Darrell Waltrip first drove...
Darrell Waltrip first drove this 71 Mercury Cyclone at Talladega.
The nose of this 71...
The nose of this 71 Mercury Cyclone would not make it in todays aerodynamic requirements. Although the front is striking to look at, if this front end were on a restrictor-plate car, it would likely not produce impressive results.
The engines of the day did...
The engines of the day did not have restrictor plates to limit horsepower. The 429ci powerplant of this monster was prepared by Holman-Moody, Ford Motor Companys factory-backed racing operation.
The driver compartment of...
The driver compartment of this era was somewhat austere compared to todays Cup cars. Notice the liberal use of black tape as a cushioning method.
The fuel cell was a simple...
The fuel cell was a simple operation and had a fuel overrun vent. Often as the car launched out of the pit, excess fuel would flow out of the vent. Today the gas man has a catch can to collect excess fuel.
In this time of racing, spoilers...
In this time of racing, spoilers were used more as a stability factor that added downforce. Today the spoiler is used both as a stabilizer and a method to slow the cars.
Darrell Waltrips storied Winston Cup career began in May 1972 at the Talladega Motor Speedway in Alabama. Waltrip rolled onto the track in this Holman-Moodyprepared 71-bodied Mercury Cyclone.
The car was originally built in 1966 as a Ford-bodied car, which Mario Andretti drove to victory in the 67 Daytona 500. Later the car made sporadic appearances in various events until Waltrips sponsor, Terminal Transport, bought the car from Holman-Moody for $12,500. The deal also included a handful of spare parts.
Waltrip drove the car in selected events until 1973, after which time it was put in storage. In 1989 Hurricane Hugo blew a tree onto the car, causing substantial damage. It was later restored by a group of veteran NASCAR veterans to its original race-ready condition.
By todays standards, the car has several unique characteristics. The nose, engine, interior, and back-end configuration would, of course, not be legal by todays superspeedway rules.