Drag racing legend Buddy Martin turned 90 earlier this month, and the man who helped change the sport remains as sharp as ever. To celebrate the occasion, Mike McCandless held an open house at the McCandless Collection.
Located in Burlington, the McCandless Collection is a museum packed with race cars, including many campaigned by Sox & Martin and Herb McCandless. There are also many “finned cars” from Chrysler’s “Forward Look” era of the late 1950s and early 1960s, along with authentic dealership signs Mike has collected over the years.
All the cars run and are driven on a rotation basis. The location served as the perfect backdrop for celebrating Buddy Martin’s achievement.
Along with Buddy Martin, colorful drag racing personality Roy Hill was also in attendance, telling tales from a time when drag racers were considered rock stars with an outlaw image. Another former racer attending with Buddy and Roy was Ed Miller.
Ed drove his HEMI-powered Plymouth to the first NHRA Super Stock World Championship in 1967. Between the three men, there was a wealth of living history at the McCandless open house, but the focus was Buddy Martin, whose humble demeanor as a Southern gentleman has made him a national treasure, especially in the Mopar community.
“Never thought I would turn 90, but I’m glad I did,” laughed Buddy Martin. “What Mike (McCandless) did was great, and I’m so humbled, honored, and blessed. I didn’t expect such a big turnout during the open house, and the fans that I met were very gracious.
“I was tickled to see Roy (Hill) at the open house; you can’t keep up with him. It was also great to talk with Ed (Miller) and Will Smallwood of the Smallwood Brothers. There was also Don Miller, former president of Penske Racing, Larry Mathews of Hendrick Motorsports, and NASCAR team owner James Finch. These gentlemen are racing legends in their own right.”
Buddy Martin’s journey to becoming a drag racing visionary began at an early age. While working at local textile mills in Burlington, Buddy learned the discipline needed to succeed.
Soon after, Buddy was employed by the Norfolk and Western Railroad Company, where he honed his management skills. In 1958, Buddy purchased a Chevrolet Corvette and began his journey in drag racing.
It fueled his desire to make racing his career. Eventually, Buddy met Ronnie Sox, another North Carolina racer with almost robotic driving skills.
Together, they formed the Sox & Martin racing team and changed drag racing history. When master mechanic Jake King joined the team, they became a powerhouse.
By the middle of 1969, Buddy Martin was pushing the NHRA to create a heads-up Super Stock class, as the AHRA had done with great success. By the conclusion of the 1970 NHRA season, Sox & Martin became the first NHRA Pro Stock world champions and cemented their place in drag racing history.
The open house was the brainchild of Mike McCandless, the youngest son of Mopar Super Stock and Pro Stock racer Herb McCandless. “I can’t explain the feeling I get from these open houses. Seeing people from all over the country come to celebrate Buddy’s 90th birthday and share their stories with him is incredible. I’m forever thankful for those who want to keep racing history alive,” said Mike McCandless.
Some of the notable drag race machines on display within the McCandless Collection are the Sox & Martin 1970 AHRA GT-1 Plymouth HEMI ‘Cuda, Herb’s original 1968 Super Stock HEMI Dart, and the 1972 Dodge Demon Pro Stocker he built and raced.
It was made famous because of the massive wheelie the Demon pulled in the Pro Stock semifinals at the 1972 NHRA Summernationals. Jenkins may have won the race, but the HEMI-powered Dodge of McCandless got all the ink.
Mopar legends Buddy Martin and Herb McCandless have no intentions of slowing down and will be at the annual Carlisle Chrysler Nationals July 10-12 and, of course, at the Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge during the NHRA U.S. Nationals scheduled for Sept. 2-7, 2026.
Make sure to stop by and speak to these legends and learn first-hand what it was like in the glory days of traveling the country racing Super Stock and Pro Stock.
