[Chrysler300] Re: AMAs, 355HP, Manual C300, et.al.

["Wayne Graefen" <wgraefen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In any discussion of what the Kiekhaefer /Mercury Outboards race team did with our beloved Chrysler 300s, let us always keep in mind that the dominant abilities of the '55-56 300 Letter Cars was NEVER tarnished by anything found illegal on any of his cars at any NASCAR or AAA race venue, nor was any fine ever imposed for any illegality on any of his far more numerous race boats.  Carl had a reputation for total honesty with his racers and that is something we as keepers of the Letter Cars can be very proud of.  Now, the rule book of the day was truly extremely brief and there was a great deal of gray area that was addressed continually resulting in the encyclopedia of rules for racing today.  No racer won who didn't work extensively in the gray but it was all legal and it was intended to promote development through experimentation.

    I'd also like to comment on the postulating about stick shift cars.  There was only ever one C300 stick car built at the factory and it was because Kiekhaefer's driver demanded it.  None of the other C300s raced as stick shift cars.  Now some of the '55 chassis were rebodied as '56 cars and we know there were both manual shift 340HP and 355HP 300Bs  built so some '55 chassis may have raced in '56 after conversion to stick.
    But what was Carl's preference?  He liked the automatics.  In '57 when he ordered three 300C hardtops with thoughts of going NASCAR road racing (a series that was cancelled early summer of '57) the three cars were all automatics and this despite the fact there was the 390HP manual trans package available from the factory.   
    The first car ordered was just experimental and was rather quickly sold.  The next two were special orders of hardtops with convertible frames with Imperial hubs and drums with the 390HP engine and TORQUEFLITES.  These are called Road America competition models in his correspondence with the factory indicating he at least intended to compete at the race scheduled for the Elkhart Lake Road America course near his corporate plants.
    I own the Charcoal Gray 300C Road America.

Wayne G

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