64 Barracuda pace car?

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toolmanmike

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I just found this. Have never seen or known about it before.

Daytona - Plymouth Barracuda Pace Car - 1964 Firecracker 400 NASCAR Grand National race - Saturday, July 4, 1964 - Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach, Florida

barracuda pace car.jpg
 
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Never knew eather.
Looks like mopar threw the all new Barracuda out on the track for people to see.
:thankyou::thumbsup:
 
Well we know about it now cause there it is! Purdy dang cool!
 
I just found this. Have never seen or known about it before.

Daytona - Plymouth Barracuda Pace Car - 1964 Firecracker 400 NASCAR Grand National race - Saturday, July 4, 1964 - Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach, FloridaView attachment 1715945348

That is way cool!

So was it the "Valiant Barracuda" or simply "Barracuda" in '64?
 
Wonder if there is more info here?? possibly incorrect?? or multiple pace cars per track?? Thx for posting....

Daytona History | Daytona Pace Cars

Grand National racing back in day was the junior circuit and the Firecracker 400 was a July 4th tradition. I think the link is specifically for the Daytona 500 race which was earlier in the season. Looking to the NASCAR historians on that
 
Grand National racing back in day was the junior circuit and the Firecracker 400 was a July 4th tradition. I think the link is specifically for the Daytona 500 race which was earlier in the season. Looking to the NASCAR historians on that


Edit... OK so did some back-reading... Grand National Series 1950-1970... The Grand National Series was later brought back as the Junior circuit in 1986
 
Toolman check this out. I found a you tube of the 64 firecracker 400 with the Barracuda in it.


Forgot to mention all the Mopars and the Beauty's in the parade lap.
Does that mean I'm getting old?
 
Wow! 4th of July 1964. I didn’t think the Formula S came out until 1965. The exhaust tip says it all, in my opinion. I hope someone can come up with some info on this car. Two other things from the film - Look at AJ’s race face. Classic Foyt. Also, beauty queens in bathing suits. Could you even do that today? I miss the good old days. Real cars, real hard core drivers, and tuners; Smokey Yunick, Curtis Turner… I haven’t watched stock car racing in years. But man, a Barracuda pace car! I was looking for a Formula S Barracuda when I found my Dart GoGo. I’d never heard of Dart Chargers, or GoGo’s, but I recognized the engine.
 
I have an Official Souvenir Program of the Daytona Firecracker 250 July 4 1662. It’s packed with info of the previous 61 race results, track records, driver lineups, event schedules, track and grandstand diagrams, even the entries for the Miss Dixie beauty contest( including their measurements). Approx 50 pages, very interesting
 
Edit... OK so did some back-reading... Grand National Series 1950-1970... The Grand National Series was later brought back as the Junior circuit in 1986
Grand National ended in 1973 after which it was called Winston Cup. After several iterations we just call it Cup now. and it is the highest version of NASCAR. I think your further post refers to Baby Grands. Compact American cars.
 
Cool video! Makes me wonder if the Barracuda had a 273 or one of the bigger poly engines for higher pace speeds.
 
Cool video! Makes me wonder if the Barracuda had a 273 or one of the bigger poly engines for higher pace speeds.

64 production had the 273 option available.... now if they did something slick in the Pace Car I don't know. Back then when "STOCK" car meant "STOCK" I would think it was the production 273.

Interested in what the more knowledgeable understand the case to be.

:popcorn:
 
I'm not an expert on stock car racing but don't pace cars run much slower than racing speeds?
With the right gearing a 273 should be able to hold up for at least the race i would think.
 
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