1965

[pmossberg]

And for my 1,000th post, I return to my personal favorite, the 1965 Belvedere. Richard spent most of the 1965 season out of Nascar. But when Nascar and Mopar resolved their disagreements he returned.

So why the '65? Well, it's been in my blood since I was a kid. My grandfather was a Plymouth guy...always! His last car was a beautiful black 1965 Plymouth Belvedere sedan, red interior. I was 14 when he died. And my grandmother offered me the car. Driving age in NJ was 17 at the time. And we agreed it would not do the car any good to sit around for three years. So Nana sold it, for about $300. Agh!

Anyway, about ten years ago, I got the bug and went searching. I finally found my red 1965 Plymouth Satellite Convertible out in California. Now she's in my garage.

OK, enough talk...on to the pics of my favorite Richard car.

We start at Martinsville, simply because my first and current cars are in the photo. As it turned out, my first car was a 1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible. Here are Richard in his 65 Plymouth and a 65 Coronet at Martinsville.




Back in the garage, I suspect in Level Cross.




Richard promo shot




Lee and Richard




Likely at Riverside




Decals are laid out the same as in the shot above, so if that shot is at Riverside, this probably is too.




1965 Hickory Raceway Newton NC




Pit stop




Dirt trackin




Dirt too




Tiger Tom Pistone and Richard

[songsmith1950]

Yep, another great year, carwise. And the dirt track shots are something nice too! How many of todays superstars would bother to go to all of the tracks to race that Richard went to. Not many did then and less would now!
Gotta admit that 65 is also a winner!

[revilo]

That's what we need, a few dirt tracks on the Cup circuit. I still have dirt track racing in my blood. Well, OK, maybe it's just still in my lungs. The dust did get pretty thick.

[pmossberg]

If it's in your lungs...it's in your blood. And your hair, skin, ears, other unnamed places.
A good night at a dirt track equals...clothes that can be thrown out.

[revilo]

There's nothing quite like laying in the dirt under a muddy car changing the gears in the rear, or the smell of taking a hot iron and cutting grooves in a drag slick to run it on a dirt track. That's how we did it back in the 70's before the tire companies came out with tires for dirt track racing. Drag rubber on the back, a nice wide tire on the right front, and a skinny tractor tire on the left front, because that one didn't see much time on the surface anyway. Boy I miss it.