Petty at 1977 Daytona 500, NO stripes between the blue and red
- Thread starter odcics2
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j-c-c-62
Well-Known Member
Is there any spoiler on that car?
Rishi
Well-Known Member
looks like the coveted phantom spoiler. that has been spoiling week-old leftover for decades.
Rishi
Well-Known Member
I'm always been a big fan of Richard Petty. He and his crew pioneered many things, and Nascar made/changed many rules as a result of his wins.
one of my favorite stories: the Richard Petty team got the idea to wrap insulation around the header pipe from cylinder head all the way back to the exhaust tip. it was standard physics knowledge that hot air flows faster than cold air. I presume they did this in an effort to improve power/efficiency with faster flowing exhaust. I don't know when or which race it was, but this mod lasted one race, before Nascar changed the rules outlawing the practice. During the race, anytime another car would attempt to draft behind Richard Petty, the hot air from his exhaust was so hot, it caused the solder to melt in the radiator of the car behind Petty, which then resulted in rapid spillage of coolant causing cars to either pit falling out of the race, or lose traction and spin out into the wall. Petty won that race.
one of my favorite stories: the Richard Petty team got the idea to wrap insulation around the header pipe from cylinder head all the way back to the exhaust tip. it was standard physics knowledge that hot air flows faster than cold air. I presume they did this in an effort to improve power/efficiency with faster flowing exhaust. I don't know when or which race it was, but this mod lasted one race, before Nascar changed the rules outlawing the practice. During the race, anytime another car would attempt to draft behind Richard Petty, the hot air from his exhaust was so hot, it caused the solder to melt in the radiator of the car behind Petty, which then resulted in rapid spillage of coolant causing cars to either pit falling out of the race, or lose traction and spin out into the wall. Petty won that race.
j-c-c-62
Well-Known Member
That is a neat story, and that is all it is, with a couple of facts thrown in, like RP was driving, other cars followed/drafted him, and he won the race.
Little else is true however.
Little else is true however.
Rishi
Well-Known Member
hearsay, as most stories are.
edit: maybe even "car show hearsay" which is of dubious authenticity.
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Any info on them?
Rishi
Well-Known Member
The cars in posts #3 and #5 may even be different cars. The STP decal is in a different spot. and a different haircut?
One is from 1975, the other 1977......
j-c-c-62
Well-Known Member
My guess is #5 is Daytona 500 Qualifier, because stands are not full, people wearing jackets, brisk wind coming from the NW, sun/shadows look to be 11-12 noon, 500 normally started around noon.
#3 is a different year or the Firecracker 400 previous day qualifying because, stands are not full, dead grass heat/drought?, no jackets seen, sun/shadows 11-12 noon, race normally started 10Am
Regardless, there are no hemi's pictured here.
#3 is a different year or the Firecracker 400 previous day qualifying because, stands are not full, dead grass heat/drought?, no jackets seen, sun/shadows 11-12 noon, race normally started 10Am
Regardless, there are no hemi's pictured here.
I got the photo in posting #1 in June of 1977.
Petty signed it with a ball point pen that’s now faded out. All you can see is the depression of the pen when viewed at an angle!
The pic was taken at the 500 in February. I was there.
Petty signed it with a ball point pen that’s now faded out. All you can see is the depression of the pen when viewed at an angle!
The pic was taken at the 500 in February. I was there.
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