Bruce Jennings' '65 Barracuda

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kopper65

kopper65

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I can only seem to find one photo of Bruce Jennings' '65 Barracuda that he ran at the 1966 Trans-Am - does anyone know of any better photos? Maybe some closeups? Just thinking it might be a cool look to emulate for my '65 so any help appreciated! Here's the one I have (photo by Tucker Conley):

brucejenningscuda.jpg
 
Welcome aboard Kopper65, I have seen a period advertisement with him and his family with the car but never him in action. I too would like to see more myself. I am leaning toward a road race version for my 66 also.

I see your from St. Louis, I bet that we have probly been inches apart at MMW and not known it.
 
I haven't been to Monster Mopar since '03 or '04 (memory is fading). There always seems to be something that comes up at the last minute that keeps me from getting out to it. But I'm planning on going again this fall and taking my son, who'll be turning six this summer and is starting to get into cars. Do you think you'll have yours done in time for it? Looks like you're making some great progress from the pics I've seen.

Well, if anyone has a better closeup shot of Jennings' Cuda, please post it. Thanks!
 
That picture looks like a 66 Barracuda. I have a book that I think has a photo of a period advertisement, but it says the driver is Scott Harvey. Is there a different car?
 
Here's a couple:

Team Starfish 1966 Plymouth Barracudas. #14 Charlie Rainville & Bruce Jennings or #15 Scott Harvey. Sebring 12-Hour in March 1966.

1415Cuda66.jpg
 
Thanks, Jim, but the one I was looking for was the '65 (the one pictured in my original post)... you can tell by the rounded tail light bezel.

Do you happen to have a shot of that one instead of the '66?

Thanks,
kopper

Demon416 said:
Here's a couple:

Team Starfish 1966 Plymouth Barracudas. #14 Charlie Rainville & Bruce Jennings or #15 Scott Harvey. Sebring 12-Hour in March 1966.
Click to expand...
 
kopper65 said:
Thanks, Jim, but the one I was looking for was the '65 (the one pictured in my original post)... you can tell by the rounded tail light bezel.

Do you happen to have a shot of that one instead of the '66?

Thanks,
kopper
Click to expand...
As I've researched Bruce Jennings, it appears his first year in a fish was 1966.
He raced a 1966 Barracuda for Chrysler Corporation, badged as car#14or15. Before 1966 it looks like he was running the Porsches.

BRUCE JENNINGS entered the first race at VIR in August of 1957. From then until the original track closed he recorded a total of 18 entries, most in his familiar #77 Porsche. His first win came in May of 1959 when he took first place in the contest for F through I Production and H Modified. His string of top three finishes in his Porsche Carrera earned him the nickname 'King Carrera' and led to SCCA C Production national championships in 1960 and 1964. He was chosen by the Chrysler factory to drive one of the Team Starfish Barracudas in VIR's 1966 Trans Am. In 1967 Jim Hall extended an invitation to Jennings to drive his Chaparral at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans. In his final appearance at VIR he drove his 911 to 4th place in the Porsche sweep of the 1972 IMSA race. His 911 is currently owned and driven by the Marshall brothers and based at the G&W Motorsports shop in VIR's Raceplex. His 18 entries make him the all time leader in appearances at VIR. Source: http://www.virhistory.com/vir/people/alumni.htm
 
kopper65 said:
Here's another shot... the #15 car looks like a '65 to me.

kopper
Click to expand...

Still looks like a 66 to me. I'm going by the way the front fender angles back & the body line stamped into the front fender below the headlight area. 64 & 65 were straight instead of angled & then curved below the headlight. 66 had the body line stamped to match up to the larger front bumper. I can't see the tail light well enough to be sure about it. The 66 front end could have been bolted onto a 65 car.

I think I read something in one of my books about a Valiant rally car before they went to the Barracuda body. Can't remember the year though. I'll have to do some digging.
 
Here's a little more background info. I'm not an expert in this area of racing, but I just found some more information to mull over. Looks like 1966 was the first year for these cars in Trans Am. Team Starfish ran two 1966 Barracudas.

http://www.autohobbydigest.com/66ta.html
 
'64 Cuda said:
That picture looks like a 66 Barracuda. I have a book that I think has a photo of a period advertisement, but it says the driver is Scott Harvey. Is there a different car?
Click to expand...
Actually, I read that Richard Petty drove one of the two cars. The cars had more than one team driver.
 
I know these pics are not the same car your looking for, but there aint many pics around of early barracuda road race cars. I found this picture on a web page about Meadowdale raceway in the west suburbs of Chicago.

abarracuda_may_65.jpg


ascott_barracuda_may_65.jpg
 
Great shots of the oldies back in the day! Does anybody know where a guy could take his fish to road race nowadays? Somebody has to be racing them.
 
slayer said:
I know these pics are not the same car your looking for, but there aint many pics around of early barracuda road race cars. I found this picture on a web page about Meadowdale raceway in the west suburbs of Chicago.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I love those old photos! And also thanks for the info on the Team Starfish Cudas, guys. If and when I ever do repaint mine, I think I might do a custom job, anyway. But I'd like to keep the Petty Blue on there if possible. Is there a paint code # for that?

kopper
 
Demon416 said:
Actually, I read that Richard Petty drove one of the two cars. The cars had more than one team driver.
Click to expand...
In 1965, Richard Petty raced a Petty blue '65 Barracuda in AHRA S/SX and I believe NHRA B/Altered. The car was #43Jr, and it was called OUTLAWED, derived from the NASCAR Hemi ban. I thought he was back to NASCAR in '66???
 
kopper65 said:
Thanks, I love those old photos! And also thanks for the info on the Team Starfish Cudas, guys. If and when I ever do repaint mine, I think I might do a custom job, anyway. But I'd like to keep the Petty Blue on there if possible. Is there a paint code # for that?

kopper
Click to expand...
Tht paint code is TB3.:cheers:
 
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