Olympia Charger

Doug and Hershel McGriff with Oly Charger

Thanks to Randy Ayers Modeling Forum's member Sundance, we just received this great picture of Doug and Hershel McGriff before their 1976 Le Mans start, found in a vintage issue of SCR magazine. I suspect that is was taken at Bridal Veil, just before Dick Pierson trucked it cross country to Sealand for its shipment to Le Mans. Judging by the title, I'd guess that the article relates to his DNF in the race. However, one question still remains: where is the original Oly Express Charger these days?

New old picture of Ray Elder Dodge Charger

François Breton, one of our biggest fans and also the one with the most vintage Le Mans knowledge, just sent us this picture of the Ray Elder Olympia sponsored Dodge. Judging by the surrounding trees, it must have been parked near some Winston West track. Judging by the right hand side location of the fuel filler, it must be near Riverside.

Hershel McGriff racing a Ford at Daytona !?!

This is really one for the experts! Now, y'all know that Hershel drove mostly Mopars, like the West Virginia Almost Heaven Charger when he teamed up with Richard Petty. Judging from the picture that François Breton, an Oly fan from France, dugg out on the web, Hershel also raced a Ford at the famous Florida track. Which race was it and what year? Whoever gets it right first, wins a 2008 Oly Express team shirt!

More Coke Bottle Chargers of the Northwest

Mike Sproule, chief instructor at Okanagan Racing Experience, sent us two great pictures of NASCAR Dodge Chargers in action on the Vancouver track. Here you see his dad, canadian racing legend Larry Sproule, in a Petty built Dodge. The one below is Ray Elder in the famous other Olympia Charger.

HEMI Rumble: more than beautiful noise

We always have a good laugh when we fire up our HEMI in the pits for the first time of the race week-end. People are just not prepared for the level of noise that it makes! Then comes the moment when we go flat out in front of the grandstands and that HEMI bellows in anger. Despite the fact that our top speed is as fast as any other car in the CER Cup, the sound is what fans like the most. So here is for you to discover how our exhaust system looks like!

Hershel McGriff back at Le Mans

Today was sure a day to remember for Team Oly Express as Hershel McGriff came back to the Le Mans track. After racing the Charger here in 1976 and one of Billy Hagan's Camaro's in 1982, Hershel, alongside with wife Sherrie, daughter Marilyn and son-in-law Tex Powell (yes, THE Tex Powell), came to France, 25 years after his last 24 hours drive.

Italian artist Oscar Morisini paints Charger

Our Charger keeps getting the fans attention. One of them, Italy's Oscar Morisini, has chosen the Oly Express as a subject for his latest artistic inspiration. As you can read on Virtual Car dot It, the Charger was the crowd's favourite at Monza. The painting will be soon shown at the famous Lugazzo Motoring Art Gallery in Brescia.

Dick Pierson on the Car of Tomorrow

Over the years NASCAR has made many changes in their technical standards for the race cars. The cars have continued to become more sophisticated and challenging to build. More expensive parts and labor have made the sport, that was once affordable by the weekend racer, one of America’s most expensive hobbies and businesses. Many changes have been made over the years that have contributed to the safety and strength of the car, but none a much as NASCAR‘s new Car of Tomorrow.

Racing to win: only possible as a team

We were always pretty lucky because Hershel was always a good strong qualifier so he usually started near the front of the pack. Most of the time everybody gets through the first few laps pretty well.

Double check everything b4 the green flag

We bring the car out to pit road and stage it at the ready for the race start. Everything is checked and double checked. Nobody says much, there is allot of tension in the air at this point, we are ready to go racing and now we have to wait for the “Gentlemen – start your engines” command, we are all on pins and needles.

Getting ready to go in the pit area

Now that the team has everything laid out and ready to go to pit wall, we start hauling everything out. Everything has a place in the pit area, the tool box in the center, one compressed air bottle hooked up to a hose and tire gun on each side of the tool box, with enough air hose to go one complete circle around the car.

Nuts on a wire sling and NASCAR pit tricks

Other crew members start out on the car. Making sure everything is tight, every nut and bolt that holds anything on the car is safety wired to insure that nothing falls off the car on the track. Check the front end alignment again, it was OK when we left last night but we need to make sure it is perfect for race day. Check all fluid levels, make sure we have everything full and have plenty of motor and gear oil to take to pit wall. Check the compressed air bottles, make sure they are as full, and fill them if necessary. Sort out all the air lines for the tire guns, make sure all fittings are tight, all guns work properly, all sockets are in place. Set up an extra five lug nuts on a “wire sling” for each tire changer to carry on his belt during pit stops.

On Race Day, first check on the tires!

Tire man, go get our first set, let Goodyear know what we are expecting to use today. In those days we had to take our own wheels to the tire shop and have all the tires mounted and stored until we needed them. Need to make sure all the tires are aired up to 30 lbs per tire, that’s where we will start, if we get a hot day with high track temperatures, we’ll probably have to drop that. As the track increases in temperature and the tires get hotter from running, they tend to expand therefore creating more air pressure, need to make sure we don’t start out too high or we have a very ill handling car. To much air means the car gets hard to handle, creates under steer or loose in the corners. Tires are one of the most important items on race day, they have to be right.

Rise up early on Race Day

What happens on race day? Race days were always tense, never time to do anything but pay total attention to the goal for the day, which was to win the race. Up at 6:00AM, meet for team breakfast at the local café for about an hour or so until the track opens, then off to the track. Once we arrive at the track everybody just sort of rambles around in the garage and looks for loose ends that need to be taken care of. Once everything is sorted out then the work assignments are handed out by the Crew Chief.

NASCAR crew mechanic in the 70s: getting the job done

We didn’t have some of the fancy equipment they do nowadays, but we always seemed to get the job done. I guess that meant that we were the best we could be with what we had to work with and that is rewarding. It always helps to have one of the best drivers in the US on your team however.

You got to make that race in Phoenix

I remember once in Ontario California, we had qualified for the Permatex race to be held on a Saturday (set the track record that stood until the track was torn down in the 80’s). NASCAR decided to make this an impound race at the last minute, therefore once we qualified the car we were done until race day.

Taking care of the sponsor all the way!

Another part of our job was to enhance the image of our sponsor, not just wear the uniform but to enhance their image. We made commitments to our sponsors as far as where we would race and when we would race there. We would always try to correspond with an event that our sponsor was involved in or could be involved in.

Business as usual for the NASCAR Pit crew

It was a fascinating life for the entire pit crew while it lasted; going to work on Monday, working on the car for the first three days of the week, then off to the track for the next four days, two travel days and two race days.

Running the good stuff supplied by Petty

Because we usually ran Petty equipment, we ran the same set up as Richard Petty generally when at a Cup event. Petty Enterprises was our supply line for most of our Winston West NASCAR series equipment.

When NASCARs big guns came to town

Once at the track all bets were off when the big guns came to town, Petty, Allison, Pearson, Yarborough, didn’t matter who, they were the guys to beat. So roll up the sleeves Winston West regulars, get your wrenches in hand gentlemen, we have some racing to do. I remember days in Riverside California when we would run lap after lap making sure the car was perfect, looking for those small problems that could cost us the race.

The Unwritten Rules of NASCAR

In the early days of NASCAR there were a few unwritten rules at the track. One, the fans, always a priority, whatever was needed to involve the fan in the sport to get them more in touch with their hero’s, to watch them perform at the top of their game was priority.

Bill France Sr. came to Florida with a vision

Now on to NASCAR 30 years ago. Back in the days of NASCAR’s beginning Bill France Sr. had a vision, his vision was what you see on your television set now almost every weekend, a continued and renewed interest in auto racing. Not just an interest in NASCAR racing but all types of racing.

Front suspension custom built on Petty jigs

During our trip to North Carolina, we met great people from NASCAR past and present. Among those is Billy Biscoe. Billy was on Richard Petty's pit crew, a builder at Petty Enterprises and crew chief for Hershel McGriff, with the Almost Heaven WV Charger in 1974.

Hershel's other Dodge Charger at Daytona

Much better known to the general NASCAR fan than the Oly Express, is Hershel McGriff's "Almost Heaven" Dodge.

Pistons took a pounding at Le Mans in 1976

John Todd from Seattle recently got in touch with us. That may not seem worth mentionning to you, unless you know who he is. John Todd was working at Precision Engines and assembled the 426 Wedge engines for the Charger in 1976. He was also a member of McGriff's pit crew at the Le Mans. You bet that we called him right after reading his e-mail. Here is what John told us about the Chargers engines!

We wish you a Merry Christmas

After a fantastic Le Mans Classic 2006, Team Oly Express wishes all its friends and fans happy holidays among their families. To just say that we had the opportunity to live an exciting and thrilling 2006 would be an understatement! Above all the fun we had, the whole Olympia Charger project has brought us a gift to cherish: Friendship!

Hershel McGriff host Dinner in Portland

Following his introduction in the Motorsports Hall of Fame, Hershel McGriff hosted a dinner party in Portland for his family, friends and former team members. Alongside Hershels youngest daughter Gina and his grand-grand-baby-grandson, a total of 42 people attended, most of which were involved in the racing.

Oly Express makes cool Christmas present

For those still searching for an outstanding Christmas present and for who'd like to have a model of the most american Le Mans entry of the 70s, here is the 1/43 scale model of the Olympia Charger! We had a limited run of just 10 models made for team members and sponsors. Two fully assembled models and two to be assembled kits for are still available. The assembled model, as pictured above costs 200 EURO ($250) + shipping and the kits cost 65 EURO ($80) + shipping. To order just leave a comment below or write directly to Team Oly Express!

 

Oly Express HEMI Dodge Charger on DVD

Thanks to our Cyber-Son and CAMTECS Engineering, we had this little DVD made as a souvenir for our team members and for our sponsors. It shows the team with the car in the pits, as well as some cool inboard camera footage.

More about the other Olympia Dodge

Thanks to you readers, our Oly Express Blog is getting better every day. How? Here is a great example: Dennis Garrett from Virginia sent us this official Olympia Brewery picture of Ray Elder's Dodge. Like Hershel McGriff, Ray Elder was sponsored by Tumwater's famous brewery. It is our pleasure to publish it here for all of you... or should we say, y'all ?

Where to race the Oly Express in 2007

After our great racing at Le Mans Classic, we are all set to be back there in 2008. Now you may ask where we will race in 2007? Well, we give you a chance to help us make that choice. Leave a comment below to tell us where you'd like to see the Oly Express next year!

Hershel McGriff in Motorsports Hall of Fame

We learned with great pleasure that Hershel McGriff is now a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. The induction ceremony was held on August 17th, 2006 in Novi, Michigan.

More 1976 Photos of the Oly Express Dodge

Great things just keep happening around the Olympia Charger. I received today the reprints of half a dozen black and white shots from 1976. Eric Cettour, a fan who met us in the pits during Le Mans Classic, sent me these. The one on the left shows his father, an ACO scrutineer in those days, checking out the Charger at the famous Place des Jacobins! The picture below shows the whole crew around the car in the same spot!

Inside the Oly Express NASCAR Charger

We keep posting great photos and videos of our Dodge Charger on the track, but not much of its interior. Some of you ask how the cokpit of a vintage NASCAR race car looks like ? What is in there anyhow ? Thanks to Fabien Bernard, President of the French MoPar Club, here are some great interior shots. You can even download them from his gallery at http://fb440.free.fr/OlyExpress/index.html .

Our Motorvation ? HEMI !

Now that you could hear it rumble on video, here is a picture of that good ole HEMI. 426 cubic inches churn out huge torque and horsepower. Can you believe 596 hp at the rear wheels ?

From Tru-Cut to Olympia Charger

Some of you asked me where our race car came from. I guess that the time is right to reveal its origin. Our Charger is not the original McGriff car. Nevertheless, it has a high pedigree. It was one of three Dodges from Gray Wutkes USAC team. USAC champion Butch Hartman built it and equipped it with a HEMI. Paul Feldner won the 1977 USAC championship at its wheel. Chuck Shafer bought it from Gary Wutke in the nineties. And now, it's the new Oly Express!

Front spoiler: Part II

The talented craftsmen at the MoPar Shop are putting the finishing touches on our Charger. Dick Pierson scrubed the initial front spoiler off during one of his very fast laps at Portland. It is now rebuilt and will comply with the 1976 NASCAR rules, which mandate that it is flat, not wider than the car and not lower than 2 inches from the ground. I'll better ask Oliver to have his guys build a few more of these spoilers, just in case one of us comes out wide and rides over the curbs again...

Oly Charger featured in Motor Trend Classic

The May/June issue of Motor Trend Classic features a six page story on NASCARs endeavour at Le Mans. Writen in fun to read style and with passion by Matt Stone, the article traces back the big cars stint at La Sarthe. Inluded is a sidebar by Richard Truesdell about our "rebrewed" Oly Express. Rush to the newstand to buy your copy now. In Paris, you can get it at Brentano's.

Readying the Charger for the FAST DAY

Our initial Olympia Charger is being readyed for the famous FAST DAY. The MoPar Shop's skilled mechanics as well as Oliver Zinn, Germany's Mr.MoPar himself, are putting the final touches on the Charger's build up. You'll be able to see the Charger on display at the MoPar Shop season opener. It is then sheduled to hit the track at the french annual MoPar meeting in Croix-En-Ternois on Sunday May 14. Be there or be square!

NASCAR: always a family business

NASCAR has always been a family based thing and our team is no exception. Kevin, Dick and Ron Pierson (from left to right) bring their skills and talents to the team and contribute to making it happen.

More laps in Oly Express at PIR

Here is more video footage of our track testing day at Portland for you to enjoy. Gary Bockman and Dick Pierson, seen here with world famous automotive photographer Rich Truesdell, get their fair share of track action at the wheel of the Oly Express Dodge Charger. 598 horses move 3.800 lbs of good ole Auburn Hills iron around the track, while the driver tries hard to get the best lap times. Listen to Dick's driving impressions at the end of the video!

Download more laps of Oly Express Dodge Charger at PIR (44 MB)

One lap of PIR in our NASCAR Charger

In order to not to keep you all waiting, here is a little video. Dick Pierson is at the wheel and goes for a few hotlaps at Portland International Raceway. Listen to that big HEMI propelling the vintage Dodge around the track!

Download Dick Piersons lap of PIR in the Charger

There is more to come! Stay online at this Weblog!

The BIG day at Portland Raceway

After month of work and preparation, we finally got to run our Charger on a racetrack. We got up early friday March 31st and headed down to Portland International Raceway with the Charger in Randy Knighton's trailer. Gary Bockman, PIR driving instructor, Silver State Classic racer and friend of the late Chuck Shafer, took the car first out for a few laps.

Oly Express front spoiler rebuilt

Once more, Dick has gone the extra yardage to make our Charger even better. The front spoiler is now fitted to the car exactly as it was in 1976 for Le Mans!

Olympia Charger featured in NITRO

After the Olympian newspaper, french NITRO magazine is the second printed media to report on our project and the historical backgrounds of the Olympia Charger. NITRO features a full color six page story in their current february/march 2006 issue! A sidebar at the end of the story describes our joint American-French effort of rebuilding the car for Le Mans Classic. NITRO brings once more a refreshing and surprising story to francophonic readers.

If you are outside of France, Switzerland, Belgium or Quebec and wish to order a copy of NITRO, please leave a comment here and we'll get in touch with you.

Hurst Airheart: slowing them down

How do you slow down 3500 lbs of Detroit Iron, once pushed above 200 mph on a track like Le Mans in 1976 ? The answer is to use Hurst Airheart brakes! Their use on Winston Cup cars was pionnered by Holman-Moody and, guess who, Pat McElreath in the early 70s. When most NASCAR racers considered using disc brakes on road courses and shorter tracks, the Airheart brake from HURST was the hot ticket. Pat McElreath converted quite a few Winston West cars in his Mollala, OR shop during the 1974-75 off-season. In Le Mans, three out of four american V8 racers where so equipped in 1976: the Greenwwod Corvette, the Monza and the Charger. Only the Torino still relied on metallic lining drum brakes. Here you can see these HURST brakes mounted on the Monza. If you look closely (click on picture to enlarge) you can see the inner ventilation of the discs, hence the name Airheart. Yes, they are huge!

Photo Jeff Chiron, Le Mans 1976

More about Hershel's Roadrunner

The picture send by Bud Bussiere brought back some memories to teammate Dick Pierson. Along with this picture of the car from Dick's private collection, here is what he remebers about it: "Hershel bought the car from Richard at Daytona and ran the Winston West Series for a couple of years. He tied the all time win record with that car for Winston West, he and Parnelli Jones have 11 wins in a row. Hershel was actually leading in the 12th but was pushed into the wall in San Jose California by another car and had to park. Hershel then he sold it to a local guy named Don Selley and bought the 1971 Plymouth that Chuck Shafer rebuilt into the Petty car.

Hershel McGriff's Roadrunner

Thanks to our reader Bud Bussiere, we are able to feature this shot of Hershel McGriff at Langley Speedway in Canada. Hershel raced there with a 1970 Roadrunner that he bought of the Petty stable in late 1970. It was the same type of Roadrunner as the famous beaked and winged #40 Plymouth in which Pete Hamilton won the Daytona 500 that year.

McGriff Charger at Portland Speedway

Thanks to our reader and McGriff team member Bruce Pederson, we are able to publish this great picture of the McGriff Charger with the team in 1975 at Portland Speedway.

On the picture from left to right: Pat McElreath (with hat working under hood), Mike Easley, Bruce Pederson, Tom Shelton, Dick Pierson.

The other Olympia Dodge: #96 Ray Elder

Next to the McGriff's, Ray Elder was also sponsored by Olympia Beer. Know as the 'racing farmer" from Carruth, California, Elder raced all sorts of Dodge Chargers, like the 1966 fastback, the 1969 Daytona and the 1974 coke bottle shaped model. Like Herschel McGriff and Jim Insolo, Ray Elder also made a few excursions from Winston West to the Grand National circuit during the seventies. Since 1976, he is the last Winston West Champion to win it in a Dodge Charger. I just wonder why the pit crew is still in their pyjamas!

photo Bill Wood of Motorsports Forum

Dick Pierson, Driver

Dick Pierson was already working on the Olympia Charger, even before Le Mans Classic came into life. That is no wonder, because Dick was on the original crew of Herschel McGriff in the seventies. Since then, he made a very succesfull career as a real estate agent in Olympia and Puget Sound, WA.

McGriff Charger Decals found!

While I was browsing Ebay in France, I stumbled upon this 1:43 scale set of decals. It is the exact livery of the McGriff's Le Mans Charger! Apparently a whole series of little models was made a while ago, using the Le Mans cars as a theme. You can even read the names of Herschel McGriff and Doug McGriff, as well as the little NASCAR International logos. What I need to find now is the model that goes with this set of decals. It says "realized by Cartograf Italia" and the brand seems to be "turbo". Do they still make these little 1:43 1972 Charger models ? All your modelling expert advice is welcome !

Origin of the Le Mans Charger

Thank to fellow enthousiast Mac Horst, we were able to get some pictures of Doug McGriff's Dodge Charger before it was painted in its OLYMPIA beer livery for Le Mans. Doug bought the car in october 1972 as a roller from race car builder Ray Nichels. The McGriff team, including Dick Pierson and Pat McElreath finished building it during the winter and Doug started racing with it on the Grand National West tour in 1973.

NASCAR Grand International

  Among the various forms of stock car racing, one of the least known is the attempt to compete with genuine prototypes and GT sports cars at endurance racing events like the 24 hours of Daytona and Le Mans. In the early seventies, « Big » Bill France talked to IMSA in order to let his cars complete their grids at big events like Daytona and Le Mans. (Photo courtesy Dick Pierson)