The Richard Petty racing shops front and back area in 1971

From http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=493654 via http://chromjuwelen.tumblr.com/

Nixon had race cars over to the white house, and fired up Richard Petty's and Mario Andretti's race cars

http://sca.gmu.edu/exhibit/atkins_1.htm

If you want to click on it for the full size and read the whole thing, that is the best way to get all teh info, but simply put, Jackie Stewart and his Lola Chevy, a dragster, Richard Petty's 1971 Road Runner stock car, Mario Andretti's Indy car were there, in the White House drive way.

Petty and Andretti fired up their cars. Wow, that would have been great to experience!

Others there, Swede Savage, Dan Gurney, Penske, Posey, Donohue and Graham Hill

From the Nixon Library:

515 to 527 pm Sept 21 1971 White House

The President viewed an exhibition of race cars. He was accompanied by race car driver Mario Andretti, winner of the 1969 Indianapolis 500 and member of the President's Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
The President spoke briefly to the owners and drivers of the cars:

James Lee, owner

Richard Petty, owner/driver

Andy Granatelli, owner

Carl Hass, owner

Jackie Stewart, driver

535 to 645 pm
The President hosted a reception for automobile racing figures.

from http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/virtuallibrary/documents/PDD/1971/042%20September%2021-30%201971.pdf just page 3, and Appendix D actually doesn't list the racers, it says they were all issued invitations verbally and this no comprehensive list was made

See a photo of it on page 76 of "Cars of the King" http://books.google.com/books?id=Txbx3Y2mDL4C&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76&dq=1971+white+house+race+cars&source=bl&ots=sSwEUIdUS_&sig=ELJG5IhIK1YMdpjWObWP3vV8SzA&hl=en&ei=GZtiS_e9GY-ssgO_3rCdAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CCMQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=1971%20white%20house%20race%20cars&f=false

Natl assoc of WHAT cars? Here's another banana, and another profile comparison of factory to race banana

Notice the differences in the 2 race cars, that Petty's was customized to race against all other "STOCK" road runners yet is obviously a ringer, the wheel wells are better, the c pillar looks smaller, looks like about an inch chop, and the rear tires look set back an couple inches, the truck looks more horizontal too.

For the Jr Johnson "yellow Banana" of fame : http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-junior-johnson-made-1966-ford.html

Just in case you thought the world was making sense... I find a 1976 Charger Daytona, and Richard Petty selling it

The above ad is Richard Petty as the spokeman for the Dodge Charger Daytona... ( really? Anything no matter how beneath your dignity, for a buck?) and below, the same car, where an editor captioned it and inferred Petty would have nothing to do with it

For more on the 1977-78 Charger, see; http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/06/1977-78-van-advertising-now-that-was.html

"Awesome Nostalgia" Drag racing.. nothing compares to the experience

Completely off the ground.

This doesn't look like the far lane is going to have a good landing

Why it's more important to have a scattershield around the trans, and the engine in the back. Those flying parts are also rotating, at between 4 to 9 thousand rpm... notice the tires are still spun up... and those spinning discs will slice through any thing that gets in the way. Be careful out there, and have fun.

That's the timing lights in the upper left of the photo, and the front tires are off the ground, the Moon Eyes are looking at the track they'd desperately like to get back to, and the slicks arec oming off the bead of the rim.

Paradise Mesa dragstrip in San Diego

Petty's Barracuda

This is gonna break parts when it comes back to earth

http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101131