Kurt Busch - Days of Thunder retro scheme

Phoenix Racing and Kurt Busch will race a retro City Chevrolet Days of Thunder scheme inFriday's Nationwide race at Daytona.


We know Kurt has had anger management issues. I hope he doesn't lose his mind when the effects of his Monster Energy Crunchy Punchy drinks kick in.

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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM

Not a big "Days of Thunder" fan here. Tom Cruise has always made me sick on my stomach to look at and his constant "macho mouth" just really turns me off. However, as for real days of thunder, we've had that right here in Columbia for 21 of the past 29 days along with about 15 inches of rain. Robert Duvall was the only reason to watch that movie though. Just my opinion.

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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.

Like Tim, I am no fan of the Days of Thunder movie. I was at the tracks back when the actual racing footage for that movie was filmed and it was a pain in the behind to be around. I still can't believe Bill France, Jr. and Les Richter let them put those stupid cars at the rear of the field at a real Phoenix race, including the Exxon SuperFlo car knockoff of Rick Hendrick's then associate oil sponsor.

Long before anybody ever heard of Kurt Busch, Cole Trickle, Tom Cruise, Rick Hendrick or James Finch, I was pulling for a City Chevrolet sponsored NASCAR Grand National car. It was the #11 Chevelle driven by my first racing hero, J.T. Putney in his final season - 1967.

If they really wanted to do retro, that's the City Chevrolet car they should have done!

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

By the way, for those who don't know, City Chevrolet is a Charlotte auto dealership owned by Rick Hendrick. Over the years many Charlotte auto dealerships appeared on the sides of cars in NASCAR races. I think my favorite Charlotte auto sponsor was Queen City Rambler , which adorned the side of the #44 Rambler Ambassador driven by Larry Hess, including the 1966 NASCAR Grand National races at Bridgehampton, Fonda and Columbia. The photos below were featured in an April 1972 Stock Car Racing Magazine feature:

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

Dave, I too can relate to all the hype of being around those movie cars. The movie was a big deal back then as NASCAR was still in the climbing popularity mode. I remember the premier being held at the theatre on Harris Blvd. and Albemarle Rd. in Charlotte and everyone in racing turning out. Too bad it was too Hollywood for us. I wonder what Hal Needham thought of it?I do remember the production company trying to buy show cars for the set, and we were trying to sell our old Swisher Sweets Olds to them but the engine was not up to par.The only thing really good that came from all of that is that it helped to establish Bobby Hamilton, as he made some good money drving one of the film cars. The other car doing the filming was driven by Rick Mast and that actually helped to give Rick a resurgance in his career. Mast had parted ways from his Busch Series father-in-law team owner Allan Dillard and did not have a ride for the next season. Mast used the money he made from the movie to build his own team and make the season opening Daytona Goody's 300, and also win a couple of races that year. And the rest, as they say, is history.The only thing I remember that caught from the movie for race teams and drivers was the two-finger, kind of Texas Longhorn wave that Tom Criuse did before the start of the race. Ernie Irvan did that all the time along with Dale Sr.

By the way, Larry came back in 1968 to the Rebel 400 at Darlington with a Rambler with the new, big motor. In an article the day before the race in the Charleston News & Courier, he predicted big things. Unfortunately, he is listed as the last place driver, completing zero laps and exiting with engine problems.

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

I'm glad some good came of the deal for Rick Mast. In spring 1986 Rick got royally worked over when he furnished two cars for a Charlotte ad agency for filming at Charlotte Motor Speedway and then the agency later refused to pay up. I worked at that agency for three months, October - December 1986 and reluctantly fielded one of Rick's telephone calls before I knew all the facts. Jim Cooper had made the arrangements in good faith. I'm guessing you'll know the individual who put the screws to Rick.

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

I attended the first big Hollywood premiere of a movie in North Carolina - Stroker Ace at Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte on May 28, 1983 - Saturday night of World 600 weekend. The limo that was to pick us up at the Radisson Hotel broke down and we were almost late. All of the V.I.P. suite scenes in the movie were filmed by Hal Needham in our Wrangler Suite at Talladega in 1982.

Here's news coverage from the Spartanburg paper at the link below:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19830529&id=...

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"