Competition Proven

"Competition Proven" the slogan of Holman-Moody is known throughout the land. Even today seeing the name or hearing the slogan brings back memories of cars, drivers and people who worked there. I have memories of visits to the famous facility. Doesn't Larry Wallace still grind cams under that name? Plan on getting the book written about it. The other day I ran across a statement about the last race won by H-M that surprised me for some reason but after thinking about it for a while it may be correct. Then I thought, I know someone on RR will know so here goes. (If you have the book, give a little time for the rest of us to have a little fun before you post.)

When, where and who drove the car in the last victory for H-M in Cup racing?

quack

Thanks for all the responses guys, amazing what you can learn when you when you get people talking. The fact that H-M continued to build cars and engines after 1971 made me remember something Dad told me once. In '72-'73 Mr. L.O. Stanley from Meadows of Dan, Va. was building the engines for the Mustang Dad was driving for Jack St.Clair from Roanoke. Mr. Stanley had worked at H-M back in the early days and decided he wanted to take one of the 302's and put it on the dino. Dad said he had been to H-M before but never got past the parts counter. On this trip he followed Mr. Stanley right into the dino room just like he owned the place. I guess that says a lot about the respect that H-M had for Mr. Stanley even all those years later. If I remember right they blew a head gasket on the first pull and fixed it right there on the dino. The motor pulled just about what he thought it would.

Dad told me that story with a reminder about burning bridges and always treating people with respect. Some times it is not what you know, but who you know, that opens doors.

One other thing, in the course of these comments the answer to the other part of the "What's That Mean" discussion was given. Can anyone find it?

Pictures and copy from the Full Throttle website History of SW Virginia Racing:

http://www.vaautoracing.org/index.htm

Famed Engine Builder, L.O. Stanley of Meadows of Dan, Virginia

L.O. Stanley Trick Manifold

L. O. Stanley was Southwest Virginias most innovative engine builder. Born in Carroll County, Stanley opened his garage in the Meadows of Dan community in 1948. In 1950 he attended his first oval track race in Concord, North Carolina, and returned to tell his wife, I can build a motor that can outrun any of them. Within a year Stanleys first race car was competing. The famed Floyd County racer, Curtis Turner, drove some of Stanleys first stock cars. Stanleys engines were strong racing performers, and he later worked as an engine builder for the Holman-Moody racing organization in Charlotte, North Carolina, and for the Ford Motor Company.

Among his innovations, L. O. Stanley invented a cross-fire engine, in which two cylinders fire at the same time. In order to build such an engine, he had to turn his own crankshafts and rework practically every part of the motor. Stanley even had special pistons cast at a Marion (Smyth County) foundry. The cross-fire engine was eventually outlawed in racing. At another time, to skirt a rule limiting oval track engines to one carburetor, Stanley adapted a Ford intake manifold to hide two carburetors inside the motor.

Both drag racers and oval track racers used Stanleys engines, and two of his 420 cubic inch flathead engines survive today. L. O. Stanleys reputation in the Southeast stock car racing world became legendary, and the mechanic known as the man on the mountain is still remembered as the genius of regional engine building.

The #49 Mustang was built by Holman Moody and campaigned by H-M but was owned by Melvin Joseph. After Holman Moody split the #49 car was at Ralph Moody, Inc. in Charlotte. I do not know its current whereabouts.

No,

That was his last fixed base in Charlotte. He left HM at the end of the '71 season. I think it may have been '73 before the legalities and paperwork was done.

Thank you Robin, I could not remember how the linkage was done. Mr. Stanley was one smart man.

My wifes great uncle l.o and her great aunt Helen were two very smart people. Helen knew as much about cars as l.o did.She wrote everthing down

That reminds me of the great Ford Pro Stock class drag racer, Bob Glidden, whose wife, Etta built his engines. When I was at 7-Eleven in the mid-80s, we considered having Etta build a Ford NASCAR motor for Kyle Petty's Petty Enterprises Thunderbird in 1984.

To my knowledge, the last win by a Holman-Moody car campaigned by Holman-Moody was by Bobby Allison in 1971.

I think Bobby was driving a Torino for HM in that last win...I know the record book shows aMercury, but Bobby either drove the HM Torino or his own Dodge in short track events.

You and Mark are right, Blane. Race #45 was the Georgia 500 held on Nov. 7,1971 at Middle Goergia Raceway, Macon, Ga.. Bobby won it in a H-M '71 Torino. The article I read stated it was the last win for H-M. As has been noted in these post itwas not the last win for a H-M built car, but the last win for a house car.It was the 5th of 6 combination events that allowed the Grand American cars to run with the Grand Nationals that year. The result would be the Grand National East division in 1972 and 1973. Interesting note, the little cars won 3 of those races and the GN cars the other 3. Bobby won 2 (1 in a Mustang and this 1), Richard Petty won 2 and Tiny Lund won 2 in a Camaro.