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.
Continue reading "More Coke Bottle Chargers of the Northwest" »
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!
Continue reading "HEMI Rumble: more than beautiful noise" »
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.
Continue reading "Hershel McGriff back at Le Mans" »
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.
Continue reading "Dick Pierson on the Car of Tomorrow" »
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.
Continue reading "Racing to win: only possible as a team" »
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.
Continue reading "Double check everything b4 the green flag" »
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.
Continue reading "Getting ready to go in the pit area" »
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.
Continue reading "Nuts on a wire sling and NASCAR pit tricks" »
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.
Continue reading "NASCAR crew mechanic in the 70s: getting the job done" »
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.
Continue reading "You got to make that race in Phoenix" »
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.
Continue reading "Taking care of the sponsor all the way!" »
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.
Continue reading "Business as usual for the NASCAR Pit crew" »
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.
Continue reading "Running the good stuff supplied by Petty" »
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.
Continue reading "When NASCARs big guns came to town" »
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.
Continue reading "The Unwritten Rules of NASCAR" »
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.
Continue reading "Bill France Sr. came to Florida with a vision" »
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.
Continue reading "Front suspension custom built on Petty jigs" »
Much better known to the general NASCAR fan than the Oly Express, is Hershel McGriff's "Almost Heaven" Dodge.
Continue reading "Hershel's other Dodge Charger at Daytona" »
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!
Continue reading "Pistons took a pounding at Le Mans in 1976" »
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!
Continue reading "We wish you a Merry Christmas" »
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.
Continue reading "Hershel McGriff host Dinner in Portland" »
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.
Continue reading "Oly Express HEMI Dodge Charger on DVD" »
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.
Continue reading "Hershel McGriff in Motorsports Hall of Fame" »
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!
Continue reading "More 1976 Photos of the Oly Express Dodge" »
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.
Continue reading "Oly Charger featured in Motor Trend Classic" »
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.
Continue reading "NASCAR: always a family business" »
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.
Continue reading "The BIG day at Portland Raceway" »

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.
Continue reading "More about Hershel'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.
Continue reading "Hershel McGriff's Roadrunner" »

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.
Continue reading " McGriff Charger at Portland Speedway" »
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.
Continue reading "Dick Pierson, Driver" »
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.
Continue reading "Origin of the Le Mans Charger" »