It is interesting that these racers were the larger Fairlane 500s rather than the lighter, short wheelbase Custom/Custom 300 cars. I would have thought that the lighter car would have been preferred for racing.
Especially with the Dodge hauler. In a factory team I could see Marketing demand the style-leader Fairlane two-door hardtop race but surely a factory team would have a Ford haul rig?
Looking closely at the bumper ends, it looks like ’57 Chevy, with some sort of homemade radiator protection attached. It might go to that bottom rear car, backed onto the trailer, the bits of which are visible look like a ’57 Chevy. They might have needed to remove the bumper, to not hang up the car while backing it onto the trailer.
This tractor-trailer rig is likely either owned by someone involved in the NASCAR racing back then, or hired for the transportation gig. No markings or ICC numbers on the rig suggest private ownership. No “factory team” effort here, they just loaded ’em up and moved them along with whatever they had, or had access to. There are photos of Richard Petty’s rig in the ’60s, where he still towed his “43” race car on a flatbed trailer. The Saturday night local amateurs today have better equipment than just about anyone did in the late ’50s.
The conjunction of Dodge and Ford gave me a moment of confusion. I thought: “No wait, those are Dodges!” Why the confusion? In recent years Dodge has adopted the ‘crosshair’ grille which started with Pegaso and then moved to the Chrysler 300s. The crosshair has always symbolized cannon-like power. Ford used the crosshair just this once, in ’58.
Now, that was back in the day when “stock” NASCAR-or whatever race cars were really beefed up stock cars, not tube-frame racing chassis with decorative aero body panels attached. Most of their “styling” is paint. They don’t even LOOK like the “stock” cars they claim to mimic.
The adage, “Race on Sunday, sell on Monday” hardly applies any more.
It is interesting that these racers were the larger Fairlane 500s rather than the lighter, short wheelbase Custom/Custom 300 cars. I would have thought that the lighter car would have been preferred for racing.
Especially with the Dodge hauler. In a factory team I could see Marketing demand the style-leader Fairlane two-door hardtop race but surely a factory team would have a Ford haul rig?
I was looking at the same thing. Is it me or those cars are hardtops? I thought they used mainly 2 door sedans.
Looking closely at the bumper ends, it looks like ’57 Chevy, with some sort of homemade radiator protection attached. It might go to that bottom rear car, backed onto the trailer, the bits of which are visible look like a ’57 Chevy. They might have needed to remove the bumper, to not hang up the car while backing it onto the trailer.
This tractor-trailer rig is likely either owned by someone involved in the NASCAR racing back then, or hired for the transportation gig. No markings or ICC numbers on the rig suggest private ownership. No “factory team” effort here, they just loaded ’em up and moved them along with whatever they had, or had access to. There are photos of Richard Petty’s rig in the ’60s, where he still towed his “43” race car on a flatbed trailer. The Saturday night local amateurs today have better equipment than just about anyone did in the late ’50s.
Is that a Ranch Wagon or Country Sedan below #72? We had a goat vomit green 1958 RW when I was a tot.
The conjunction of Dodge and Ford gave me a moment of confusion. I thought: “No wait, those are Dodges!” Why the confusion? In recent years Dodge has adopted the ‘crosshair’ grille which started with Pegaso and then moved to the Chrysler 300s. The crosshair has always symbolized cannon-like power. Ford used the crosshair just this once, in ’58.
Is that a ’58 T-Bird bumper-grill assembly laying in the dirt?
Not sure, it had me thinking about Pontiac.
Now, that was back in the day when “stock” NASCAR-or whatever race cars were really beefed up stock cars, not tube-frame racing chassis with decorative aero body panels attached. Most of their “styling” is paint. They don’t even LOOK like the “stock” cars they claim to mimic.
The adage, “Race on Sunday, sell on Monday” hardly applies any more.
Of course it wouldn’t make sense, must be an illusion, but the front car’s quarter panel seems to be Skyliner
I agree with Bruce Budge that the lead car on the bottom level looks like a wagon. Perhaps it is a support vehicle or just along for the ride.