Classic Rickie Smith Super
Modified Maverick was a rare gem …
Ever had a classic car you
regretted selling?
Ask seven-time IHRA Rickie
Smith about the classic 1974 Maverick that got away. The car drove for team
owner Keith Fowler.
The same 351 cubic inch
Ford Maverick that he drove to so many IHRA Super Modified titles subsequently
forcing the sanctioning body to cancel the class due to lack of participation
turned out to be a special edition Jack Roush car.
Smith said the car wasn’t
his to sell, but had he have known the rich history – he might have been
inspired to scrape his nickels and dimes together and purchase the ride, if
only to store away in his shop.
Recently Smith was
contacted by the new owner of the car who resides in Knoxville, Tennessee. He
brims with excitement when discussing the owner’s reported plans to restore the
car.
Modified Maverick was a rare gem …
Ever had a classic car you
regretted selling?
Ask seven-time IHRA Rickie
Smith about the classic 1974 Maverick that got away. The car drove for team
owner Keith Fowler.
The same 351 cubic inch
Ford Maverick that he drove to so many IHRA Super Modified titles subsequently
forcing the sanctioning body to cancel the class due to lack of participation
turned out to be a special edition Jack Roush car.
Smith said the car wasn’t
his to sell, but had he have known the rich history – he might have been
inspired to scrape his nickels and dimes together and purchase the ride, if
only to store away in his shop.
Recently Smith was
contacted by the new owner of the car who resides in Knoxville, Tennessee. He
brims with excitement when discussing the owner’s reported plans to restore the
car.
I
would’ve liked to keep all my cars but I can’t afford to keep all this stuff. – Rickie Smith
“From what I understand
it’s in pretty good shape,” Smith answered when asked of the car’s condition.
“The guy that I was talking to, the guy that’s got it — had a mild stroke or
something and he’s waiting to get healed up.
He’s a Ford guy.”
Smith, who declined to
give the new owner’s name, said the gentleman has also acquired one of the Jack
Roush powerplants that resided between the steel fenders.
“He’s got that and he’s
wanting to put it back together just to restore it,” Smith bragged. “He knows
Jack Roush and he talked to him years ago and asked him about that car.”
Interestingly enough,
Smith explained the car he thought was purchased from a little old lady near
his King, North Carolina home was actually built in the Gapp & Roush shop
and was one of five cars destined for their Pro Stock operation.
”The car was prepared by Ford and I went for it because it had unique tubs,
quarter-panels and the front steel,” Smith said. “This car was supposed to be a
Jack Roush spare but it never made it to them. I was told this story and all I
could do is look at the man and say, ‘You’re kidding me.”
The ride down memory lane
for Smith was a thought-provoking one, but brought out a large regret.
“I would’ve liked to keep
all my cars but I can’t afford to keep all this stuff,” Smith explained when
asked if he planned to purchase the car from the gentleman. “I couldn’t buy it
right now. I’m sure people think that
I’ve got lots of money and I’ll be ok but if people had a clue how I was from
month to month. I always pay my bills
but I don’t have any extra money to do anything like that.”
