Video: Stock Cars on Dirt at the DuQuoin Magic Mile, 1964

Posted on by

See legends AJ Foyt, Parnelli Jones, and Joe Leonard battling in real stock cars on a real dirt track in this excellent 1964 color short.

 

There was a time when NASCAR wasn’t the only major-league stock car show in town. The United States Auto Club (USAC) ran a top-notch series all through the 1960s, often sharing race dates with the Indy cars. The first-tier team owners included NASCAR familiars Bill Stroppe and Ray Nichels, while Indy car stars AJ Foyt, Joe Leonard, and Parnelli Jones were among the pilots. In operation from 1956 to 1984, USAC’s stock car division ran a wide variety of venues, including the road course at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Pikes Peak, and the historic dirt fairgrounds ovals—DuQuoin, Illinois for example, where this 1964 color film short was produced.

While it’s only six minutes long, the film packs in plenty of broadsliding action on the clay oval still known as the Magic Mile. Joe Leonard and A.J. Foyt in a pair of 426 hemi-powered ’64 Dodges prepared by Ray Nichels qualified up front, and they battled for the lead early on as Rodger Ward and Parnelli Jones, teammates on the Stroppe Mercury team, quickly moved up to join the fray.

A flip by Eddie Meyer took Ward out of contention, while Foyt eventually faded with a mechanical problem. Leonard, a two-time AMA national motorcycle champion just starting his USAC career on four wheels, sailed on to his first victory. Eventually, Leonard would win two USAC open-wheel championships in 1971 and 1972. There’s nothing like watching real stock cars running sideways through the corners on a real dirt track—enjoy the video.

 

6 thoughts on “Video: Stock Cars on Dirt at the DuQuoin Magic Mile, 1964”

  1. Imagine that. Actually completing a white flag lap without five cars running into each other.

  2. Great watch, thanks! I think this is the first USAC stock race I’ve seen from this era without any threat by, or mention of, the usually unshakable Don White. I saw his #1 for a moment, but I guess this is one time he wasn’t a factor.

  3. A.J. was a Ford guy until they wouldn’t give him a 4-cam Lotus for the ’64 500 that year. Firestone pissed him off too somehow that year so he made it his personal mission to help Goodyear run Firestone out of racing, which he eventually did. Ford quickly realized they screwed up after he blew em off with his obsolete Offy roadster in that horrendous ’64 500. FoMoCo gave A.J. everything he wanted after that and the rest is history. If I could pick any driver in history to drive for me, A.J. is the man!

    • Firestone made some special 15″ tires for Mickey Thompson’s roller skates that year for the 500. A.J. wanted a set to try on his roadster in practice but Akron said no. Nobody says no to A.J. and I don’t think he and M/T were drinking buddies either.

      A.J. was the perfect driver for perfecting the new Hemi, somehow getting more rpm out it than other drivers. Until that infamous 5/16″ valve stem failed or the thrust side of a cylinder wall blew out in the early blocks.

  4. What a great film !! Thanks Mac.
    Back when stock cars were really showroom stock – they still had door handles.

Comments are closed.