The coolest part? It still has some of my Pawpaw's hand-painted lettering on it and that's what helped us positively identify that the bones of this old Tri-Five Chevy were once a high-winding D/Gas 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air owned and driven by Tommy Clayton. This historic drag car came from my hometown of Dayton, Tennessee and raced at Harriman Dragstrip in the late 1960's and early 1970's, before being retired. It sat in a cow pasture for a while, and then went to live in Denny George's woods, until a young car guy by the name of Paul Ault showed interest in the beat up old race car. Denny gave him the car in the 1980's, and Paul has kept it ever since. He's picked away at the project off and on, but it has been on the back burner for a while.
The good news is that the car is in the dry, and Paul has a plan (and plenty of parts) to get going on this project. I'm just thankful that this car still survives and that little piece of my Pawpaw's lettering is still intact. Unfortunately, Tommy Clayton is no longer with us, so I had to get my information from local guys who were around back then. Tommy Dillard was my main source of information, but my dad also helped tie together some loose ends. Although it's rough and rusty, "The Phantom" 1955 Chevy lives on.
#hotrodhoarders #trifive #dragcar
The Denny George Collection: • Denny George and His 5...