Nickey / Bill Thomas 1967 Autorama

[Stefano]

Courtesy of the Bob Ashton Collection

[Xplantdad]

That is as cool as heck! Plus...dig the Formula S Cuda as well!!!

[Stefano]

Here is some of the irony in that picture.

Nickey and Bill Thomas formed an alliance and FORMAL business partnership to build Nickey Super Camaros. A car even the factory wouldn't dare build, at least not until the 1969 model year.

Nickey and Bill Thomas advertised and promoted in just about every major Chevy enthusiast publication as well as at every major Midwest show, which they could attend, including on track promotions with Driver Dick Harrell , in order to let the public know how to order and get a Nickey Camaro.

Yet, there are some who still dispute this very well publicized and documented relationship to build Nickey Camaros and sell Hi-Po parts?


Bill Thomas even put together a dealer "Kit" showing other dealers how they too could be in the Hi-Po parts and Super Car business.

Seminars and presentations were held at Nickey Chicago headquarters. Dealers and Speed merchants would come in from all over the country to check out the operation.

Also, while the Nickey Chevrolet, Dick Harrell race prepped Camaros had no special Nickey insignias or markings, they were still Nickey/ Bill Thomas Super Camaros.


The First one went to Bill Hielsher and became known as Mr. Bardahl II. This Nickey Camaro is widely recognized as the very first Super Stock Camaro.

Note who is in the exhibit booth next to the Nickey Bill Thomas display!

The fish tail on the Barracuda is just too wild!

[Stefano]

The first Nickey Super Camaro, Race Prep, Super Stocker. Built by Dick Harrell,Guy Tipton and crew at Nickey Chevrolet,4501 Irving Park Road, Chicago, Illinois.

[1967Z28]

I'm curious. Why didn't Nickey sponsor his car or use the car in it's advertisements?

-Jon

[Stefano]

Nickey had several other sponsored Drag Racers at that time, including Dick Harrell.

Bill Hielscher already had his sponsors lined up. He won many awards and races in 1966.

You will notice that Dick Harrell has a sponsorship logo on Bill's Camaro.

Dick Harrell built the dedicated race cars. There were three Similar Red Rally Sports while Don Swiatek's team built the "retail" customer cars. Both Don and DIck reported to Al Selig, the VP of NIckey Chevrolet.

[1967Z28]

Who was it that was racing the other two similar red cars?

What is confusing to me is why was Dick Harrell the builder of these cars when Nickey went out and formed a business relationship with Bill Thomas Race Cars, also a very capable and highly regarded race car builder. Seems like Bill Thomas "should" have built these but didn't. Maybe Dick Harrell didn't understand the business relationship either and that's why he left when he did?

Did the Harrell sponsorship on the fender show up after he left Nickey or do you know if it was on the car while he was still involved with the dealership?

That whole '67 year is super confusing in terms of who was associated with who and at what time as we have also seen with Dana and Yenko having a brief pairing up.

-Jon

[Stefano]

Jon,

Dick Harrell was an emplyee of Nickey Chevrolet when he built the race cars, not a principal at that time. The cars were built under the Nickey / Bill Thomas partnership.

Dick was a very competent mechanic, from what others who were there have told me.

[Stefano]

[Stefano]