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Noted Ford stock car author and historian Dr. John Craft shares his impressive photo collection with us. John has researched and restored several significant Ford stock cars. These include Fred Lorenzen's H&M 1965 Galaxie, and Tom Pistone's Sportsman Cyclone which John restored as one of Cale Yarborough's 1969 Spoiler II Grand National cars. John has authored several interesting books, including the titles Boss & Cobra Jet Mustangs, Mustang Race Cars, Classic Stock Cars, and Ford, Lincoln & Mercury Stock Cars.
Check out some of John's books
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John Craft's next restoration project is this '68 Torino. It started out as a '67 Fairlane. It was a Bondy Long car and driven by Dick Hutcherson in 1967. In 1968 H&M rebodied the car and it was again assigned to Bondy Long. Bobby Allison took Hutch's seat when he retired. Bobby (as per usual) got pissed about something and quit the team before the Firecracker 400. AJ Foyt stepped in for a while followed by Swede Savage. Little Bud Moore finished out the season in the car. It raced as a red car towards the end of the season. Bondy's step dad (a DuPont) pulled the plug on his racing in 1969. The car ran some modified sportsman after that, but not much. It was still wearing its rusty sheetmetal as found, and still had its (unobtanium) H&M tag. Best of all, he has copy of the 1968 one dollar "bill of sale" for the car to Bondy. Looks like a you have your work cut out for you John! |
) On the track in 1967 |
) Rebodied as a 1968 Torino |
) Driven by Bobby Allison in 1968 |
) Driven by A.J. Foyt in 1968 |
) At N.Carolina Mtr.Speedway in 1968 |
) Painted red & driven by Little Bud Moore in 1968 |
) As found in 2009 |
) As found in 2009 |
) H&M body tag still in place |
John Craft has yet another basket case stock car he is currently restoring. This one is a '64 Galaxie that started out as the #06 H&M "house car" in 1964. It ran a ton of road races including Riverside(Skip Hudson), Sebring (Augie Pabst--in a 250 KM sedan support race to the 12 Hour), Bridgehampton (Marvin Panch), Watkins Glen (Bob Welborn) and IRP (Whitey Gerken). It also ran Daytona (Bobby Marshman) Atlanta (Larry Frank) and a couple of dirt track events, too. This historic stock sat in a Virginia cow pasture for 41 years! Restoration is under way, the chassis is done and John has a donor body and all of the sub-components ready to install. The Galaxie will be finished in the Marvin Panch Bridgehampton configuration. Here are some shots from the #06's career. (2/7/10) |
) Jabe Thomas in mid-air |
) Skip Hudson at Riverside |
) Augie Pabst at Sebring |
) Bobby Marshman at Daytona |
) New Oxford, PA on dirt |
) Larry Frank at Atlanta |
) Daytona 1964 |
) The Galaxie as John found it in a field |
) Holman & Moody chassis tag |
John Craft sent in these super-rare shots of a couple different Ford test sessions at Daytone. Included is late-1968 test of a H&M Talladega, note the rear wing. Also we have shots of a winter test at Daytona for the upcoming 1970 Fairlane/Torino stock car. |
) Talladega testing at Daytona in Late 1968 |
) 1970 Torino testing at Daytona - Winter 1969 |
) 1970 Torino testing at Daytona - Winter 1969 |
) 1970 Torino testing at Daytona - Winter 1969 |
More great vintage shots from John Craft. Here we have some very interesting behind the scenes shots from Ford's stock car HQ, Holman & Moody. H&M was given the unfortunate task of storing four "death cars" for Ford. The first was Walt Hansgen's MkII GT40 which crashed at Le Mans in April of 1966, resulting in his death. Next, was Les Ritchey's A/FX Mustang, in which he lost his life in a horrific crash at Fontana Raceway in May 1966. The third car was the GT40 "J-car" test car Ken Miles perished in after a crash at Riverside in August, 1966. And finally, shown below under cover, Horst Kwech's 1969 Trans Am Mustang. A spectator was killed after Kwech's Mustang crashed into a parking area at Michigan International Speedway in 1969. |
) A Cyclone stock car, a GT40, and Kwech's wrecked '69 T/A Mustang (under cover) - 1970 |
) John Holman & Ralph Moody with Lorenzen's Galaxie |
) Holman & Moody 1960's |
) Holman & Moody 1960's |
) Holman & Moody 1960's |
) Waddell Wilson at H&M |
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