Holman-Moody

Last updated
Holman Moody
Owner(s) John Holman, Ralph Moody
Base Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series
World Sportscar Championship
Race driversSee below.
SponsorsLafayette
Manufacturer Ford
Opened1957
Closed1973 (race team) Holman-Moody remains in operation as a manufacturer
Career
Drivers' Championships 2 (1968, 1969)

Holman-Moody is an American racecar manufacturer, marine engine manufacturer and former auto racing team. The company currently operates out of Charlotte, North Carolina, but is no longer a race team. Holman-Moody continues to manufacture racing vehicles using vintage parts and methods, along with special editions of modern Ford sports cars. [1] The race team built virtually all of the factory Ford racing vehicles of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. [2] It owned race cars that competed in NASCAR, drag racing, ocean boat racing, rallies, and sports car racing. The team won NASCAR championships in 1968 and 1969 with driver David Pearson and also the 1967 Daytona 500 with Mario Andretti. [3] Their most recognized trademark is "Competition Proven."

Contents

Formation

John Holman was hired in 1952 by Clay Smith and Bill Stroppe to drive their parts truck to each leg of the 1952 Mexican Road Race and to stay ahead of the racing team. The team won the race, and they hired Holman as a full-time mechanic and parts man after the race to work in their Long Beach, California shop. Holman worked for the team until 1956, when Ford Motor Company hired him to run their factory team shop at Charlotte, North Carolina. Ralph Moody won four NASCAR races in 1956. He raced the first third of 1957, until Ford and the other American automobile manufacturers pulled out of racing.

They formed a partnership after the American Manufacturers' Association banned Ford's factory participation in stockcar racing in June 1957, which unemployed both men. They decided to pool their resources, and formed Holman-Moody. Moody immediately took out a loan against an airplane that he owned, and with Holman paid $12,000 to buy the shop and equipment that had been Ford's Charlotte-based racing operation [4] Holman-Moody was one of the first to sell "purpose-built" stock car chassis for racing. [5] Holman-Moody Fords won their first two races in 1957.

Holman-Moody entered two cars in the final two races at the Daytona Beach Road Course in 1958. The cars were raced by Curtis Turner and Joe Weatherly. The cars finished first and third in one race, and second and fourth in the second. The team became more focused on building cars for other teams as the season went on. Ford slowly began increasing support for racing as the season went on. Ford stopped the assembly line to allow Holman-Moody to buy bare bodies and parts for construction of 1959 Thunderbirds. The cars came without needed parts. Turner won races at Champion Speedway, Lakewood Speedway, and the Southern States Fairgrounds.

Holman-Moody's car driven by Johnny Beauchamp finished in a dead heat with Lee Petty at the first race at the new Daytona International Speedway. The 1959 Daytona 500 win was awarded to Petty after three days.

Holman-Moody entered the "World's fastest Falcon" in the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1962. The car was driven by Marvin Panch and Jocko Maggiacomo. Holman-Moody also prepared a small-block AC Cobra, driven by Augie Pabst.

1965 Ford Galaxie or replica FredLorenzen1965FordGalaxy.jpg
1965 Ford Galaxie or replica

Ironically, Holman-Moody bought out Bill Stroppe in 1965 and the Long Beach facility at 2190 Temple Ave. became Holman-Moody-Stroppe. They built around 50 race cars a year until Moody sold his portion of the company after the 1972 season. [6] They had won 96 NASCAR Grand National races.

Holman-Moody also built and raced Ford GT-40s in the 24 Hours of Le Mans races from 1966-1967. The team's best finish was a third place as part of the famous 1966 Ford 1-2-3 photo finish.

Holman died in 1975 after suffering a heart attack while testing an intercooler. The team was owned by a trust for several years, until Lee Holman took over the operations in 1978.

Holman-Moody operated for a number of years in a former NC Air National Guard Hangar near the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. This hangar had been constructed during World War II at Charlotte's Morris Field Army Air Field, and in 1964 the Ford Motor Company paid Larry Jenkins to move it from the NC Air Guard base to an off-runway plot of land on the other side of the airport. This is where Holman-Moody used the hangar.

The Charlotte airport gave notice that it intended to condemn the Holman-Moody building in 1982 so they could construct an additional runway. The company sold off all of its equipment, and Lee Holman bought most of it. Holman Automotive continued the building of racecars, engine building for the No. 21 Wood Brothers NASCAR team, and grinding cams for several NASCAR teams.

On March 25, 2009, the hangar was torn down to make way for Charlotte's third parallel runway. The company moved from its original 75,000 sq ft shop next to the airport to another location in Charlotte.

They continue to build and restore collector race cars and engines with the majority of the employees having worked for Holman-Moody since the 1960s.

In the 1990s, Holman-Moody, in partnership with Holman Automotive, began manufacturing GT 40 MkIIs again. They made them originally back in the 1960s and these cars all raced with Holman-Moody serial number tags. Holman-Moody has the original Ford blue prints for these cars and the result is that they are vintage legal. They are built with exactly the same specifications as they were in the 1960s.

They also made three reproductions of the 1964 Fairlanes that raced against the Cobras and GT-40s. The first of these Fairlanes continues to win races in Europe.

Team highlights

Holman-Moody-built Fords won 48 of 55 NASCAR Grand National Series races in 1965, a record that has never been broken. [2] Mario Andretti won the 1967 Daytona 500, and David Pearson won the 1968 and 1969 NASCAR championships. Dan Gurney won five races at Riverside International Raceway. Pearson drove a Wood Brothers Ford to victory in the 1976 Daytona 500. Fred Lorenzen was one of the nation's highest paid athletes at $122,558 while driving a Holman-Moody car in 1963. [2]

Awards

Holman-Moody was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America [7] in 2005.

Current work

Holman-Moody is no longer involved in racing. The company is currently owned and operated by Lee Holman, son of co-founder John Holman. From their location in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company continues to produce GT40s using what remains of the original chassis. These vehicles are distinguished by the fact that they are not reproductions, but newly built original racecars.

Holman-Moody has also collaborated directly with Ford to create the 2014 TdF Mustang, a specially optioned and upgraded Ford Mustang commemorative of the Mustang's first ever racing win, 50 years prior at the Tour de France rally. The company continues to manufacture and stock parts for many classic performance Fords, which can be purchased by the public via their office or website.

Innovations

Holman-Moody had a lasting effect on all forms of auto racing. Their innovations include fuel cells, full-floater rear axle, on-board fire systems, quick change disk brakes, square tube frames, and tube shocks. The 1966 Holman-Moody Ford Fairlane was the basis for all NASCAR racecars until NASCAR redesigned their car as the Car of Tomorrow. [2]

Notable drivers

Holman-Moody had many notable drivers, including:

Notable crew chiefs

Holman-Moody had numerous crew members who became notable crew chiefs, including:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford GT40</span> High-performance endurance racing car

The Ford GT40 is a high-performance endurance racing car designed and built by the Ford Motor Company. It grew out of the "Ford GT" project, an effort to compete in European long-distance sports car races, against Ferrari, who had won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race from 1960 to 1965. Ford succeeded with the GT40, winning the 1966 through 1969 races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Petty</span> American racing driver

Richard Lee Petty, nicknamed "the King", is an American former stock car racing driver who competed from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series, most notably driving the No. 43 Plymouth/Pontiac for Petty Enterprises. He is a member of the Petty racing family. He was the first driver to win the Cup Series championship seven times, while also winning a record 200 races during his career. This included winning the Daytona 500 a record seven times and winning a record 27 races in one season (1967).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mario Andretti</span> American racing driver (born 1940)

Mario Gabriele Andretti is an Italian-born American former racing driver. One of the most successful drivers in the history of motorsports, Andretti is one of only three drivers to have won races in Formula One, IndyCar, the World Sportscar Championship, and NASCAR. He has also won races in midget car racing and sprint car racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Gurney</span> American racing driver (1931–2018)

Daniel Sexton Gurney was an American racing driver, race car constructor, and team owner who reached racing's highest levels starting in 1958. Gurney won races in the Formula One, Indy Car, NASCAR, Can-Am, and Trans-Am Series. Gurney is the first of three drivers to have won races in sports cars (1958), Formula One (1962), NASCAR (1963), and Indy cars (1967), the other two being Mario Andretti and Juan Pablo Montoya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Torino Talladega</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Torino Talladega is a muscle car that was produced by Ford only during the first few weeks of 1969. It was named for the Talladega Superspeedway, which opened the same year. The Talladega was a special, more aerodynamic version of the Torino / Fairlane Cobra, produced specifically to make Ford even more competitive in NASCAR racing, and it was sold to the public only because homologation rules required a certain minimum number of cars be produced and made available.

Walter Edwin Hansgen was an American racecar driver. His motorsport career began as a road racing driver, he made his Grand Prix debut at 41 and he died aged 46, several days after crashing during testing for the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Kanaan</span> Brazilian racing driver (born 1974)

Antoine Rizkallah "Tony" Kanaan Filho, nicknamed ''TK,'' is a Brazilian racing driver. He is best known for racing in Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) from 1998 to 2002, and the IndyCar Series from 2002 to 2023. Kanaan competes in the Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series, driving the No. 6 Toyota Corolla E210 for Full Time Bassani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Andretti</span> American race car driver (1963–2020)

John Andrew Andretti was an American race car driver. He won individual races in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series, and NASCAR during his career. A member of the Andretti racing family, he was the son of Aldo Andretti, older brother of racer Adam Andretti, nephew of Mario Andretti, and the cousin to CART drivers Michael and Jeff Andretti. He is also the first cousin once-removed of racer Marco Andretti.

Richard "Dick" Hutcherson was an American businessman and a former stock car racer. A native of Keokuk, Iowa, Hutcherson drove in NASCAR competition from 1964 to 1967. He won 14 races, finishing runner-up in his first full season in 1965 and third in 1967, but after four years of top-level racing he retired at the season's end to devote his energies to Hutcherson-Pagan Enterprises, a chassis-building business in Charlotte, North Carolina. His younger brother Ron also became a stock car racer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Pearson (racing driver)</span> American racecar driver (1934–2018)

David Gene Pearson was an American stock car driver, who raced from 1960 to 1986 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series, most notably driving the No. 21 Mercury for Wood Brothers Racing. Pearson won the 1960 NASCAR Rookie of the Year award and three Cup Series championships. He never missed a race in the years he was active. NASCAR described his 1974 season as an indication of his "consistent greatness", finishing third in the season points having competed in only 19 of 30 races. Pearson's career paralleled Richard Petty's, the driver who has won the most races in NASCAR history. They accounted for 63 first/second-place finishes, with the edge going to Pearson. Petty had 200 wins in 1,184 starts, while Pearson had 105 wins in 574 starts. Pearson was nicknamed the "Fox" for his calculated approach to racing.

Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC (CGR), also sometimes branded as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, is an American auto racing organization with teams competing in the NTT IndyCar Series, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship, and Extreme E. They have formerly competed in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, Global Rallycross Championship and the Rolex Sports Car Series. It was founded in 1990 by businessman and former racecar driver Chip Ganassi, from the assets of Patrick Racing to compete in the CART IndyCar World Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Moody</span> American racing driver

Ralph Moody was an American stock car racer. He eventually became a team co-owner of Holman Moody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelby American</span> American automobile manufacturer

Shelby American, Inc. is an American high performance automobile company founded by driver Carroll Shelby. The Shelby American name has been used by several legally distinct corporations founded by Shelby since his original shop in Venice, California began operation in 1962. The current iteration is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International, Inc., a holding company formed in 2003. Carroll Shelby International's other wholly owned subsidiary is Carroll Shelby Licensing, which licenses the name and trademarks associated with Shelby to other companies. Shelby American was the first automobile manufacturer in the state of Nevada. Shelby American manufactures component automobiles, including replicas of the small-block and large-block AC Cobras, the Shelby GT350 and the GT500 Super Snake. Since 2005, Shelby American has released new models each year.

John Holman was an American NASCAR owner. He is most famous for his co-ownership of two time NASCAR championship team Holman-Moody with Ralph Moody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Performance</span> Motorsports division of Ford Motor Company

Ford Performance is the high-performance division of the Ford Motor Company and the multinational name used for its motorsport and racing activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Ford 400</span> Motor car race

The 2007 Ford 400 was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series stock car race that was held on November 18, 2007 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. The 267-lap race was the thirty-sixth in the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, as well as the final race in the ten-race Chase for the Nextel Cup, which ended the season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Fox</span> NASCAR team owner

Raymond Lee Fox, Sr. was an American engine builder, NASCAR car owner and NASCAR engine inspector. His cars won fourteen NASCAR Grand National Series events and sixteen pole positions. His son and grandson, also known as Raymond Lee Fox Jr and III, respectively, also were NASCAR mechanics, with Ray Fox III currently working with Team Penske.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waddell Wilson</span> NASCAR mechanic and crew chief

Waddell Wilson is a former NASCAR Winston Cup Series crew chief and engine builder. He was the winning crew chief for the Daytona 500 in 1980, 1983, and 1984. He was crew chief or engine builder for Holman-Moody, Harry Ranier, and Hendrick Motorsports. Drivers included Bobby Allison, Mario Andretti, Buddy Baker, Geoff Bodine, A. J. Foyt, Junior Johnson, Fred Lorenzen, Cale Yarborough and Ricky Rudd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Cindric</span> American racing driver

Austin Louis Cindric is an American professional auto racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 2 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Team Penske.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Johnson (racing driver)</span> American racing driver

William Ryan Johnson is an American professional sports car and stock car racing driver. He is the 2016 IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS champion. He currently competes part-time in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship, driving for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing UK in the No. 66 Ford GT.

References

  1. ↑ Miersma, Seyth. "2014 Holman & Moody 50th Anniversary TdF Ford Mustang". Autoblog. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Biography Archived 2007-03-12 at the Wayback Machine at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, written by Marshall Gardner, Retrieved March 8, 2007.
  3. ↑ Owner's statistics at racing-reference.info, Retrieved March 8, 2007.
  4. ↑ Poole, David (2004-06-09). "Legendary racer-builder Ralph Moody dies". ThatsRacin.com. Archived from the original on 2005-09-21. Retrieved 2006-05-29.
  5. ↑ Fleischman, Bill; Pearce, Al (1999). The Unauthorized NASCAR Fan Guide 1998–99 . Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA: Visible Ink Press. ISBN   1-57859-111-2., page 195
  6. ↑ Ralph Moody's Biography Archived 2007-10-07 at the Wayback Machine at New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame, Retrieved March 8, 2007.
  7. ↑ Holman-Moody at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.