He wasn't known as a Ford guy, but he was one of the characters of drag racing. Sadly, Dick Landy has passed away. http://www.nhra.com/content/news.asp?articleid=17834&zoneid=8
You know, if you think about it, it's been over 50 years since the early pioneers of drag racing got started. They are all in their '70's and later now. Heck, my childhood favorite, Don Prudhomme is 66. Don Garlits is 75. Sheesh.
old school Dick Landy was old school. Wouldn't let alone use a computer if you gave it to him. Just as Dyno Don and Ronnie Sox that have gone now. They were fun to watch and talk with in the pits, many moons ago.
I remember reading the exploits of Dandy Dick Landy, Dyno Don, Ronnie Sox, Big John Mazmaniman, Bob Glidden, Dicky Harrell and many others in magazines growing up in the late 60's early 70's. When race cars looked like street cars, not deformed toys. You could go to a dealership and buy one that looked almost just like the cars they were racing. When horsepower was found by trial and error, not on a computer screen. Every one had their own "speed secrets" by bending the rules as much as possible without getting caught. Races were won by the drivers skill shifting gears, not relying on electronic brain boxes. Things were simpler then, I thought as well as many others did that we could do the same as these guys, all we needed was a break. Now it costs a fortune just to run a hobby car, and a professional race car is out of the question unless you have mega bucks. Funny how things have changed thru the years. I bet these guys never thought the sport would progress to where it is now. The old warriors are slowing leaving us. I wonder if the kids today will remember in the years to come the present bunch the way we older guys remember the originals.....
Ronnie Sox, Dyno Don and now Landy. Landy is the only one that I don't remember seeing at the Drag Race Hall Of Fame show in Henderson, NC in the past few years. In Nov. I saw Al Joniec and Hubert Platt. Seth
