As you can see, there are some familiar names. "Grumpy" Jenkins, Doc Spence,
Bill "The Professor" Shirey, Jack Werst, Larry Griffith and Chuck Ostrich
were all contract racers.
Larry Griffith and Gary Ostrich are two of the best racers that no one today seems to have ever heard of. They dominated the old UDRA circuit in the Midwest, and Ostrich was one of the most prolific innovators I have ever been around.
Update August 2004Scott M. writes: [There's] a bona fide original here in my hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. As far back as my father, or myself for that matter (I am 29) can remember, an original A990 Belevedere by the name of The Honkin Hemi has been campaigned by a veteran engine builder/Chrysler dealer named Carlon Hine in nearby Kinsman Ohio (Hine Motors). If I am correct, he was the original owner of the car. I beleive the car is now owned by the mechanic who used handle the driving chores for Carlon, however I am not sure. As far as the car is concerned, it sits about two miles from my house in what used to be a NAPA auto repair center and is in A-1 condition. The last time I witnessed the car being run, must have been at least 5-6 years ago at a local track (Quaker City Raceway).
Update October 2004John F. writes: Three updates and clarifications on the above information from Scott M. include: 1) The owner is Carlon Hine of Kinsman, Ohio; 2) Bill Pakula of Canfield is the driver; and 3) the business is still a NAPA car center.
Update January 16, 2005 Craig Handley writes: You have Paddock Plymouth listed 78-81. Tom Redmond bought one and ran it as Mother' Mistake. We think this car was recently found. I have talked to Shaun about contacting Chrysler historical to verify it. Another car was bought by Ernie Sloan and raced as Sloan and Sloan. My partner sold it to someone in Illinois years ago. The third car was bought by Ed Halsey and raced as El Toro. Mother's Mistake was altered and ran as a blown car, which I was one of many drivers. El Toro was altered and injected. My partner, Bob Pickel, and I now race it at Mopar and nostalgia shows. Ed
Halsey is still around and occasionally comes to the races with us.
Update April 4, 2005 Steve writes: To clarify the story of the "Honkin' Hemi"...
The car was purchased directly from Chrysler by Carlon Hine. He was not originally on the list to receive one of these cars,
therefore it was probably one of the product planning or engineering staff cars.
I was told by Mr. Pakula that when Carlon received the car the original engine was pulled out and put away for "safe
keeping". A spare engine was put in and is still there. Carlon still does own the car, but Mr. Pakula takes care
of and races it for him. He still runs the car about 1-2 times a month, towards the end of racing season usually.
The Mopar still pulls the wheels and I've seen it go 9.50's. At one point in the car's life it was tubbed, but when this was
done it looks like it was done professionally.
Hine Motors is now Hine Racing Equipment. They specialize in circle track racing now, but they still do build engines.
You may have seen the red S/SB 1964 Plymouth which also goes by the name of "Honkin' Hemi". Even though it says Hine Motors, this IS NOT one of their cars. The driver of this car uses the name with permission from Carlon.
Steve writes also about car #74, Nick Califato: He was from New Castle, Pa. His nickname was "Broomer" and he had that painted on the side of his car with a sweeping broom. He very carefully financed this car through a local bank, without telling them it was a race car. They never gave him a payment book and it was repo'd a couple years later. Before this happened he switched the rear end with another car and Chuck Lombardo (California Street Rods) was building a Corvette gasser. He got the motor from the car and the car went with him when he moved to California. No one knows where the car or motor is today.
Update September 12, 2005
Chris Grasso writes: A slight correction to the information listed for entry #8. The 1965 Plymouth A/SA driven by Dr. Dick Spence was campaigned by Sites Brothers Chrysler-Plymouth, located at 8625 Troost in Kansas City, MO. Dubbed The Missouri Mule, it raced at the AHRA Winternationals at Beeline Dragway near Scottsdale, AZ, in January 1965. This information, along with a photo of the car, appears on page 159 of the book Super Stock: Drag Racing the Family Sedan by Larry Davis. (ISBN: 1-884089-53-4). Elsewhere in the book, Davis relates how The Missouri Mule advanced to round two of 1965 NHRA Winter Nationals before Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins put them on the trailer in the "Black Arrow" 1965 Plymouth.
Another Sites Bros. racer, "Suction II," was a 1963 Plymouth Max Wedge. It appears on page 84 of Mr. Davis's book.
Anyone with additional information regarding or photos of any of the stockers sponsored by Sites Brothers may contact me at poncho455@hotmail.com
David D. writes: I stumbled across this photo
taken of the Hine Motors 1965 Plymouth A990 Honkin Hemi in 1966 at Indy:
Michael E. writes: Car #10 was originally shipped to Dabbs Motor Company in Clarksville, Tennessee. Like so many small town dealerships, Dabbs has long been out of business. But the oldtimers remember it well. I seem to recall reading that this particular car went on to become Butch Leal's "California Flash". Perhaps Butch or someone else who knows the whole story would send the info in so that it could be posted.
Bill S. writes: There was a super stock car, that was purchased from Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago by Mason City, Iowa resident named Lynn Balek. The car was called SATISFACTION. Painted red and was campaigned by Lynn until the early 70's, I believe. Lynn is still connected with Super Stock racing Hemi's and builds some of the fastest racing Hemi's anywhere. He has worked with a SSA/A car out of Minnesota that has run in the 9.0's a few years ago.
Murray Isch from Fast Company Performance adds: Satisfaction Dodge,owned by Lynn Balek of Mason City, Iowa, was certainly one of the fastest and best looking cars; also held the record for a short time. Lynn still builds lots of race hemis and other Mopar engines and does some developement work for a variety of other hi-performance manufacturers. He still helps Rick Johnson and a few others in our local area of Iowa and Minnesota. [Editor's Note: Balek Brothers Performance (641) 423-1921 5 Commercial Park Rd, Mason City, IA]
Phillip D. writes #10 was sold to the Dabbs Chrysler Plymouth, Clarksville, TN. The dealership was owned by Ashley C. Dabbs, Sr, my uncle.
The 1965 Plymouth was raced by Ashley C. Dabbs, Jr, better known as Sonny. He raced a 1963 Plymouth and a 1964 Plymouth with 426 wedges and the 1965 with a Hemi.
The 1965 Hemi was sold to someone in New Jersey.
On September 12, 2018 Douglas Ward writes: Car #34 owned by Don Rodgers Sr. was delivered to Gundaker Chrysler Plymouth in Belmar N.J. Upon delivery the owner Dutch Gundaker put a dealer tag on the car and took the car for a test drive but no one told him it was a manual shift automatic. After driving around for awhile in third gear he destroyed the trans and had to be towed back to the dealership and a new trans had to be installed before they took ownership. Don Rodgers Jr. actually owned it; he had taken out a second mortgage on his father's house to buy the car. I got involved with the car at age 15 which was the coolest, my neighbor Pat Brema stored the car at his house.They usually ran the car at Old Bridge Stadium and Island Dragway before Englishtown. The car was flat towed with a fully optioned 1958 Pontiac Bonneville wagon with tri power engine. The car was usually driven by Pat and tuned by Bill Doyle. Getting traction was always a problem on 7 inch tires even with BX10. After about two years the partnership fell apart, they also lost the sponsorship from Gundakers. Don Rodgers took the car to Englishtown and blew the trans and had no money to keep the car running so he started to part the car out. The engine ended up in an A/MPSport Corvette, the body which I could have bought for $800.00 but my father could not be convinced to buy car with no engine. I missed out on a great deal considering how rare the car is now. The car was sold to Fortune Thomas who was a local bodyman and a Mopar guy. He put a 440 in the car and painted the car a burgundy color and drove it on the street. He sold the car and the last time I saw the car was in front of on house on Rt33 in Freehold N.J. in 1970. I am now 66 years old and Don, Pat, and Bill are all deceased.
Here is the only picture I have after the car was parted out; I am in the driver's seat in early 1967.
Page history: August 6, 2001; revised September 2, 2001; January 13, 2002; January 18, 2002; March 11, 2002; February 18, 2004; August 22, 2004; October 14, 2004; January 5, 2005; January 16, 2005; April 4, 2005; April 10, 2005; September 12, 2005; November 23, 2005; March 14, 2006; March 26, 2006; May 21, 2008; June 24, 2008; October 3, 2018
