1970 RACE
The domination of Chrysler in motor sports continued unabated. With all the manufacturers competing in the NHRA, one look at their record books identifies the winner hands down - Chrysler. NHRA’s top divisions were being revamped for 1970 and the principle reason was the HEMI engine. Simply put the only way to beat a Mopar was to use a Mopar engine in your brand x ride. Yes a few dummies here and there would hold on till the end of the year but that would see the last of Ford or Chevy engines in any major competition classes. Pro Stock and Funny car were the worse. The RECORD books might show a Camaro won. It was a Camaro with a HEMI! So as the Chrysler ad said congrats Ford, Chevy etc, etc on your “wins” Thank you” for using OUR Hemi.
The major events were an unmitigated catastrophe for anyone hoping to break the stranglehold. Once again as it had been for the previous 7 years you had to have a Mopar to beat a Mopar. Winter Nationals, Super Stock Nat’s, US Nationals on and on every major meet was won by Chrysler. Due to the complexities of the divisions I suggest as reference reading NHRA’s 50th anniversary web site. They do an awesome job. As this site grows I will begin to put up Charger specific info for your enjoyment.
Mean while the folks in NASCAR stood by dumbstruck. 48 Grand National races were run in 1970, MOPARS would win 38! The Ferd camp sneaked in 10 and it goes without saying Garbage Motors 0. Charger drivers would win 17 races. Plymouths would score 21 times. The amazing side of the Plymouth story is that Petty Enterprises scored every win! Richard 18, Pete Hamilton 3. Now let’s get back to our story. What story? The story of the Daytona/Super Bird myth I began detailing on our 1969 race page. You are reading EVERY page of this web site I hope. If not don’t go any further you will only get confused and then go confuse someone else. The story was the same for 1970 the mainstream media only wanted to print the super speedway stuff. Headlines sell; the blood and guts grunt stuff never gets printed. You never read 100 foxholes captured it’s always BERLIN FALLS! To hear the media pundits of the day telling it Daytona’s, Super Birds and the like were the Poo Bas but as previously stated THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE! And T.D.C wants to give the glory were the glory belongs. The 1970 Charger! That’s right OLD METAL NOSE couldn’t hold a candle to OLD CHROME NOSE 70. Ah Wayne your nuts what about the magazines, the books, the…, Plueeese! The only book that counts is the one that shows 10 wins with the 1970, 4 with a Daytona and 3 with a 500.The sister ship the Super Bird would win only 8 more that’s 12 of 48! Say what you will the wings won some battles but the grunt 1970 won the war. Bobby Isaac would win the Championship driving a 1970 to victory 8 times and a 500 3 times. His K&K Insurance team would do some spectacular things in a Daytona winning a race wasn’t one of them. Bobby Allison would win 3 times 2-1970, 1-Daytona, Charlie Glotzbach scored 2 wins-Daytona and Buddy Baker 1win-Daytona. Buddy would go on to set a worlds closed course record 200.14 on March 24 1970 driving the #88 Chrysler Engineering Daytona. Bobby Isaac SET A NEW RECORD Nov 24th 201.10 with his K&K car that would stand until 1985 when bill Elliott racked up his 212.80 mph run.
Big Bill France had seen enough. Except for 1965 when Chrysler withdrew from competition in protest over the Hemi engine ban and 1969 when Ford had gotten the early advantage in the aero war Mopar had kicked that Ford rump up one side and down the other!!! No GM product had won a Grand National event since 1963! And what’s more they were still two years away. Bill had to pay the bills so NASCAR MODIFIED THE THREE YEAR RULE to limit the DODGE/FORD aero cars to 305 cubic inch displacement engines for 1971. All other cars could run any engine available. This seemed to spell the end for the super speedway dominance of the wings but a BLACK SURPRISE was on the horizon.