Chris Moroni was RIGHT! I was premature!

@rich-sufficool - The 1965 Dart Charger has an interesting history.  It was built by Dick Branstner and Jay Howell.  The duo also created the mid-engine Cotton Picker for NASCAR's Cotton Owens with David Pearson driving (They were boycotting NASCAR because of the Chrysler HEMI ban).  Branstner and Howell also took over the development of the Little Red Wagon from the original builders, John Collier and Jim Schaeffer.  That was before the LRW was a wheelstander and was initially built with the intention of being a competitive racer.  Jay Howell drove the Dart Charger and the Little Red Wagon.  Also, Jay Howell went on to build Don Gay's 1966 Infinity Pontiac GTO.  Branstner also built the Yankee Peddler 1965 AWB Dodge Funny car for Bill Flynn. 

The Dart Charger was a mid-engine (we incorrectly called them rear-engine back in the day) match racer.  In 1966, Branstner sold the car to Don Garlits.  He swapped out a '66 Dodge Dart front clip on the car to replace the '65, painted over the beautiful famed Alexander Brothers multi-hues in white, and put dots on it.  He called it the "Polka Dart."  Unfortunately, that name didn't register with the lucrative match race bookings circuit, so he repainted it in black and renamed it the "Don Garlits Dart."  He put Emery Cook in the seat as the "shoe," and the bookings came.   

As was the case with all of the mid-engine cars in the '60s, the Dart Charger/Don Garlits Dart was never very competitive.  It also had some squirrely handling characteristics, which isn't surprising considering the car's high altitude profile.  Aerodynamic science was still a mystery to most drag racers.  Ultimately, the car went airborne, crashed, and was totaled. 

Garlits built an extremely controversial replacement named the "Don Garlits Dart II."  It was routinely criticized because Garlits called upon his AA fuel dragster experience and essentially created a car that was a rail dragster with a roadster body draped over it.  The funny car contingent wouldn't race against him because of the dragster configuration.  Dyno Don Nicholson was particularly vocal with his criticism of the car, claiming it was a rail dragster and not a funny car.  As a result, that car, too, languished with an unremarkable career because it couldn't get bookings.  BTW, the Don Garlits element of the story was AFTER he built his own mid-engine Dart.  That car had an inglorious history; on the day he tested it in front of Chrysler Brass, it crashed and was totaled.  Garlits considered himself lucky because he wore no safety gear, including a crash helmet!  

Confused?  LOL!  I hope you were able to follow because some of this I've written will be on next Friday's test.  LOL! 

I've included photos of all the cars I've mentioned to help with the unique history of mid-sixties drag racing. 

Despite the uncompetitive nature of the mid-engine funny cars, they all tremendously fascinated me!  I've often wanted to have them in my 1:18 diecast collection.  I have all that has been produced by model car manufacturers (Hurst Hemi Under Glass, Hurst Hairy Olds, Little Red Wagon in 1:64) and did my own custom modification of Maynard Rupp's Chevrolet Chevelle Chevoom.   

 Yes, the '71 Challenger is a "Candystick."  

😜 😬 😜 😬 😜 😬 😮 😮 😮 

Very interesting history; most of which I was not aware.  Do I understand correctly that David Pearson drag raced the Cotton Picker station wagon?  He was a drag racer at this point?

@jack-dodds - David Pearson drove for Cotton Owens in NASCAR.  However, when NASCAR issued a ban on the Chrysler HEMI, reasoning it would create too much of an advantage over the Ford and GM factory cars, some of the racers decided to boycott NASCAR and turned to drag racing instead.  The Plymouth Valient station wagon I showed in the photo was a car Cotton Owens had built to drag race with David Pearson as the shoe. 

During the mid-sixties, drag racing was quite lucrative as the sport evolved to weekend match races.  Drag strip promoters would book the popular drivers and their cars to match race another car, usually 2 out of 3 runs.  The drivers would tour the country to make their bookings.  Some raced three or four times per week.  

David Pearson was one of the drivers during the boycott who turned his attention to drag racing.  He wasn't alone.  Richard Petty had a Plymouth Barracuda racecar as well.  Fred Lorenzen would borrow Dick Brannan's Ford Mustang.  

@marty-johnson Super interesting Marty....I had no idea about this era.  Thanks!!

Posted by: @jack-dodds

Super interesting Marty.

He's pretty good ain't he?   Marty just knows  this stuff; it's like innate knowledge.  😎 

Posted by: @chris

Posted by: @jack-dodds

Super interesting Marty.

He's pretty good ain't he?   Marty just knows  this stuff; it's like innate knowledge.  😎 

Thanks, Professor!  And yes, I'm blushing over here! LOL! 

I guess I do have a lot of useless, esoteric information in my head.  It's a rare scenario that I actually have an opportunity to let it out and I appreciate the opportunity to share some stuff here.  I'm delighted that at least a few people appreciate reading about a topic that the vast majority have zero interest in.  LOL!

I gotta say that I love the look of Sir Richard's 'Cuda.

This '71 Ramchargers Challenger is described as NOT using their modified Torqueflite "CANDYMATIC" but rather a manual. However, it sports "B&M RACING TRANSMISSIONS" logos on the sides and the transmission modeled looks quite like a lot of the Hydromatics over the years, but there is a clutch pedal on the  foot plate, sooooo....I can't find any record of B&M making manual transmissions. Anyone with an explanation?