The "Bug Killer"
by Larry Jendras Jr.
http://www.thevintageracer.com/jendras/bug_killer.htm
JOHNNY ROBERTS never drove or raced this new #7 race car, that was based on a 1937 Chevy coupe with innovations never seen around here before.
JOHNNY ROBERTS #7 race car is "Missing In Action"!!
"Lost Barn Find in the Making"??
"CAR #7, WHERE ARE YOU"??
Thanks for any information or photos posted
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA
A couple people that might know something is Don Stive's, a NJ hall of famer, Tom Couglin of Cambridge, MD. and used to be involved with the EMMR Museum or Ray Liss of NJ. All these guys were Chevy coupe guys with cars of that era. I raced against or bought a car from all of them and still talk to them from time to time. I will call them and see if they remember or know any info about this car. Give me a few days Dennis and I'll get back to you....
Bill, it'll be interesting to find out if any of your contacts know the whereabouts of Johnny Roberts' last car... the unfinished #7 fuel injected Hemi powered '37 Chevy coupe on the Ford truck twin I-beam frame with the radiator in the trunk.
Our own RR member, JAck Redd might well have been working on the gate at the Beltsville Speedway when the photo below from the Jendras article was taken by Bob Williams at Beltsville, Maryland on October 20, 1968 with Bobby Ballentine at the wheel.
The "Bug Killer" #7 above is a far cry in looks from the #7 below that Johnny ran winning the 1960 and 1961 NASCAR National Modified titles.
Baltimore Sun photo
