1969 Northern Tour
updated by @dennis-andrews: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
Race preview from Lewiston Daily Sun
Race report from Lewiston Daily Sun
Paschal's win on August 24, 1969, occurred on the same day Art Pollard won USAC's inaugural Indy car race at Dover. The significance of that race? Pollard raced a Plymouth and earned the car make its first win outside of stock car racing. Also, Pollard's sponsor was a company that would become synonymous with NASCAR Plymouth teams: STP.
from Toledo Blade
The significance of that race? Pollard raced a Plymouth and earned the car make its first win outside of stock car racing.
Plymouth probably had some drag racing wins before this but I know what you meant. This was a 318 which probably was the same block that was destroked to run in Trans-Am. But Plymouth didn't win there. This was the only Indycar win for Plymouth.
Did this Chrylser LA motor (273/318/340/360) ever win in NASCAR? Was this the engine family that was used in Richard Brooks 305CID Charger Daytona?
Correct Andy. Poor choice of words by writer - and worse by me for copying them.
And yes - first and only USAC Indy car race at Dover & only Plymouth win in USAC Indy car division. (IRL did run a couple of races about 20 years later.)
At the risk of taking Dennis' post further away from the 1969 Oxford Plains GT race, I found this additional info about the Plymouth engine / car Pollard race to the win here:
https://www.allpar.com/forums/threads/mopars-in-irl-sprint-cars-and...
There are two Plymouth-Westlake 327 Indy engine from 1969 at the Museum of American Speed in Nebraska. It was an iron block and started life as an LA 318.
According to that website, Art Pollard drove the Plymouth-Westlake and won 200-mile Indy car race at Dover, Delaware on August 24, 1969. This would turn out to be the only victory for Plymouth in the history of Indy car racing.
See link below for freaking cool engine pics!!!
http://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/Weslake-327-CID-Plymouth-Indy-...
The same museum has the 1969 #57 STP Gerhardt Plymouth Indy Car sitting next to the display engine on the stand. According to the website the car was built in 1969 by Fred Gerhardt copying a Lotus chassis, then sold to Andy Granatelli's STP team.
"Carl Williams qualified the STP turbocharged Offy-powered car at Indy that year, but did not finish. Art Pollard drove it the next week at Milwaukee to record his first Indy Car win.
In August, Pollard drove this car, re-engined with a naturally aspirated 318-c.i. Plymouth, to victory in the first Indy Car race at the new Dover Downs Speedway. To date, this is the only Plymouth-powered win in an Indy Car race.
Greg Weld also drove this car, with turbo-Offy power, in several races including Trenton, NJ, in July 1969 and the 1970 Indianapolis 500."
Click link for pics of the car:
http://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/No-57-1969-STP-Gerhardt-Plymou...
So yes, that museum had two Plymouth-Westlake Indy engines on display with a third one installed in the original car that won at Dover.
Ttt
