The Retro Mopar Muscle issue is on the magazine store racks, here's a quick look

 They've got the full story how this 1969 Barracuda, 340, 4 speed but upgraded to a 440 for drag racing and painted in the early 70's came to keep it's cool paint and get out of the barn it was stored in

Yup, it's worth the 6 bucks

Dan and his 68 Road Runner were picked for the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational, and after that, were here at the Del Mar Goodguys course, having a great time

 That is Dan at the left of the photo. Served in the US Marines, finished his enlistment and is now building race cars. That is cool!

his Car Carft Magazine feature: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/dan-has-gotten-featured-in-car-craft.html

 Speedometer and gauges refinished by Red Line Gauge Works http://www.redlinegaugeworks.com/ who do incredible work, and have had their work featured in many magazines

 Full gallery here: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/11/dan-earned-invitation-to-optima.html

Coverage of Dan at the Qualcomm Stadium parking lot SCCA races: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/03/never-thought-id-find-time-to-get-to.html 

To understand what it is to be invited into the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational... you need to know that the people who you race against include Bill Goldberg (host of Garage Mahal, and Bull Run, and formerly a wrestling star) and people with unlimited money to make their cars as close to full race cars as you can't find the difference. Dan was invited for his awesome 1968 Road Runner that is so good, and built by himself and friend Mike while he was in the Marines, at the Auto Hobby Shop at MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) Miramar here in San Diego (formerly NAS Miramar where the TopGun training scholl for jet jocks was, and I was stationed at that base from 1995-1997 and spent a lot of time at that same Auto Hobby Shop working on my 1969 Dodge Super Bee) http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/03/mcas-miramar-auto-hobby-shop-has-this.html

Road Runner in 1969 running in the Baja 1000... if ever a better named car and race met, I can't think of it

I think this was the back page of Mopar Muscle

1969 hemi roadrunner convertible barnfind... and that is one reason I subscribe to Mopar Muscle

Road Rattler made by Spitzer and debuted at SEMA

 Jim and Scott Mitchell had the Spitzer people who are more commonly drag race car builders make this sleek, over the top, and highly customized Road Runner a crowd magnet. I couldn't get a full side view photo because there were too many people, so the last photo in this gallery if from the Spitzer webpage

 It's incredibly rare to see Lenco shifters in a car, it's not common to see them in dragsters, but they sure look great!

 the roof is from an Impala, I think I heard, for the lower profile, flatter curves, and big back window. No rain gutters either

http://www.gospitzer.com/2011roadrattler.htm

Dan earned an invitation to the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational... a 68 Road Runner, and blue collar worker mixing it up with millionaires!

if Dan's Road Runner looks familiar, it's either because I just posted about him getting featured in Car Craft Dec 2011 http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/dan-has-gotten-featured-in-car-craft.html or because you have recently looked through the magazine yourself

 

the decal called for is for the company that rebuilt the gauges... Redline I think Dan said

inside shots to illustrate the roll cage and seats used in protouring, cause I was curious

great looking rims! I'll ask what brand, and what size tires,... I'll post that here when I learn

I only have seen one other car that has a sticker saying that it's been Dyno tuned by the Dyno shop.. mine

A look at the front air dams and tire and rim combo

The OPTIMA Invitational has regional qualifying events to increase diversity among vehicles, drivers and enthusiasts. These qualifiers will also help uncover talented vehicle builders and owners with the hottest street machines in the country for this year’s fourth annual OPTIMA Invitational. OPTIMA held qualifying events in 2011 and the first seven were:

•Run to the Coast: February 26-27, 2011
•Run to the Shore: April 1-3, 2011
•Run to Music City: May 28-29, 2011
•Motor State Challenge: June 17-19, 2011
•Heidts Performance Car Challenge – Midwest: July 15-17, 2011
•Holley LSFest II: September 9-11, 2011
•Run Through the Hills: September 23-25, 2011

The show is brought to TV on Speed and hosted by automotive enthusiast and larger-than-life personality Bill Goldberg and regular SPEED contributor and automotive racing reporter, Jamie Howe, is to give viewers the feeling that they are there on the track, living in the moment with the participants as they tweak, drive and will their cars to peak performance in pursuit of the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car title.


“This event is all about giving people a look at what these cars can really do when they are pulled off the show floor and put on the track to compete,” said Cam Douglass director of product development and marketing for OPTIMA Batteries

The OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational, presented by K&N Filters and Wilwood Disc Brakes, occurs the first weekend in November (that was today) immediately following the SEMA Show, and has become a highly anticipated, international event among industry enthusiasts, manufacturers and media. The Invitational brings in some of the top automotive talent and highly-modified vehicles, credible racing veterans and fresh talent with undiscovered street machines.
The Invitational takes place at Spring Mountain Motor Ranch, a state-of-the-art racing facility in Pahrump, Nevada. The track is located just 45 minutes west of downtown Las Vegas
http://www.optimainvitational.com/2011_invitational.html

Here is Dan and his road runner in late 2008, that's my yellow R/T in back