Restored Donlavey Truxmore Ford from 1976 at Lemans Video

During the recent "Stocks for Tots" event in Mooresville, NC at the NASCAR Technical Institute, our site founder, Jeff Gilder interviewed Bill Rhine of Rhine Enterprises during the live "Racing Through History" broadcast.

Here is a short video taken earlier this year (2012) in Lemans, France showing the restored Junie Donlavey Truxmore sponsored American Ford stocker raced in the 1976 24 Hours of Lemans by Dick Brooks and Dick Hutcherson. The car was restored by Rhine in Denver, NC. Notice the car number decal superimposed over the original #90 on the doors. The car carried Donlavey's traditional #90 in the actual 1976 Lemans 24 Hour race.

The "Hendrick Construction Co." sponsorship you see on the top of the car's front fenders is from the construction company owned by Donlavey's fellow Richmonder, Ray Hendrick - NASCAR's "Mr. Modified!" Donlavey's Late Model Sportsman and Cup cars for many years carried sponsorship from his fierce racing rival. Richmond-based Truxmore built custom garbage trucks and at one time was the "Official Clean Up" vehicle of the various NASCAR tracks.

Story Link to Motor Trend Magazine article including photos on Donlavey's 1976 trip to France with his #90:

http://www.motortrend.com/classic/features/c12_0606_nascar_goes_to_...

This car is a replica, built from the ground up,

not a restoration. It is a quality build by Billy Rhine of Rhine Enterprises.

http://rhineenterprise.com/wp/about-rhine-enterprise

Matt Stone wrote MOTOR TREND Classic MAGAZINE piece on Motorsport: Americans in Paris, Nascar goes to Le Mans
You're not from around here, are ya boy?

You can see Matt Stone on Speed Channel's Barrett Jackson Auction.
Photo # 1. Our thanks to Our thanks to Dennis Garrett and Christophe Schwartz.

The Dennis Garrett is me, Matt Stone e-mail me and wanted information for the future MOTOR TREND Classic MAGAZINE article on NASCAR STOCKCARS RACING 1976 24HRS. OF LEMANS,FRANCE RACE.
I had asked and discussed on the internet, why there wasn'ted any video or motion picture film of NASCAR STOCKCARS RACING 1976 24HRS. OF LEMANS,FRANCE RACE.
Edsel Ford was there, Bill France Sr. & Bill France Jr. was there, Good-Year was there, big French TV cameras was there.
But where's the film or video?LOL
It seems that Junie Donlavey's #90 Ford Truxmore pitcrew didn't have or know how to used an still-photo film/ motion film camera. LOL
The French race fans and Hershel McGriff's pitcrew had still-photo film cameras and took photos of #4 Dodge and #90 Ford Torino racecars.
Matt Stone wanted Junie Donlavey & Hersel McGriff address or telephone # and I e-mail to him.
I also mailed to Matt Stone micro-film Library scratch-up X-Rex copies old 1976 Richmond News Leader newspaper and Richmond Times Dispatch newspaper.
Both newspapers had sent sport reporter/photographer RANDY HALLMAN to covered Junie Donlavey #90 Ford Torino race team racing the 1976 24hrs. of LeMans race.
Sport reporter/photographer RANDY HALLMAN took a ton of photos but only about 10 photos were printed during 1976 24hrs. LeMans race week in both newspapers. Where's the other photos?
Matt Stone could't used the newspaper photos? But could used printed newspaper information.
To my surprised that my name: "Our thanks to Dennis Garrett and Christophe Schwartz" was printed in MOTOR TREND MAGAZINE.

Christophe Schwartz is French race driver/owner that raced an replica of Hershel McGriff's #4 Dodge.

I have whole lot questions for anyone claiming to have the original Junie Donlavey's 1976 24hrs. Lemans Truxmore sponsor Ford Torino race car.

During 80's, I would asked Junie Donlavey about 10 times: What happen to the original Junie Donlavey's 1976 24hrs. LeMans Truxmore sponsor Ford Torino race car?
Each time Junie would give me an different answer.LOL
One time he told me that he gave it and four other Ford race cars to a US Army Base to be used to teach Army soldiers to be VIP car drivers for US Army Generals.
Next time he told me that he gave it and four other Ford race cars to a US Army Base to be used in target practice.
Sometimes Junie would give me some wild answers and laugh.
One day in 1990, I told Junie, "I think you left the original Junie Donlavey's 1976 24hrs. Lemans Truxmore sponsor Ford Torino race car in France.
Maybe it is in French barn or French racecar museum, the French likeracecars.
Junie laughed at my answer and Said "It came back on the cargo ship 2 weeks later".
But where is the 1976 photos of it being back on Richmond,Virginia soil?

Thank you much for any information given.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA

It as my understanding this is a restoration, Blane. It is certainly possible that I may have misunderstood, though. I don't think I asked Bill that question in the interview. Can you elaborate on your comment?

On the new Rhine Built website they certainly refer to it as a restoration and in the video above Bill refers to it as a restoration. In meeting, interviewing Bill Rhine, and touring his facilities he was very matter-of-fact about his opinions of "replicas vs restorations" and the amount of research required to validate any cars history.

http://rhinebuilt.com

Jeff, I recall seeing photos of the caron Bills website in the past. It showed roll cage fabrication andrear end fab.No recall of any "restoration". Bill does many great restorations and I do not want to take anything away from himor his crew. Do we have any before photos of the project? Seems like this would validate this car.I have no probelm being wrong on this. I just remeberpast build photos as a re-creation.

I spoke to Bill yesterday about it after seeing this post. Apparantley the guy (from France) who brought the car to Bill for the build did all the research which passed muster for the Lemans folks as a restoration, and I'm not familiar enough withthose equirements to comment. I'm hoping we can get the owner to post the story of the search for the car and the subsequent build. This sort of thing is very interesting to me...knowing many of the cars are "repurposed" (sometimes) several times during their span of use, verifiying authenticity can be a challenge.

Like you, I've been extrememly impressed with the restorations done by Bill Rhine as well as his other accomplishments. Wait til you see his ship!

The Donlavey and McGriff cars are both seen several times in this 1976 Le Mans film footage. The first time is lined up on pit road around 19-20 seconds into the film. There are later shots of a broken McGriff car and the Donlavey car cornering.

I can only imagine in my wildest dreams Junie and "Brooksie" socializing with "The Beautiful People!"