late 1960's early 1970's dragsters and the haulers they got rides on

all found on a thread on Moparts about Mopar haulers and the race cars... very cool stuff, two of my favorite topics http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=4135439&page=0&fpart=32&vc=1 

Mario Andretti

One of only 3 drivers to win in 4 different decades.. the other two were Foyt and Petty.

One of only two drivers to win in Formula One, Indy Car, the World Sportscar Championship, and Nascar

Was once pulled over for speeding in Santa Monica, and the cop asked "Who do you think you are? Mario Andretti?" No kidding, it really happened. He was interviewed by Hot Rod in the Jan 2012 issue, page 16

Famous people I happened across at SEMA this year... makes me wonder who I walked past and didn't notice

 AJ (Adrienne Janiciek) and Bill Goldberg

 What you didn't know about AJ is, she's or Serbian and Mexican decent, was one of the Fantanas (Fanta Soda ad campaign)
What you probably knew is that she is the television co-host of the Discovery Channel's Overhaulin', and she was also a host of Hot Import Nights (2008), an automotive show on the Speed Channel.

 Richard Petty
what you may not have known is that he is most well known for winning the NASCAR Championship seven times (there has only been one other driver to accomplish this), winning a record 200 races during his career, winning the Daytona 500 a record seven times, and winning a record 27 races (ten of them consecutively) in the 1967 season alone, a record number of poles (127) and over 700 top-ten finishes in his 1,185 starts, including 513 consecutive starts from 1971–1989.
Petty's final race was the first career start for Jeff Gordon, and it was the 2nd closest points championship in NASCAR history, with six drivers mathematically eligible to win the championship.

 Linda Vaughn and George Barris

 Above, Dennis Anderson, creator and driver of Gravedigger

 Above, Vic Edelbrock

 Above, Parnelli Jones.... winner of the 1963 Indianapolis 500,  the first driver to qualify over 150 mph at the Indy 500, winner of the Pikes Peak  Hill Climb of 1963, and broke the stock car speed record. He won the Baja 100 and set a speed record doing that. As owner, he won the Indy 500 twice more, the 71-73 USAC championship, the 76 SCORE championship, and lots more. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parnelli_Jones

Alex Xydias, founder of So Cal Speed Shop

 ought to be known as the Werewolf of London, his hair is always perfect.

Musclecarblog.tumbler has a great focus on late 60's high performance musclecars, and Mopars particularly

Of course I love this R/T photo, I've got an R/T... and my last musclecar was a Superbee that looked exactly like the above R/T, with a bee on the grill instead of the rt.

For lots more great musclecar photos, and not just mopars: http://musclecarblog.tumblr.com

The Richard Petty racing shops front and back area in 1971

From http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=493654 via http://chromjuwelen.tumblr.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

Just in case you thought the world was making sense... I find a 1976 Charger Daytona, and Richard Petty selling it

The above ad is Richard Petty as the spokeman for the Dodge Charger Daytona... ( really? Anything no matter how beneath your dignity, for a buck?) and below, the same car, where an editor captioned it and inferred Petty would have nothing to do with it

For more on the 1977-78 Charger, see; http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/06/1977-78-van-advertising-now-that-was.html

"Awesome Nostalgia" Drag racing.. nothing compares to the experience

Completely off the ground.

This doesn't look like the far lane is going to have a good landing

Why it's more important to have a scattershield around the trans, and the engine in the back. Those flying parts are also rotating, at between 4 to 9 thousand rpm... notice the tires are still spun up... and those spinning discs will slice through any thing that gets in the way. Be careful out there, and have fun.

That's the timing lights in the upper left of the photo, and the front tires are off the ground, the Moon Eyes are looking at the track they'd desperately like to get back to, and the slicks arec oming off the bead of the rim.

Paradise Mesa dragstrip in San Diego

Petty's Barracuda

This is gonna break parts when it comes back to earth

http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101131