Jerry Sims
Petty's '68 Road Runner in 1/25 scale
It sure got a lot on ink for all kinds of reasons and was probably the most written about vinyl top in racing history. May I present that famous rule bendin' Road Runner from Randleman.
It was truly "boogered up" with more than the vinyl roof and other subtle modifications. It even had a full belly pan to help stay up with the new FoMoCo entries.
While he was a mile or two per hour off the pace set by the Fords, he was still about 2 to 4 miles an hour ahead of the nearest Mopar. I keep hearing about the vinyl top "lifting" during the race resulting in unscheduled pit stops but that's not what it was.
It was the actual steel top that was blowing up after being cut by a piece of debris at the top of the windshield. Rumor was that the body had not only been "messaged" for better airflow but also acid dipped to lighten the load for the hemi.
