January 4, 2006

By Rebecca Gladden

A vehicle of historic interest to NASCAR fans is among the items slated for the auction block at this year's Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. The famed collector car event runs January 14-20, 2006, and Speed Channel will provide 33 hours of live TV coverage.

'69 Dodge Daytona ~ Photo Barrett-Jackson

The NASCAR-raced vehicle being sold at auction is a 1969 Dodge Daytona winged racecar, believed to have been owned by Mario Rossi and driven by Bobby Allison in the 1970 Cup season. The Rossi-Allison team won at Atlanta in a Dodge Daytona and scored 13 top-10 finishes. Allison finished 2nd in championship points in 1970 to Bobby Isaac, also driving a Daytona at the time.

In the late 60's and early 70's, U.S. auto manufacturers were engaged in fierce competition for dominance in NASCAR racing. Along with highly coveted bragging rights, the companies firmly believed that "what wins on Sunday sells on Monday" - an adage which recognized that consumer purchasing decisions were influenced in part but a car's performance on the NASCAR circuit. These racecars were, after all, "stock" vehicles - in theory, modified versions of the same models available to the average consumer. Drivers could motor to work on Monday in the same type of car they saw in Victory Lane on Sunday.

In 1969, Chrysler engineers modified the already powerful Dodge Charger to increase its performance in NASCAR racing. They added several features designed to reduce drag and improve downforce, including a pointed fiberglass nose extension and a huge rear spoiler. The Charger offshoot was dubbed the Dodge Daytona, and the competition version was powered by a 426 Hemi engine. NASCAR driver Buddy Baker set a new closed-course speed record in 1970 at Talladega, taking a '69 Dodge Daytona to speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour for the first time.

During that highly competitive era, NASCAR strictly enforced what was known as the homologation rule, mandating that manufacturers produce at least 500 cars for sale to the public of any vehicle designed for racing. In 1969, just over 500 Dodge Daytonas were delivered to local dealerships for consumers seeking NASCAR-style speed and power. 1969 was the only year that the Daytona was sold to the public, and in the early '70's, NASCAR outlawed winged cars from racing altogether because of their unrelenting dominance on the track.

According to the Barrett-Jackson website www.Barrett-Jackson.com, the 1969 Dodge Daytona being auctioned this month has an interesting story behind it. The car was found in a barn in the Midwest by a gentleman from California in the early 1990's. At the time, it had 1970 Charger front sheet metal, but Daytona-style sheet metal was also found with it. Although the vehicle was not in good shape, areas of gold paint could be seen on the body and the spoiler, indicating that it might be the #22 Daytona driven by Bobby Allison in 1970, which featured a distinctive red and gold paint scheme. The car was sold again in 1998 and shortly thereafter, Allison himself had a chance to look it over. He confirmed that it was indeed his Daytona, "reskinned" as a Charger after NASCAR banned the winged warriors from the track.

The vehicle has been beautifully restored inside and out to an exact likeness of Bobby Allison's original #22 Dodge Daytona with the striking red and gold paint scheme and, of course, the 426 cubic inch Hemi engine. The car is scheduled for auction on Saturday, January 21st at the Barrett-Jackson event in Scottsdale. There is no reserve price on the vehicle, which the seller describes as a "unique and very rare piece of racing history" and "the ultimate Hemi car."

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.