the 426 Hemi and literally every other engine design in drag racing. The basic layout remains the sole mainstay in NHRA 330 MPH nitromethane competition. To say Plymouth did well “Roarin’ in ’65” (as stated in a marketing slogan used that year) would be an understatement. Joe Smith won the 1965 NHRA World Champion title in one, and Ed Miller won the 1967 Super Stock World Finals in his. The company hired the North Carolina team of Sox & Martin away from Mercury that season as well, who would barnstorm the match race world in 1965 Plymouths that featured reworked “funny car” wheelbases, which is where this car becomes important. The North Carolina team had two of these cars in ’65: a hardtop model the factory had acid-dipped and a modified sedan based on the SS release. This car here followed in that tradition, but many years later. It first became famous for another reason. Skilled guitarist Roy Clark made a big impression on his fans and the producers of the TV show “Hee Haw,” which he eventually hosted for more than two decades. What most people don’t know is the well-liked musician also had a penchant for racing both cars and boats, and he purchased this modified Plymouth hardtop during the 1990s to run it as a weekend match racing car circa the 1965 tradition, and it featured skyward-reaching fuel injectors, reworked altered wheelbase and lightweight body panels. Not surprisingly, it was lettered up as the “Hee Haw Hemi.” When Clark sold it, the person on the other end of the sales transaction was none other than Ronnie Sox, who wanted an exhibition car to race as a circa-1965 Sox & Martin Plymouth. The original hardtop example he and Buddy Martin had campaigned back in 1965 had long been understood to have been parted out in the 1960s, so there would be no confusing this tribute with that first car. Moreover, this Belvedere was already updated to the safety needed for a more modern performance level. Still, care was taken to make it appear as it may have back in the day, which included the trademark-worthy red, white and blue Sox & Martin paint scheme, lettering for the Gate City Motor Company of Greensboro, North Carolina, and a decal from the 1964 U.S. Racing Team tour of England, which the Sox & Martin team had appeared in, marking the first appearance of the three-tone paint scheme. Of course, with injected Hemi power residing under (and through) its fiberglass hood, the “funny car” name that applied to these creations is instantly evident. As easily seen, the wheelbase has been rearranged in the fashion of the original release, bringing the front wheels forward 10 inches to be directly behind the front bumper and the rear axle forward 15 inches, all in the name of weight transfer. Today, a wider back tire layout means this car can run much quicker than the 1965 example ever could. Set up to run on methanol, even a cursory examination reveals the quality of parts Sox selected for the powerplant. The front fuel tank feeds Hilborn injectors mounted on the Hemi, sparked by MSD ignition pieces. The engine is backed by a racing automatic transmission and narrowed Dana-style differential. Strange Engineering disc brakes slow it down, while the interior features a modern driver cage, Moroso gauges, a Cheetah SCS shifter and red seat covering. The tinwork throughout is well-executed, while extreme-duty suspension components were selected with durability in mind. The kicker about all of this is that Ronnie Sox himself actually made passes in it as it’s shown here. In fact, the last time this car went down the track, Ronnie himself was test-driving it for the next and current owner, Pete Eavers, who never raced it nor changed anything Sox had done. Retired after Sox succumbed to cancer in 2006, this car has since been on display in a Virginia car museum until recently, and it’s now coming to auction for the first time since Sox modified it. The legend of Plymouth in 1965 is well known. If you are looking for a unique Mopar with a racing background, this Ronnie Sox-driven 1965 FX is about as close as you will ever get to the real thing.
