› Forums › Forums › WHERE ARE THEY NOW ? › 1968 Factory Hemi Cuda’s and Darts that made it Dover
dino.
paul-ceasrine
Factory Hemi Super Stock Cuda’s and Darts,
Sorry no pictures.
* Charlie Castaldo, SS/B Dart (First car raced at Dover, wrecked at Englishtown late 68′?)
* Charlie Castaldo, SS/BA Dart (Second car, at Dover 69′, 70′ and 71′)
* John Macey, SS/BA Cuda “Heads Up” (at Dover 68′ and 69′?)
* Tony Chickery, SS/A Dart “MR. ED” (at Dover late 70′ thru 73′) (Ran A/MP and Pro/S)
* Ken Montgomery, SS/A Cuda, “555” (at Dover 70′)
* Ed Miller, SS/B Cuda (at Dover 69′?)
* Chuck McJury, SS/BA, Dart “Playmate” (at Dover 69′)
* Charlie Lendrum, SS/BA Dart “Northern Shaker” (at Dover 69′)
* Melvin Yow, SS/BA Dart, (at Dover 69′)
* Centalanzo Brothers, SS/A Cuda (at Dover 73 or later ?)
Not Sure on the Following;
* Bill Flynn’s, SS/B Dart “Yankee Peddler”
* Bill Stiles, SS/BA Cuda
* Trenton Speed Parts, SS/BA Dart
* “SNAPPER”, SS/B Cuda (from Long Island)
* Speedwin Automotive, SS/BA Dart (Joe Jill from Long Island, built Charlie Castaldo’s engine
* S & K Speed Shop, SS/B Dart (sold to the Mutt Brothers, Brooklyn, late 68′)
* Joe Patel, SS/BA Dart (sponsored by Deb’s Machinery)
* New England Chrysler/Plymouth Dealers Assoc., Bob Gaudreau, “Kandy Kuda”, SS/BA Cuda
Who knew. If I only had a brain (Camera) 🙁 PC
super-sport-pete
hi paul i am the guy with the “dover memories” don’t forget the “candy cuda”. gaudreau? was one of the names on the car. john macey also had another,or the same? 68 SS/AA around 1976.i do not know if it made it to dover,but i saw it at ct dragway.
dinoMost of those cars ALL in the ODF galleries, And of course our New Historical Photo Disc. We had a couple of Super Stock meets that drew some “non-regulars’ in ‘for the bucks’ ….We were always experimenting with what kind of event would work the best .Chet & Joe would try what the racer’s suggested, some things bombed. That’s why some cars hard to find in photo collections IF they only showed once or twice. But we do have most.And new always arriving.
paul-ceasrine
DINO,
Yes some of the Super Stock meets (68′ thru 71′) were excellent.
Super Stock Pete. I know the Bob Goudreau car, but do not remember seeing him at Dover.
All the cars I mentioned were northeast area cars. Except, Melvin Yow, who was out of
North Carolina.
First 1968 Super/Stock Hemi cars to break the Sub-11 second barrier.
1968; John Macey SS/BA Cuda 10.80’s (Won a bunch of late summer 1968 S/S Eliminators)
1968; Charlie Castaldo SS/B Dart 10.70’s
Pete, Nice 67′ Chevelle. What was that in Bracket II (11.00 to 12.99).
PC
storm-king
I don’t believe the centolanza’s had a ’68 Cuda S/S’er. They had a ’70 or ’71 Hemi ragtop.
hvy70ssCentolanza’s DID have a ’68 SS/A. Only it was during mid to late ’70’s. Car started out solid black and ran at Dover around ’75 and ’76. MANY 4 speed problems as I witnessed Johnny DeLorenzo (crewchief) changing trannys in Dover’s dusty/oily pits. Around ’76 or so the paint switched to a ’60’s style multicolor pearl with a little Fonzie from Happy Days theme. For quite some time, the Centolanza’s held the NHRA SS/A e.t. record of 9.90 as listed in the National Dragster. Car eventually was sold to a racer from Minnesota around ’79. I may have some pics…I’ll try to find ’em.
Bob Smith
super-sport-pete
hi paul,ss pete here.bk #1 was 0-12.99.i ran low 12’s when it wasn’t broken.thank you for the compliment on the car.that was the best it looked in the 10 years i raced it. it was kept outside.no big decals or lettering because of local zoning laws strictly enforced by the neighbors!just another twist of fate from racing.definitley saw candy cuda at dover.i think the car was from ct.
storm-king
Thanks for the correction! I was in Germany in the late ’70’s, keeping the Ruskies at bay until Ronaldus Magnus beat them into the ground.
I would like to see some pics of it!
paul-ceasrine
Super Sport Pete and HWY70SS (Bob Smith)
I researched my Super Stock Hemi data-base.
Forgot that Bob Gaudreau was out of Bristol, Connecticut.
He ran the “KANDY KUDA” in SS/B in late 68′ and 69′. He switched to Pro/Stock in
late 69′. The “KANDY KUDA” Barracuda set the NHRA Pro/Stock (ET and MPH Record) in
October 69′ at Connecticut Dragway (East Haddam, CT)….(10.09 @ 135.50)
The record held up for 4 months, until Grumpy Jenkins broke it by running a
9.98 @ 138.67 at the 1970 Winternationals (February 70′ @ Pomona).
Jenkins broke the record with his 1968, 427 tunnel-ram Camaro.
I think the “KANDY KUDA” may have been at Dover in late 68′ or early/mid 69′.
Do not remember him running any Pro/Stock events their in 70′.
More Info To Follow.
Paul
dinoBrian And I researching Gaudreau’s name in Race paper results lists…Name familiar and had previous cars…more later …looking
A quick Google search found this:
Quote from a article how he went 150mph WITH A SNOWMOBILE !( WE DO have Snowmobile Guys On forum)
” Big Bob liked things that went fast, not hard to imagine from a man who once professionally drag raced Chrysler hemi-powered drag racers. In 1969, racing his 1968-bodied, Chrysler-engined ‘Kandy Kuda,’ Gaudreau established a Pro Stock record time of 10.095 seconds at a speed of 135.5 mph in a quarter-mile event.”
….click for complete story: http://www.snowmobile.com/manufacturers/others/bob-gaudreaus-budweiser-special-730.html
paul-ceasrine
DINO,
Are you and Brian checking up on my info 😛 😛
Me no lie, I only have a stock camshaft in my computer 😆 😆
The reason it has a rough idle, is because my carburetor needs adjusting 😉 😉
Trying to research more on Bob Gaudreau “KANDY KUDA”. Supposedly ran in an
ALL-HEMI SHOOT-OUT at Maple Grove, PA. back in early 69′, against the likes of
Ed Miller, Chuck McJury, Speedwin Automotive, Jack Werst, Ken Montgomery and
Charlie Castaldo. I have to do more research, and find the photo clippings.
That 10.09 run by the “KANDY KUDA”, was pretty quick for October 1969.
* Info on the “KANDY KUDA”.
Chrysler built (50) Hemi Cuda’s to be made available for delivery or pick-up for racers in
early-May 1968. (To be ready for the 68′ Springnationals at Englishtown, NJ June 14,15,16)
An additional (20) were built in late June 68′
An additional (2) were built in the first week of August 68′.
(72) in total.
* First run of (50)… (41) Automatics….(9) 4-Speeds
* Second Run (20)….(13) Automatics….(7) 4-Speeds
* Last run (2)……….(0) Automatics…..(2) 4-Speeds
Bob Gaudrea’s 4-speed car was in the second run, June production.
A little more research is required for the Centalanzo Brothers, who had a 68′ Hemi Cuda very briefly. I’ll post that later.
Some other northeast 68′ factory Hemi Cuda/Dart’s.
Jack Werst, Cuda, “MR 5 & 50”, (SS/BA) (PA.)
Sam Pannuty, Cuda, (SS/BA) (West Virginia)
Oakland Auto Parts, Dart (SS/BA) (New Jersey)
Paul
paul-ceasrine
Bob (HVY70SS),
If the Centalanzo Brothers held the SS/A record at 9.90, it would have been in 1974, maybe even in late 73′.
Steve Bagwell’s SS/AA 68′ Hemi Cuda was running 9.80’s in 1974.
There seems to be a window between when the Centalanzo’s stopped running the
67′ “RO” SS/DA Hemi Belvedere and the 71′ SS/E Hemi Cuda.
The Belvedere was around in 68′ and 69′, and maybe early 70. The convertible was around in
mid-71′. Is it possible that they had a 68′ Hemi Barracuda car for a short time in mid-to-late 70, and early 71?
A gentleman by the name of Bill Rodik has pictures of the 68′ Hemi Barracuda at the 1970
Super Stock Magazine Nationals at York, Pa, in 1970. Also some film of that event exists, with the Centalanzo’s.
Do remember a pearlish-white 68′ Hemi SS/A with lettering on the door panel at Dover
running 9.90’s. A one-time visitor, but I can’t remember the year (70 thru 73).
Also, check out the photo of the Gaudreau & Kovitch 68′ SS/B Hemi Barracuda on e-bay.
It is on an NHRA Postcard handout.
Paul
hvy70ssPaul,
To the best of my knowledge, there was no car at all between the ’67 Belvedere and the ’71 ‘Cuda. If I remember correctly there was a down period after the ’67 was sold. Once the ’71 was purchased there was quite a “learning curve” with that car. As far as the ’68, Centolanzas held the SS/A record for quite awhile due to, back then, not many 4 speed guys could could keep those cars together..alot of breakage. Also the automatic cars were actually faster than the stick cars for awhile! I may see Lou next week…I’ll check with him about that time between the ’67 and ’71 to confirm. Take care,
Bob Smith
paul-ceasrine
Bob (70HVYSS)
Bill Rodik has photo’s or remembers the Centalanzo’s SS/A Cuda at York, but he may have
mis-stated the date. He listed the 68′ SS/A Cuda before the 71′ Hemi Convertible.
He stated that he has photo’s of them at the S/S Magazine Nationals at York, in August 69′,
and the S/S Magazine Nationals in May 70′. Not sure if the 68′ SS/A Cuda made it there, as the S/S Magazine Nationals at York were held last in 1972 at York. Maybe they were there
for a Points Meet?
You are probably right on them not having the 68′ Cuda until mid-70’s. We were the only regulars at Dover that ran an A-Body Fastback Barracuda (68′ thru 73′), besides John Macey in the “Heads Up” 68′ SS/BA Hemi that ran there in 68′ and 69′. I don’t remember them with
the Hemi A-Body in early 70.
Trying to research the SS/A National Record for 74′ thru 77′.
As for the Centalanzo’s, my father and I drove up to Mountain Garage in the summer of 1968,
to purchase a set of Goodyear slicks (6″ wide) on 14″ rims (4″ bolt pattern) for our
67′ 273 Barracuda. Think they had a 273 Plymouth Valiant (before the Hemi’s) that they ran pretty successfully in (I/SA ?). Still remember going in the garage towards the back right
and looking in the passenger door window of the 67′ Belvedere, and peeking under the
car to see the header openings (bazooka-size collectors). When my father bought the slicks from them, either Lou or Tony asked my father if he had done anything to the transmission.
My father didn’t know what they were talking about. They thought he had an automatic.
Paul
paul-ceasrine
More on the “Kandy Kuda”,
Surprised he wasn’t at Dover more often. 1968 Factory Hemi S/S Barracuda.
NHRA Legal SS/B car.
The Gaudreau & Kovitch team were based out of Bristol, Connecticut.
Whats that, about an hour east of Dover 😕
Super Sport Pete, thanks for posting the “Kandy Kuda” question.
That was the car that was sponsored by “The New England Plymouth Dealers Association”.
Ran SS/B from July 68′ to September 69′. Went into Pro/Stock for the end of 69′, where it set the National Record at 10.09. First converted S/S car to run under 10.20.
Ran in Pro/Stock for the early part of 70′, then went into A/MP for a time, and also competed in C/Gas 😯
DINO, do any of these names ring a bell? (1968 thru 1970)
Chick Brignolo, 1968 Factory Hemi Super Stock (SS/B) Dodge Dart, “PLAY THING”
Ran in Connecticut, but was based out of Norton, Massachussetts.
Gene O’Neill, 1968 Factory Hemi Super Stock Dodge Dart, (SS/B)
Based in Worcester, Massachussetts.
Phil Cerrone, 1968 factory Hemi Super Stock Barracuda (SS/BA) “Harris Auto Sales’
Harris Auto Sales based in East Providence, Rhode Island.
This car was painted red with white center-section, and Keystone wheels. The picture I have is from 1969. I wonder if this was John Maceys’ “Heads Up” car, re-painted. Harris Auto Sales sponsored the “Heads Up” Cuda also, which was a SS/BA car too, and had Keystones.
Maybe the Storm King Duo may know, Gary SK1 or Bill SK2 😉
Paul
