Re: [Chrysler300] Daytona Beach in 1956.

["Charlie Valentine" <cross.ram@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks again Burton for sharing more of your memories and your involvement.
Always interested in reading what you have to offer.


Lion Charlie Valentine
300G, 1962 300 Sport Convertible


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Burton Bouwkamp" <northburt@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 7:31 AM
Subject: [Chrysler300] Daytona Beach in 1956.



RLS,
Thanks for the website address.

Here are my memories of being at Daytona Beach in February, 1956.

Bob Rodger (Chrysler's Chief Engineer) sent me to Daytona as an "observer" 
with no official duties except to help the Chrysler nameplate - with 
automotive writers for example - and help Chrysler drivers - like our dealer 
Brewster Shaw of San Juan Motors - in any way that I could. And also to 
serve in a liaison roll with Carl Kiekhaefer. We knew that Carl was going to 
run cars in the Sunday oval race (on the beach and highway) but we did not 
know that he was preparing a car for the beach speed trials to be driven by 
Tim Flock the NASCAR Grand National Champion.

Tim Flock raised the flying mile record by 12 MPH! The car had a manual 
transmission and was prepared to perfection by the Kiekhaefer organization 
for the beach run. Carl had the car painted with the Mercury Outboard logo 
because he knew that he was going to win - and set a new record doing it. He 
wanted to showup the factory effort - and he did!

After Tim Flock's two-way run of 139.4 MPH, Gene Carr (worked for me) and I 
went over to the Armory to observe the inspection. NASCAR required removal 
of the intake manifold and one cylinder head so that they could measure 
carburetor and port sizes, bore, stroke, valve sizes, piston head height and 
cylinder head combustion chamber volume to assure that the engine was within 
specifications. Without completing this inspection successfully the results 
were not official. We waited - and waited - and waited but Tim Flock and the 
car did not show. NASCAR gave us a time deadline to "produce the car at the 
Armory or else" so Gene and I went over to the Kiekhaefer rented facility 
and there was the 300B. Carl said he wasn't interested in the inspection 
because he said that he proved what he wanted to prove. After some intense 
discussion Carl said "take the car". We did and we made the deadline at the 
Armory - but we did not have any mechanics to disassemble the engine. Gene 
and I were capable of doing it but we didn't have any tools. We borrowed 
tools from mechanics working next to us but it was obvious that wasn't going 
to work because we needed the same tools and were interfering with their 
work. So I called Carl Kiekhaefer and told him that we needed his help. He 
went through his standard dissertation that his efforts were not appreciated 
by Chrysler - but within ten minutes Carl came marching in through the open 
Armory garage door carrying a tool box in each arm and with two mechanics 
trotting behind him. We were the last ones out of the Armory that evening 
but the engine met all specifications and Chrysler had the official record - 
which was broken by six 300F's four years later.

Burt Bouwkamp

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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