'74 GTO Stocker....

brent flynn · 01-08-2014, 09:41 AM

Hey Y'all... Anyone know who ran this car( out of Indy )? It was sponsored by Jake's Automotive, when i saw it in the early '90s, then it was sold . I know that Danny Ashley did a carb for it, around that time... THe site that this came from, said that Danny owned it awhile. Who was it sold too? Inquiring minds want to know...hehe

Danny Ashley · 01-08-2014, 10:44 AM

I built this GTO in the mid 80's. This pic is of a guy in Florida who I traded for a Corvette. He ran a couple of races with it, wasn't cut out to be a class racer, and we traded back. I later sold it to a guy in Finland where he won the Championship and finished 3rd in the Swedish Championship. He later sold it and that guy won both championships the next year. At the time in Finland, they ran no break-out and that's why he wanted my car because of how far under it ran. Sweden ran like we do. When Russia opened up, the first guy that owned it took it there along with four other cars and a drag bike. They sent me a Russian military hat, a Ruble, and their version of Hot Rod magazine which did a four page article on it. As far as I know, the car is still in Finland. This GTO has some rich history so come up some time and I'll share it with you.

Mark Yacavone · 01-08-2014, 12:05 PM

Danny, Do you remember the guy's name from Florida? Was he from the Palm Beach area? I can't come up with it, he disappeared so fast!

Danny Ashley · 01-08-2014, 02:39 PM

Mark:
The guys name was Terry ? I think he was from the Palm Beach area. His first race was the Atlanta divisional and I drove down to help him. He was real nervous and I remember sitting in the staging lanes showing him how the reverse pattern Quarter Stick worked. I figured the worst that could happen was that he would squeeze the lever and go from 1st to 3rd. WRONG! He did squeeze the lever but shoved it forward into neutral at WOT. I seen fire shoot out of the headers and wondered what went wrong then later he told me. He was concerned that he had hurt it. I listened to it and it sounded OK so I made a pass in it and sure enough it was. I told him had it been a Chevy it would have bent every valve in it. LOL! He later somehow bent some pushrods, tried to fix it himself, put the gaskets on backwards which caused a coolant leak and had enough. That's when we traded back. I immediately removed that gaudy and non -original name Tin Indian decal and resumed racing it until it went overseas.

Kevin:
It was a pleasure running you Dad in the final. He a real gentleman and deserved the win. Tell "Zasko" I said hi.

Jim Kaekel · 01-08-2014, 02:57 PM

Nice photo, Kevin. Gotta love the "Kid Presto" decal on Jimmy Z's car. I think that was about the first aftermarket company to make plastic valve covers.

brent flynn · 01-08-2014, 03:58 PM

Awesome story, Danny... yea, i'm ready to come up and visit, any time! Would love to see what you're workin on, now, as well! I'm closing in on my engine...and have a few odds and ends to do to the car. Im really hoping to have it at Indy in April...but, gotta see how it goes!
That '74 was impressive...and i've seen it at Muncie, several times. Best i remember seeing it run was a high 11.80 or low 11.90...

Charlie A · 01-08-2014, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Zaskowski

Here is a picture when my dad won 1988 Indy Points meet, racing against Danny Ashley.

Better:

01-08-2014, 09:41 AM	#1
brent flynn Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Middletown, IN Posts: 593 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	'74 GTO Stocker.... Hey Y'all... Anyone know who ran this car( out of Indy )? It was sponsored by Jake's Automotive, when i saw it in the early '90s, then it was sold . I know that Danny Ashley did a carb for it, around that time... THe site that this came from, said that Danny owned it awhile. Who was it sold too? Inquiring minds want to know...hehe __________________ 1968 Bird/TRW 455/Home ported 13's, '70 Qjet,Holley Street Dominator manifold, Comp Solid FT, 10.817/122.30/1.440 Workin' on E/SA combo 3119 E/SA Last edited by brent flynn; 01-08-2014 at 10:11 AM.

01-08-2014, 10:44 AM	#2
Danny Ashley Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Marion,In. Posts: 267 Likes: 60 Liked 110 Times in 29 Posts	Re: '74 GTO Stocker.... I built this GTO in the mid 80's. This pic is of a guy in Florida who I traded for a Corvette. He ran a couple of races with it, wasn't cut out to be a class racer, and we traded back. I later sold it to a guy in Finland where he won the Championship and finished 3rd in the Swedish Championship. He later sold it and that guy won both championships the next year. At the time in Finland, they ran no break-out and that's why he wanted my car because of how far under it ran. Sweden ran like we do. When Russia opened up, the first guy that owned it took it there along with four other cars and a drag bike. They sent me a Russian military hat, a Ruble, and their version of Hot Rod magazine which did a four page article on it. As far as I know, the car is still in Finland. This GTO has some rich history so come up some time and I'll share it with you.

01-08-2014, 12:05 PM	#3
Mark Yacavone Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Miles From Nowhere Posts: 7,822 Likes: 2,916 Liked 5,133 Times in 1,957 Posts	Re: '74 GTO Stocker.... Danny, Do you remember the guy's name from Florida? Was he from the Palm Beach area? I can't come up with it, he disappeared so fast! __________________ "We are lucky we don't get as much Government as we pay for." Will Rogers

01-08-2014, 02:39 PM	#4
Danny Ashley Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Marion,In. Posts: 267 Likes: 60 Liked 110 Times in 29 Posts	Re: '74 GTO Stocker.... Mark: The guys name was Terry ? I think he was from the Palm Beach area. His first race was the Atlanta divisional and I drove down to help him. He was real nervous and I remember sitting in the staging lanes showing him how the reverse pattern Quarter Stick worked. I figured the worst that could happen was that he would squeeze the lever and go from 1st to 3rd. WRONG! He did squeeze the lever but shoved it forward into neutral at WOT. I seen fire shoot out of the headers and wondered what went wrong then later he told me. He was concerned that he had hurt it. I listened to it and it sounded OK so I made a pass in it and sure enough it was. I told him had it been a Chevy it would have bent every valve in it. LOL! He later somehow bent some pushrods, tried to fix it himself, put the gaskets on backwards which caused a coolant leak and had enough. That's when we traded back. I immediately removed that gaudy and non -original name Tin Indian decal and resumed racing it until it went overseas. Kevin: It was a pleasure running you Dad in the final. He a real gentleman and deserved the win. Tell "Zasko" I said hi.

01-08-2014, 02:57 PM	#5
Jim Kaekel VIP Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,229 Likes: 133 Liked 535 Times in 110 Posts	Re: '74 GTO Stocker.... Nice photo, Kevin. Gotta love the "Kid Presto" decal on Jimmy Z's car. I think that was about the first aftermarket company to make plastic valve covers. __________________ Jim Kaekel 3836 STK

01-08-2014, 03:58 PM	#6
brent flynn Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Middletown, IN Posts: 593 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: '74 GTO Stocker.... Awesome story, Danny... yea, i'm ready to come up and visit, any time! Would love to see what you're workin on, now, as well! I'm closing in on my engine...and have a few odds and ends to do to the car. Im really hoping to have it at Indy in April...but, gotta see how it goes! That '74 was impressive...and i've seen it at Muncie, several times. Best i remember seeing it run was a high 11.80 or low 11.90... __________________ 1968 Bird/TRW 455/Home ported 13's, '70 Qjet,Holley Street Dominator manifold, Comp Solid FT, 10.817/122.30/1.440 Workin' on E/SA combo 3119 E/SA