9th annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion News:

June 16-18, 2011 at Beech Bend Raceway Park

“Two-Lane Blacktop” Movie Car Coming to the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion


Bowling Green, KY. – This year marks the 40th anniversary of the theatrical release of the 1971 cult classic Two-Lane Blacktop, starring singer James Taylor and Beach Boy Dennis Wilson. One of the original 1955 Chevys built for the film will be on display at the 9th Annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green , Thurs. through Sat., June 16-18, 2011.

“We’re very excited to have the Two-Lane Blacktop car joining us at the Hot Rod Reunion this year,” said Museum Executive Director Tony Thacker, “ Reunion goers will get a kick in seeing the actual car driven by James Taylor in this classic film.”

According to Walt Bailey, owner of one of the movie cars, three purpose-built ’55 Chevys were constructed by West Coast fabricator Richard Ruth for Two-Lane Blacktop – two identical main cars based on Ruth’s own ’55 Chevy street racer and a third stunt car. One of the main cars was sold to a studio employee and the other two sat on the back lot until they were reused two years later in American Graffiti. The ’55 sold by the studio passed through several owners as a street-driven hot rod and eventually faded into obscurity until located by owner Walt Bailey after a five-year search.

Bailey remembered seeing Two-Lane Blacktop at the drive-in in 1971 while sitting in his own big-block Chevy powered ’55 Chevy street racer. Twenty five years later one of the ’55 Chevys that appeared in both Two-Lane Blacktop and American Graffiti surfaced at a car show nearby in Maryland . Bailey located an old 1983 Car Craft magazine with a feature on the yellow ’32 Ford Coupe and black ’55 Chevy from American Graffiti. Included in the article was a photo taken on the back lot of Universal Studios shortly before filming on Two-Lane Blacktop began. The photo showed the two main ’55 Chevys with the GTO from the movie. Bailey contacted Richard Ruth who reported that he had constructed a total of three ’55 Chevys for the studio. Ruth, who had not seen any of the ‘55s since 1970, recalled that he had heard that the stunt car had been destroyed while filming American Graffiti, which left one of the two main cars unaccounted for. With Ruth’s assistance, Bailey began a nation-wide search for the “lost” Two-Lane Blacktop ’55 Chevy.

When Bailey located what appeared to be the lost ’55 Chevy from Two-Lane Blacktop in Canada , Richard Ruth authenticated the car as one of the two hero cars from Two-Lane Blacktop. Bailey brought the Chevy back to the U.S. where he and Richard Ruth returned the car to its Two-Lane Blacktop on-screen appearance. The famous ’55 is still equipped with a tunnel-rammed 454 big-block Chevy, M-22 Muncie rock-crusher transmission, and an Olds rear, fiberglass tilt front end, fiberglass doors, fiberglass truck lid, and Lexan side and rear windows. The Two-Lane Blacktop ’55 is street legal, driven regularly, and was featured on the extras disk of the 2007 DVD release of the movie. In 2009 the Two-Lane Blacktop ’55 Chevy was displayed at a James Taylor concert where Taylor had an opportunity to sit behind the wheel of the iconic ’55. When Taylor saw the ’55 Chevy for the first time in almost 40 years, he exclaimed that it looked just like it did when he drove it cross country with Dennis Wilson.

This car, plus hundreds of other cool rods customs, trucks and race cars will be on display at the 9th Annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green , Thurs. through Sat., June 16-18, 2011. For more information and to buy tickets go to http://museum.nhra.com or, call 1-800-884-6472.

The 9th annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion is a 3-day festival of speed, hot rods and American automotive enthusiasm featuring loads of family-fun activities such as Hot Heads nostalgic drag racing, the sensational Cacklefest and SoffSeal Show N Shine. The Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion brings to life the sights, sounds and people who made history in the early days of drag racing.

Three-day credentials ($60) are available at 800/884-NHRA or online, www.nhratix.com. Credentials purchased before May 29, 2011 will receive a complimentary “goodie” bag which includes a glossy Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion program, a commemorative dash plaque and a collectible souvenir credential. One-day adult tickets will be available at the gate. Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by a paid adult. For National Hot Rod Reunion Information, please call 909/622-8562 or email themuseum@nhra.com. Proceeds of the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum®.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WALT BAILEY