Re: [FWDLK] Johnnie Allen's 56 PLY race car

Neil, Well, Spook Crawford was Johnny Allens "partner", he was much older and worked with Johnny at a Plymouth Dealer in Beaumont Texas. Johnny was young and just out of the service and got a job at this Dealer and Spook helped him get familiar with the Plymouth service dept showing him the ins and outs of dealer repair work there. He talked fondly of him and said he was a hell of a mechanic. They both were looking to race in stock cars. I am not too sure of all the facts on the ownership paperwork just that Plymouth liked what they had going with the 55 and Johnny said with the dealers help the 56 racecar was provided and it had payments to be made which I remember Johnny saying he was the borrower. Johnny is still around and maybe some of his interviews done recently can be found. Who knows what is going on with the numbers but I have a picture of that Plymouth as well. I sent it to the FL web site a while back.. it was at Asheville NC @May 56 and it clearly has Johnny's name on the roof and it has the Blackie Pitts 56 in the same photo. Incidentally Johnny told me he got his next racecar from Plymouth a 57 Model with the Fury engine for $25 total. Spook may have been listed as the owner of that as well, but Plymouth was accommodating Johnny and his driving skills. Up until the 56 Fury arrived Johnny was racing a 55 Plymouth which I also remember him telling me was his. At any rate Johnny spoke directly with me and being very sincere and matter of fact it was clear that he had a major amount of skin in the game. It may have been that Spook was Owner in "title" only on these racecars... it's hard to say, I only heard Johnny's take...but I'll tell you I had a nice long talk with Johnny, he was gracious and he answered all my questions and related some great stories. Tim in Golden