Fuel Injected Mod Coupes (miss 'em)

[DaveHFulton]

When I look back at all the things I miss from my early days attending races, number 1 on my list would have to be the beautiful NASCAR Fuel Injected coupes and coaches that were the mainstay of our Virginia tracks in the mid-60s before NASCAR finally forced late models down the throats of track operators and competitors. To see the magnificient Tant/Mitchell red Flying 11 fuel injected Chevy 327 wheeled by "Mr. Modified", Rapid Ray Hendrick under the lights at Southside or South Boston was a thing of beauty, especially if Junie Donlavey's blue #90 Ford with Sonny Hutchins up on the wheel was beside Ray going into the corner. No cars since have made the thunderous, earth vibrating sound of those fuel injected mods with the big Hilborn fuel injection stacks. We used to love to see Perk Brown really get William Mason's black & white #45 wound up after a few laps. That's when those white exhaust dumps would start glowing cherry red on a warm summer night. The sight of the blue flames pulsing from the exhaust pipes can never be replicated by today's NASCAR machines. Forgive a senior's musings, but this is one of those things that if you never saw or heard, it is hard to imagine. Just like the masterful call of legenday announcer, Ray Melton of "Gennymennnnnnnnn....... START - YOUR -ENGINES!" Today's honorary starters at our high dollar races will never do justice to the "COMMAND". Not when compared to Melton's rousing missive that brought every fan to their feet. There were a lot of good things about the "old" days.

[capefear01]

Dave
Reading your story reminded me of yesterday...yes, I said yesterday when I was sanding the roof down on my coach, the sound if made reminded me of the first time I ever heard of B-25 Bombers twin engines rumbling down the taxi way and then throttling up for take-off. My Dad was a B-25 pilot in Burma China in WWII, he used to take us to every air-show that had a B-25 in the show. It's a sound I'll never forget, he sure didn't after all those years.
Thanks for describing that memory, I would have loved to have seen that.

The photo is of Lt. C. E. Wilmore with an A-26 in China. Dad use to bomb the J out of the Japenese railroad, ships, convoy's, bridges and occasional troop formations. The A-26 and B-25 were both low level bombers. As a matter of fact he told me that Myrtle Beach use to be used as a bombing range. The B-25H would fly just above the waves and mounted in the nose was a 75mm cannon. It had no real accuracy so the pilots figured out that if they shot the cannon at water level the projectile would skip across the water and hit the target. They called it "skip bombing" Hmmm?

[DaveHFulton]

Dave
The photo is of Lt. C. E. Wilmore with an A-26 in China.

That is a neat photo! BTW, for those of you not familiar with the late announcer, Ray Melton, here's a link to a good 2005 column about him by Tom Higgins:
http://blogs.thatsracin.com/scuffs/2005/09/a_ray_of_color.html

[DoubleZero]

Dave, I can still hear Ray Melton at Darlington..................."from the country hamlet towns and crossroads to the metropolitan cities.........ladies and gentlemen stand up, clap your hands, stomp your feet, send them on their way, as they pass two by two in review! The 40 greatest stoaack caa drivaas in the worrrrrld............competing in this 15th annnnaual Souuuuuthennnnn 500!!! AND all of this to the strains of DIXIE!

[DaveHFulton]

Dave, I can still hear Ray Melton at Darlington

You've got it right on!

"Painted in all the colors of the rainbow!"

It used to make the hair stand up on the back of my neck and the green flag hadn't even been waved! Harlan Hoover of Carolina Sound used to have a tape of Ray and I wished I had had him make me a copy.

[DoubleZero]

Dave, I'm looking for an old set of Hilborn Injectors for my #300 coupe! I need 'um, cause the O-riginal 300 had 'um (like all good modifieds)!

[wesleycogdell]

i know there is still a group of them around somewhere near northern VA. saw them play around during july 4th weekend at winchester

[PRP]

The "FLYING 11" Chevy Coupe also ran a Big Block Hilborn Injected Motor Driven by "RAPID" Ray Hendrick , I saw this car race at Beltsville , Old Dominion , Southside , Martinsville and Strawberry Hill ( Richmond Fargrounds ) , Ray Hendrick IS THE MAN he is the First Driver to offer me his autograph in 1963 at Langley Field Speedway !!!

[Racerchaser]

where was this taken

http://www.3widespicturevault.com/Senior_Moments/e07.13.08_659_BOH_BEL_0068S_1.jpg

[Racerchaser]

who's the driver?
http://www.3widespicturevault.com/50pic/08.23.03_121_KAG_MAN_0054_1.jpg

[PRP]

The photo of the #659 Modified was taken at Beltsville Speedway in the mid sixties !!!

[Kenny]

The 121 car says it right on the door!!! Elmo Langley! Wooo,got me one!!!!

[capefear01]

The 121 says Elmo but that's not Elmo Langley unless he gained 40 pounds

[DoubleZero]

But, looking at the bright side, there's another sayin'............OLD SNORT!

[Kenny]

The 121 says Elmo but that's not Elmo Langley unless he gained 40 pounds
Might be Mlmo Langley,Elmo's oldest son.he weights bout 40 more pounds than Elmo! Now is that better,capefear?

[capefear01]

Might be Mlmo Langley,Elmo's oldest son.he weights bout 40 more pounds than Elmo! Now is that better,capefear?

LOL! I could accept that excuse, er, I mean answer.

[georgep]

where was this taken

http://www.3widespicturevault.com/Senior_Moments/e07.13.08_659_BOH_BEL_0068S_1.jpg
Parker Bohn, Skinner 659 at Vineland N.J.