Re the Convertible division. I read somewhere that NASCAR took the convertibles over originally from another short lived organization. As for the aereodynamics, it needs to be remembered that in the early 50's there was only one or two so called super speedways. The others were what are now called short tracks, with the odd road race mixed in..

Paul

Frank, There was a reprint of an old article about the#26 car in the last issue, Quess I could do an article on the #99 car.

If Carroll Shelby charged $150.00 for an autograph mine should be worth a nickel !

  JUST A MIDNIGHT CRUISE DOWN THUNDER ROAD!!! TOM DRUMMOND MIDWEST DIRECTOR 57 FORD INTERNATIONAL

Good grief! Yer a genuine Movie Star!! Remind me to get an Autograph next summer. Then I can take to Antiques roadshow and get rich. If I don't forget where I put it, or who I am!! Seriously, how about a YBM article on those cars, you never told me any of this. Maybe I didn't shut up long enough to listen!

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

Daniel, I just reread your post and had to laugh, about how famous I am! When we filmed the commercial at Charlotte, the director looked at some of the footage and every one that was in a Hardtop and crash helmet could not be seen.But I was in the open#26 car and could be so the director had to pay to put me in the actors union and they had to pay me as an extra, so not only did I get paid every day the car was used, I also got paid as a movie extra.

  JUST A MIDNIGHT CRUISE DOWN THUNDER ROAD!!! TOM DRUMMOND MIDWEST DIRECTOR 57 FORD INTERNATIONAL

Daniel, Cy worked at a Ford dealership in Minnesota and was a McCulloch -Paxton dealer since 1955. He was the head wrench and worked on all the supercharged 57 Fords for the Min. state police. Most of them he converted to single four cars under Ford Waranty.The superchargers he pulled off all that to be returned to Ford.

Yes the purple cars was used in that Ford spot, and Ford also hauled the car around to big shows to show it with there racing displays. The orange and white 26 car was used in a union76 commercial, that was shot at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. We had a great time doing this also my friend and fellow Y-blocker Richard Martin was there with his Tim Flock 57 Mercury. We also had the pleasure of spending time with Tim Flock,Ralph Moody and Neil Castles ,Neil drove for Ford during the Y-block days.

  JUST A MIDNIGHT CRUISE DOWN THUNDER ROAD!!! TOM DRUMMOND MIDWEST DIRECTOR 57 FORD INTERNATIONAL

alright... next question and we will find out how famous you are lol... a few years back, Ford did a commercial that showed its racing history. The footage shown was present day on a current blacktop road as the cars went from Henry's first race car down through the years... the car kept rolling and "morphed" into cars from different era's. I could have sworn that your purple and white #99 was in that commercial!!!!

EDIT: I remember Cy... he and I talked VS57 stuff for a while. IIRC, he worked at the Paxton plant for a while right?

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

Daniel, Yes i was at Charlotte, and I built both of the race cars that were there. The orange and white #26 and the purple wild hog #99.

I have talked to you at carlisle, I was always with Cy, the old guy with all the superchargers and y-block stuff.

I will look through some of my old stuff,and see what I can turn up.

Go on facebook to NASCAR before 72 and you will see a lot of old time shots.

  JUST A MIDNIGHT CRUISE DOWN THUNDER ROAD!!! TOM DRUMMOND MIDWEST DIRECTOR 57 FORD INTERNATIONAL

Tom,

From the vintage video footage I have seen, I could not agree more with your statement about convertible racing being some of the best.

Were you at that CVA Charlotte meet way back in let's see... '92 or '93? I know there were race cars there just can't remember exactly which ones.

EDIT: Where can I find more photos of Depalo's shop?

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

Gary, The thought behind the convert. series in NASCAR was that the fans could see the drivers working the steering wheel like at the indy car races and the hotrod races. It was also a way to sell more tickets having a seperart race than the hard tops on a different night.

Aeodynamics was not a problem because the ragtops and the hardtops did not race against each other, altough in the last few years of the circuit there were a few races called sweepstake races when the hardtops and ragtops ran in the same race, but each division had a winner.

When the factories backed out in mid 1957 and money was drying up,for 1958 some teams built cars called zipper tops, Cars could be raced as converts. on Saterday and a top was bolted onto them and raced as a hardtop on sunday.

The convertible division in NASCAR only ran from 1956 untill 1959 and Darlington ran the Rebel 300 for a few more years as a once a year ragtop race. But in the four years of the convert. division, it was some of the best racing NASCAR has ever offered.

  JUST A MIDNIGHT CRUISE DOWN THUNDER ROAD!!! TOM DRUMMOND MIDWEST DIRECTOR 57 FORD INTERNATIONAL

What was the theory back then in racing convertibles? Surely the wind swirling around must have caused excessive drag issues?

Gary - 1958 Star Customline and 1940 Ford Deluxe Hotrod