut to have a hold on if it should lose the torque force smashing it onto the rim, it would then have some thread to keep that rim on the vehicle a little longer for the driver to feel or hear the loose rim, and safely get off the track.. that's why I wondered about the length of the lug... to have it bare is conflicting with what I thought was the safety feature of the extra threaded lenght. I love this, I get to learn from people who know stuff! I dig your explanation of the cross thread reason, and rounded lug end, I looked at those and immediately thought that was a good idea!

Petty Enterprises

Before landing major sponsorship in 1972, the Petty Enterprises team remained very much a family-based operation.

After several years of struggle, Petty gradually stepped away from the ownership role. The investment group, Boston Ventures, purchased a majority interest in Petty Enterprises in 2008.

Just before the 2009 season, Petty agreed to merge his team with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.
The famed complex of low-slung buildings in Level Cross, N.C., that comprised Petty Enterprises is now basically a museum.
http://www.tricities.com/tri/sports/motor_sports/article/nascar_legends_feel_teams_could_benefit_from_a_more_streamlined_approach/21777/
From an article in Hot Rod... that Petty Holdings will operate under ownership of Boston Ventures and Gillett Evernham Motorsports, using the GEM shop

Holman Moody Torino Talladega #17

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=50a1ddd511b78a0a&q=Auto+Racing+source:life&ei=uFQkSfjyM4e4sAOi25jBCA&sig2=8NvdMH46Hyz9rfb61NSesQ&usg=__RF8-PKh2ElcHLHUBXqLkXBC3Zeo=&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAuto%2BRacing%2Bsource:life%26start%3D105%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DN Via: http://hotwheels.tumblr.com/page/23

One of these race cars is not like the other... I bet he wins, drifting sideways to a win hasn't worked in Nascar yet that I've heard

blogmulsanne.blogspot.com & www.mulsanne.com.br Automobilismo, Antigomobilismo & Conversa Fiada !!!

Speedfest 2008 had a terrific car show area, and it included these real former NASCAR racecars

They had a couple exhibition laps, sounded great, but I was hoping for faster speeds and some competitive passing