#33 Class Racing Podcast with George Cureton Tokyo Rose

[Aaron Allison]

33. George Cureton – “Tokyo Rose” NHRA 1967 World Champ

1967 was the golden era of Junior Stock racing. And it was a great year for George Cureton. With the help and guidance of Alex Jarrell, one of the sharpest racers and builders on the East Coast, George built his “Tokyo Rose” 1956 Chevy Sedan Delivery to race in the hotbed of Stocker country, The east coast. Powered by a Jenkins Competition engine, the car ran 2 tenths of a second under the national record on its first run at Cecil County Drag-O-Way. At his first National event, the Springnationals at Bristol, George won class and wading through a tough field to make it to the final where he was runner up. A third-place finish in Division 1 points qualified George for the World Finals. After qualifying #1, he advanced thru the field to become the Stock Eliminator World Champion just as a thunderstorm drenched the strip at Tulsa. George surrounded himself with some of the sharpest racers and mechanical experts in the Tri-State area like the Jarrell Family, Fred Borcherdt, Shallcross Brothers, Wheatly Brothers, John Thropp, Bill Jenkins and many more of the “Who’s Who” of East Coast Stocker racing. These were fun times for George and his friends who usually raced three times a week at different tracks in the area. George wanted the best, and he sought out the best race cars that were proven winners. He bought Bobby Warrens 69 Nova just hours after it won the World Finals. He later bought Garley Daniels’ Super Stock/O 1966 Nova. This connection to these legendary North Carolina racers made George even more competitive. To this day, George remains as the youngest ever NHRA World Champion as he was just 21 when he won that title back in 1967.

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