Racing History Minute/1967 Motor Trend 500/Riverside California

The 1967 Motor Trend 500 actually consisted of a two day run a week apart. Rain interrupted the race on January 22, 1967, and the red flag remained out until the following Sunday, January 29th. When the red was displayed for rain, Fred Lorenzen was leading, but his Ford had a flat tire. When the race was restarted, Fred had to pit and that put him behind .

But, first, let us go back to Friday, January 20th, when a your USAC driver from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada was killed in a crash in turn nine. His brakes apparently failed and he hit the wall head on apparently killing the driver upon impact. Billy Foster became the 15th driver to die behind the wheel of a NASCAR Grand National car.

Dick Hutcherson won the pole at a speed of 106.951 mph in a Bondy Long Ford but would last only 14 laps before encountering a spinning Frank Burnett and damaging the Bondy Long entry beyond repair. David Pearson qualified his Cotton Owens Dodge in second, Dan Gurney, in a Bill Stroppe Mercury was third.Gurney had won the previous four 500s at Riverside. Fourth place starter was Richard Petty and Fifth place was Fred Lorenzen in the Holman-Moody Ford.

Pearson led the first three laps andthen Parnelli Jones took over and led until lap 18. It was Gurney from lap 19 to 24, then Jones again for 10 laps. A. J. Foyt was out front from lap 36 to 40 and then it was Paul Goldsmith for 5 laps. Fred Lorenzen took over and was leading at lap 50 when the rain forced the red flag halt to the race. When the race resumed the following week, Richard Petty took the lead on lap 51 and was out front through lap 55 before giving up the lead to Gurney who led until lap 85. On lap 86, Parnelli went out front and would stay there until the checkered flag waved on lap 185.

Only 12 cars finished the grind and Parnelli said "This races was the hardest on equipment of any I've ever driven".
Finishing order:

1. Parnelli Jones, Bill Stroppe Mercury, winning $18,720.00

2. Paul Goldsmith, Ray NichelsPlymouth, winning $8,600.00 (2 laps down)

3. Norm Nelson, Norm Nelson Plymouth, winning $5,250.00 (2 laps down)

4. Don White, Ray Nichels Dodge, winning $3,325.00 (2 laps down)

5. James Hylton, Bud Hartje Dodge, winning $2,175.00 (7 laps down)

6. Bruce Worrell

7. Scotty Cain

8. David Pearson

9. Mario Andretti

10. Charles Prickett

11.Jerry Oliver

12. Bo Reeder

13. Jack Harden

14. Dan Gurney

15. Fred Lorenzen

16. Don Biederman

17. Don Noel

18. John Martin

19. Jim Paschal

20. Clyde Prickett

21. Richard Petty

22. Lloyd Ruby

23. Jim Cook

24. Bobby Allison

25. Jack McCoy

26. A. J. Foyt

27. Henley Gray

28. Jerry Grant

29. J. T. Putney

30. Frank Burnett

31. Joe Clark

32. Walt Price

33. Randy Dodd

34. LeeRoy Yarbrough

35. Cliff Garner

36. Ray Elder

37. Curtis Turner

38. Marvin Porter

39. Dick Hutcherson

40. Johnny Steele

41. Roy Tyner

42. Tom Roa

43. Gordon Johncock

44. Carl Cardey

PERSONAL NOTE: I was convinced after Parnelli won this race that a NASCAR regular was never going to win at Riverside. Jones had won in Grand National competiton once before, on May 30, 1959, in a dirt track race in Los Angeles. I was about to give up on the NASCAR boys, but as we will see in this continuing Riverside January, our boys from the south got it together and learned to turn right and left.

Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future

As I shared on your post about the 66 MT500, Billy Foster made his one and only GN start at Riverside - one year before he passed away at the same track.

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/29811/racing-history-minute-1966-motor-trend-500-riverside-raceway

Riverside hosted the inaugural Permatex 100 for late models the day before the 500. Many of the cars were from late 1950s through early 1960s.

The winner was Oren Prosser. (photos from Henry Ford Arte House)

Race reports following rain delay and the race's conclusion.

Jan 23 Spartanburg Herald

Jan 30 Spartanburg Herald

As is the case with many of the other 1960s era Riverside races, the Henry Ford Arte House has a great collection of photos from this race on-line.

http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/collection.pl?collectionID=2832&productTypeID=62

Also, here are a few other nice pics from the race. Thanks ebay.

Race program

Dick Hutcherson - before his incident with Frank Burnett

Dan Gurney chasing down King Richard in his funky-font 43 Plymouth.

A great look at Fred Lorenzen's car. Hope the H&M crew got a great look at that right rear.

The Henry Ford Arte House collection is really, really neat. Learned also the photos are available on Flickr where they are more easily viewed.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehenryford/sets/72157632997328099/

A few choice ones...

I imagine this conversation as: "Now lookie here. I'm tired of dragging all the way out here year after year only to get whupped again by the Woods and that Gurney feller. We've changed everything - including the look of the number. Now go win one."

As Tim noted, Dick Hutcherson's day was heavily influenced by this encounter with Frank Burnett in the #143 who was driving an old Petty 1963 Plymouth Savoy.

And the rains fell...

Reckon the door painter for Petty Enterprises pulled double duty with Jerry Grant?

Burnett had a bit of a tough go that day. He only ran 3 GN races - all at Riverside in 1967-67-68.

Parnelli - you DO realize YOU won the race, right?

OK, that's more like it.

RR member Chris Hussey shared this great pic w/me as well. Richard Petty in the funky-font 43 approaching his old car renumbered as 143 and driven by Burnett.

The winning Vel's sponsored Bill Stroppe entry #115 driven by Parnelli Jones in the 1967 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside, the 2nd place Ray Nichels #99 Plymouth wheeled by Paul Goldsmith, the third place Plymouth #1 of Norm Nelson and the fourth place #31 Ray Nichels Dodge Charger driven by Don White :

Brother Wood, I most sincerely appreciate your contribution to this post. I had a lot of fun with the "History Minutes" and learned much from my exploration of Mr. Fielden's books. The best part of doing The "History Minutes" is the contributions of others (TMC Chase and Dave Fulton the most prolific) which added so much.

As you know, my main issue is to see the history of this sport we love preserved honestly and correctly. I appreciate your contribution to that effort in the books you have written and your addition to this History Minute. Thank you for seeing that correct information is made available to readers.

Take care and hope to see you soon in some of the adventures we share in this historic world of stock car racing. I'm looking forward to your book on Bud Moore. I still haven't finished the book on the "right hand man" due to so many demands on my time but all that I have read is fascinating to say the least.

Brother Tim

Perry, I am "guessing" that this photo of Dan Gurney in the Bud Moore Mercury Cyclone #16 at Riverside in 1967 was possibly organized by you on the Bud Moore web site. And, Parnelli was definitely in a Ford, sponsored by Vel's Ford - owned by longtime Parnelli associate, Velko "Vel" Miletich. The photo of the winning car I posted above earlier is clearly a Ford.

Here's another photo of the winning 1967 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside Ford Fairlane #115 prepared by Bill Stroppe , driven by Parnelli Jones and sponsored by Vel's Ford . This promotional photo showing the '67 Ford Fairlane template on the car was shot by Don Eammons and appears in the book, BOSS The Bill Stroppe Story given to me in 1984 by Ford Motor Company. Note the large CP/Competition Proven decal on the front fender - the hallmark of Holman-Moody. Stroppe had formed a partnership with Holman-Moody to handle the Ford Grand National stock car program on the west coast.

Another Dan Gurney / Bud Moore Cyclone shot:

Two more winning Parnelli photos:

And, one more of Dan Gurney in Bud Moore's Mercury Cyclone #16 at Riverside in 1967:

Sorry most of these photos have neither photographer nor source attributed.

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF MARIO'S #114 H&M FORD OR JONE'S #115 VEL'S/H&M FORD WAS CONVERTED TO 1967 DAYTONA 500 WINNING MARIO'S #11 H&M FORD?

LATER THE 1967 DAYTONA 500 WINNING MARIO'S #11 H&M FORD WAS CONVERTED TO DARRELL WALTRIP'S #95 RACE CAR.

Thanks for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA

Updated link for the Henry Ford Arte House gallery of pics.

http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/collection.pl?productTypeID=62&collectionID=2832&pgNumber=1&seeAllImages=1&sortBy=createdDate

Article re: Billy Foster's death from San Bernardino Sun Telegram.

And article and pic re: the Permatex 100 preliminary race from the Sun Telegram and Kannapolis Daily Independent.

The cars are parked as the rain sets in to delay the race a week. - San Bernardino Sun Telegram

Actress Lara Lindsay helped publicize the race with some great promo pictures. She was also in victory lane with Prosser and Parnelli following their wins. Pics from Getty Images.

I really like these next two pics because you can see the brush strokes from the hand painted 28 on Lorenzen's Ford.

OK, this is completely unreasonable. Lindsay purposely got your motor running with that smokin' checkered flag body suit. And then they posted an absurd sign to not smoke AND turn off your motor??

With Parnelli and Robert Petersen in victory lane.

C'mon, Chase, this is a history article... how 'bout a shot of the actress with her OLD teeth, lol?!