The Golden Age of Super Stock
Growing up in the 60s was a wonderful thing for my older Brother Glen and myself. Our Dad was sales manager at the local Ford dealer and we spent almost every weekend at the Dragstrip. Dad would take new cars and race them in pure stock class and was very successful. We saw the Altered Wheelbase cars come of age and Gassers were wild and unpredictable but there was one class of racing that will forever be our favorite, Super Stock.I wanted to do a website to honor one of the most awesome Super Stock cars we had ever seen during the late 60s and so here it is.
In 2003 I purchased a book written by Larry Davis called Super Stock: Drag Racing the Family Sedan and it is an excellent book dedicated specifically to that class. It is very well illustrated and documented. The Fairlane on page 185 getting its doors blown off by the Hemi Belvedere (see it here) is the car to which this site is dedicated. I contacted Larry and he sent me a copy of that print in full color. With his permission it is posted on this site and I owe him a debt of gratitude.
I also bought Charles Morris’ book Total Performers: Ford Drag Racing in the 1960s and I have to say there has never been a book that gives the inside story on Ford only racers and their cars like this book does.
Charles recently released another book titled Factory Lightweights: Detroits Drag Racing Specials of the 60’s. This book covers all makes but it is quite evident that Charles is a Ford Guy! 2 of John Downing’s cars are featured in this book along with the NHRA National Record certificate where John set a new SS/B National Record at 11.42 in May of 1967.
I want to thank the many members of the Ford FE Engine Forum of which I have been a member since its inception. It has been a wealth of information and not a day goes by that I do not visit it at least a half dozen times.
I look forward to any comments that you may have and plan on updating periodically.
Sincerely, Earl Hayes
Mt. Vernon, Illinois