<strong>Carlisle</strong><strong>Events</strong>.com / CARLISLE CHRYSLER NATIONALS <strong>2010</strong> / 9
JAMES BEST aka ROSCO P. COLTRANE James Best is probably most widely known for his role as Rosco P. Coltrane in the long-running television series The Dukes of Hazzard. The Dukes of Hazzard went on to become one of the biggest hits in Television history. The CBS show ran for seven seasons and was the top rated series on the air for three full years. Today, Best helps to make events special by making appearances across the country to meet “Dukes” fans and is here this weekend in Building T to sign autographs and meet with fans. BYRON CHERRY aka COY DUKE Byron Cherry starred as Coy Duke, one of the new Duke Boys, in the 1982-1983 season of The Dukes of Hazzard. After appearing on the “Dukes,” he did an episode of Murder She Wrote and a comedy horror movie in 1990 called Blood Savage with heavyweight champ Evander Holyfi eld. This weekend you’ll fi nd Cherry and fellow “Dukes” cast member James Best in Building T. TOM CODDINGTON Tom Coddington was a Chrysler executive and engineer with ties to both the birth of the 426 Hemi and the success of the original RAMCHARGERS team. In 1963, Coddington along with Tom Hoover and a group of engineers developed and introduced the thunderous Hemi. In 2005, Coddington worked with Specialized Vehicles Inc. (SVI) to build the ST-X concept car for Subaru. SPECIAL GUESTS MEET THEM THIS WEEKEND! TOM HOOVER Tom Hoover won the C Gas title at the 1960 NHRA Nationals in Detroit, with a 1958 Plymouth powered by a strangelooking 392 ci Chrysler Hemi. Hoover is known best as the Father of the 426 Hemi engine. The Hemi totally dominated qualifying in 1964 and Richard Petty won the Daytona 500 in a 426-powered Plymouth. Hoover remained the center of racing development at Chrysler helping Dodge and Plymouth Hemis to lead drag racing through the golden ages of Super Stock, Factory Experimental, and Pro Stock eras. HERB MCCANDLESS Known as Mr. Mopar or Mr. 4-speed, Herb McCandless has been a drag racing legend and automotive performance wizard for over 40 years. Elected to the NHRA Southeast Division Hall of Fame in 1988, McCandless won the U.S. Nationals in 1970 driving the No. 24 Sox and Martin Pro Stock car. McCandless also gained notoriety for his strip work in his Pro Stock ‘Cuda. McCandless became involved in Chrysler’s race program in 1965 and raced Hemi cars from 1965-1974. In 1974, he started McCandless Performance, one of the largest Chrysler Direct Connection and Mopar Performance dealers. A Hemi hero of drag racing, Mc- Candless won championships in Darts, Dusters and Barracudas. JOHN SAMSEN John Samsen began his automotive career with Studebaker while working on jet engine design. Moving on to Dearborn, Mich., Samsen was hired as a Ford designer and was assigned to the Thunderbird project in 1952, where he worked on the front end, grille, front fenders and hood design of the T-Bird. After three years of Blue Oval work, Samsen was hired by Mopar and helped design many of Chrysler’s muscle cars, including Barracudas, Furries, Roadrunners, Imperials and Dusters. LOU SANTIAGO Lou Santiago is the host of the Discovery Channel’s Ultimate Car Build Off where he interviews and challenges shop builders from across the country in a custom build off competition. Competitors on the Ultimate Car Build Off showcase their knowledge of vehicle fabrication and push their creativity to the limits with each episode leading up to the fi - nal project build and the chance to win $100,000. Santiago always says, “You too can be a car builder extraordinaire!” DAVID SNYDER Celebrated automotive artist David Snyder is in Building T with a display of his automotive art featuring vehicles produced by Chrysler. Stop by and see fi rsthand his artistic ability, as he is working on new paintings throughout the weekend. Snyder is also available to personalize his new book The Automotive Art of David Snyder. BILL STILES Bill Stiles is known not only as one of the pioneer drivers of Super Stock and Pro Stock racing but also as an expert performance and racing mechanic. As a driver, Stiles is most widely known for racing one of the original factory SS/BA Hemi-powered Plymouth Barracudas. As a mechanic, Stiles geared Jere Stahl and Dave Strickler to many victories on the quarter mile. With multiple class wins, Stiles was a key driver in the success of the new Hemi Barracudas and Darts that dominated Super Stock throughout the mid and late ‘60s. For the ’70 season, Bill moved to Pro Stock with a Duster that he ran until 1973. Today, he is known as an expert in preparing magneto ignition systems for racing applications out of his shop, Stiles Performance, in York, PA. Bill Stiles is here with the Barracuda and the Duster all weekend at the Superior Classic Auto Restoration booth on the Manufacturers Midway to meet with fans and to talk racing and Mopars. <strong>Carlisle</strong><strong>Events</strong>.com / CARLISLE CHRYSLER NATIONALS <strong>2010</strong> / <strong>11</strong>
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