this is the coolest story I've read all month... Terry got Parnelli Jones to sign his car! Thank you Terry for sharing the photos and telling the story! This is great!

 

After waiting eighteen years to purchase my 1957 Custom 300, I wanted to give it some of my own flavor.

 I had read that Parnelli Jones had won his first NASCAR race in Bremerton Washington and thought I would do a tribute to that car. All the pictures I could find were in black and shite so I called the Parnelli Jones Museum and asked what color wheels Vel's Ford ran on their cars as they ran three stock cars then, all with different color wheels. 

 They checked with Mr. Jones and he could not remember the color but did add he did not like the car, and if the sponsor was not attending a race, he would take the 1956 Ford. A few years later I find out that Parnelli was going to be the Grand Marshall at the Seattle Nostalgic races and I planned my trip. 

 On the three hour drive there I broke a brand new roller rocker and limped it to the race track on 7 1/2 cylinders.

 Once there the security guard will not let me in the pits with the car. I walk in, borrow a pit pass and park the 57 behind the VIP tent. 

 I speak with his handlers and tell them the story of his first victory and they say NO WAY, he is not going to walk behind the tent to see the car.

 I get in line and get his autograph on the program and ask him personally, and he tells no problem. When he sees the car it is 'hey, I drove one just like that'. 

 It was like Christmas!