Old Drag Car Pictures.........

[Jerry@CHP]

One of the truly legendary sportsman race teams of the '60s that is still racing today. Dave and Ben Wenzel. Bought the car new, won Indy in 1967, set multiple national records and still race the car 41 years later. Not many can say that today?? Many don't know that Ben bought a new COPO car from Berger in June 1969. There were 23 of them on the lot at that time. He wanted the cheapest one!

This photo was taken in Vegas in 2005. Both Ben and I won class at this race! The Z28s beat up on the big block Novas that weekend. Ben had Jim Hughes in the final and I had Gary Waldo. We also changed the ring & pinion at the track in my car for the altitude change.

Jerry

[Jerry@CHP]

Read the score boards here. Final run that I shot for Ben Wenzel and Jim Hughes in the final. Wenzel left lane and Hughes right.

Jerry

[Seattle Sam]

[ QUOTE ]
One of the truly legendary sportsman race teams of the '60s that is still racing today. Dave and Ben Wenzel. Bought the car new, won Indy in 1967, set multiple national records and still race the car 41 years later. Not many can say that today?? Many don't know that Ben bought a new COPO car from Berger in June 1969. There were 23 of them on the lot at that time. He wanted the cheapest one!

Jerry

[/ QUOTE ]

I was fortunate to meet the Wenzel brothers at the 2004 Nationals at Indy. Here are a couple shots of their car -

"the office"



Ben under the hood -



Hurst ad in Hot Rod Magazine

[Jerry@CHP]

That was the year that I went to Indy too. The 50th anniversary. You can see my car directly behind Ben's car.

Jerry

[Xplantdad]

Some very cool pics and history! Thanks for posting them up!

[Seattle Sam]

[ QUOTE ]
That was the year that I went to Indy too. The 50th anniversary. You can see my car directly behind Ben's car.

Jerry

[/ QUOTE ]

Here you are at Indy, Jerry!





The Old Reliable!

[300deluxeL79]

jerry, can you elaborate a little on how you found the car, the condition it was in?

[Jerry@CHP]

Super Stock Magazine did a four page spread on me and the car and how I found it.....May, 1996. The Strickler family had promo photos of the car when it was being set up for a shoot with Hot Rod Magazine. In one of those photos was a picture of the engine and vin stamping on the deck. I ran it through MVA and found the car less than 75 miles from York, PA.

Guy was getting ready to part it out and sell at a swap meet. Still has the original fenders, doors, quarters, sub frame, rear axle and more. Needed floors like any other super gas car would but it was rust free and kept inside all of it's life because it was a race car. Still had the original aluminum ball joint spacers that Howie Slaybaugh, (Strickler's crew chief) installed when the car was set up for Super Stock.

Jerry

[Seattle Sam]

[ QUOTE ]
Many don't know that Ben bought a new COPO car from Berger in June 1969. There were 23 of them on the lot at that time. He wanted the cheapest one!



Jerry

[/ QUOTE ]

Ben Wenzel's COPO today... https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/show...e/0#Post372461

[Jerry@CHP]

Looks much better than it did. Ben's car did not have spoilers or the stripe. There were 23 copos on the lot when he bought his. I have photos of this car from 1969, I'll have to dig them out. Indy 1969 or 1970.

Some copo experts said this car wasn't a copo because of the body number, etc.

Jerry