Richie Evans comes onto pit road during the 79 Daytona Modified race. Pic by D.W. Note state of the art fire apparatus!
Here's Bobby Allison in the Hornet bodied Modified but I think this pic was from the last year the Mods ran the road course at Daytona. I don't remember Allison being in the race at all in 79 although Joe Miliken may have been driving an Allison entry that year if my memory is correct. pic by Dale
Here's #50 spinning on pit road. Does anybody have who was in the #50 in the 79 race. Must have been after Ernie Gahan's time! Pic by me.
This site has the 50 car, and a guess on who it is (Tim Williamson), and also the finishing order. Bobby Allison was in the race. Great pics by the way. I love seeing those full bodied mods. I never got to see one in person.
http://www.realracinusa.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2590
I think the spinning # 50 was Jimmy Insolo from California. That was his traditional "look", although it was normally a #51 car. Ran with guys like Ivan Baldwin, Tim Williamson, Ron Esau, Hershell McGriff, Joe Ruttman, etc...
As for the #40 car, it is indeed Chuck Ciprich.
Also, in the Richie Evans picture, the 75 on the outside was driven by (I believe) Alan West... who I'd never heard of before... or since...!
Here's #29 from the Daytona Modified race in 79. No idea of the driver, I just liked the Dodge Datona / Superbird nose! Pic by me.
This is Gary Balough in the #30 from the Daytona Mod race. This was another of the very similar full bodied Camaro's that ran that race. Eyans, Balough and Waltrips cars were all similar and all very fast! pic by Dale Welty.
I've posted this before and people seem to like this crazy full bodied Gremlin. As someone commented before it looks like a Gremlin rear-ended a Camaro at high speed! My favorite full bodied Modified that ran Daytona was the ex-Buzzie Reutiman, Jack Duffy 37 Chevy coupe which was the last pre-war coupe to ever race in competition at Daytona. I'm sure I took a picture of it but I haven't found one yet. It ran in the road race version of the Modified race. Would anyone else have a pic of it? If so please post it! Photo by me.
I don't think this was from the Modified race but it's a pretty impressive fire-ball from a Daytona crash. Sorry for the long distance shot but I couldn't afford thos $400 lenses! pic by Dale
Those are great pics. I'd love to see the coupe if you find it. According to the race results, the 29 is Joe Thurman and the car is listed as a Dodge Duster. I always thought the Duster was a Plymouth. The #46 Gremlin must not have made the race. They really too liberties with the bodies. Unfortunately they could never do that now.
I don't think this was from the Modified race but it's a pretty impressive fire-ball from a Daytona crash. Sorry for the long distance shot but I couldn't afford thos $400 lenses! pic by Dale
The Sportsman race? The crash that Don Williams died from years later? I believe that's Joe Frasson's car that was rear ended and burst in to flames. That happened in the Saturday sportsman race. There's videos of it on youtube.
A couple of interesting things about that last shot:
The 0 car is actor Paul Newman, entered that day as P.L. Newman.
Jack Duffy in the ex-Buzzie Reutimann Coupe still races regularly in a TQ Midget in Southwest Florida. Buzz Reutimann also races regularly, and last night brought 2 cars to Ocala Speedway, for himself and for son David who flew in from Atlanta after qualifying.