Driving Dick Landy Dragster To duPont Registry Cars & Coffee

Dick Landy Dragster Driving To duPont Registry Corporate Headquarters Cars & Coffee December 2013, St. Petersburg, Florida
Dick Landy's drag racing career spans four decades and, as a driver and spokesperson, his name is synonymous with Chrysler and Mopar Performance.

Dandy Dick Landy, with his white pants and tennis shoes, trademark cigar, ready smile, and blistering fast cars, was a crowd favorite in the '60s and '70s. His revolutionary design ideas changed the face of drag racing forever.

Landy was one of drag racing's first "factory" drivers, wheeling a 413 Max Wedge Plymouth to ever faster and faster quarter mile runs. In 1964 he moved to a 426 Wedge Dodge and, in his pursuit of quicker elapsed times and faster speeds, began the revolution of altered wheelbase funny cars. The most famous of these was his 1965 Hemi®-powered "Landy's Dodge."

The '65 altered-wheelbase Dodge was one of 12 (six Plymouths and six Dodges) built by Chrysler Corporation for its race teams that year. In an effort to put more weight on the rear wheels, the front axle was moved forward about 15 inches and the rear axle about 10 inches. The car was soon running in the low nine-second range at speeds of over 140 mph.

The unique configuration kept Landy and his "Landy's Dodge" out of NHRA competition, but the car and its flamboyant driver quickly became a crowd favorite at match races from coast to coast, as Landy moved into his long and lucrative match race career.

In 1967 Chrysler Corporation changed the direction of its program and Landy began conducting a series of Performance Seminars for Dodge dealerships across the country. These seminars helped form the basis for the Direct Connection Parts program, known today as Mopar Performance.

Landy continued racing until 1980, winning NHRA Pro Stock national events, claiming the AHRA world championship in both 1973 and 1974, and winning match races across the country.

"Dandy" Dick Landy (1937-2007)

"Dandy" Dick Landy was a master showman and a major pioneer in Super Stock, Funny Car, and Pro Stock; who was known for his innovative race cars, wild wheelstands, and his trademark cigars. His nickname "Dandy" came from his neat appearance in pressed white pants and jacket and long unlit cigar clenched between his teeth.

Landy was among the drivers who popularized late-model Super Stock cars in the 1960s, campaigned the first Funny Cars in the middle of that decade, and helped establish the popularity of Pro Stock when the category was created in 1970.

Landy made a name for himself and his factory sponsor by combining the legendary Hemi with an altered wheelbase to create the first "Funny Car". The combination of horsepower and traction led to the banning of his vehicles by the NHRA; relegated to the exhibition circuit, Landy then introduced nitromethane, mechanical fuel injection, and supercharging to the equation and established the foundation for the highest tiers of modern drag racing. Landy later returned to the world of officially-sanctioned racing to participate in the formative days of the Super Stock and Pro Stock classes, and remained involved with Chrysler for the remainder of his long career.
Important Accomplishments
Raced one of the first funny cars in 1964
Earned full factory sponsorship from Chrysler in 1965
Consistently turned 9.40-second passes at 164 mph. while match racing in 1965
Led Performance Clinics for Chrysler
Set up a sponsorship program with Buddy Martin that allowed Super Stock drag racers to earn real money
Won national events in the newly created NHRA Pro Stock class in 1970
Was World Points Champion in AHRA in 1973
Has been inducted into the Car Craft All-Star Racing Team, Hot Rod Hall of Fame and International Drag Racing Hall of Fame.
Has done engine development for a number of major manufacturers, including B&M Automotive, Chrysler, Mopar Performance and Crane.


Robert Myrick Photography
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