Most people know that David McAllister, the Great Races technical inspector for the last three years, wears many hats. One of those is as a master mechanic. And he proved it again recently when he drove a car from Portland, Oregon, to Hershey, Pennsylvania. And this was not just any car it was a 1957 Mercury Monterey Great Race Director Jeff Stumb bought for $1,025 on ebay the month before. Thats right, $1,025.
Stumb already owns a 1957 Mercury Monterey with a 335 horsepower 368 Bill Stroppe engine and a three speed on the column. Mercury built 150 of these Montereys back in 1957 for NASCAR racing. His is number 59. Most 1957 Mercurys were push button automatics, so Stumb has been looking for another three speed on the column for about six years. It just so happens that one with a 312 engine popped up on ebay last month and it was only 10 miles from McAllisters house. After Stumb won the auction, McAllister picked it up on a rollback and brought it back to his shop.
Stumb did not even know if the car ran when McAllister approached him about driving the car to Hershey 3,000 miles away.
After the meet in Hershey ended, former Great Racer Sam Hanagrif offered to deliver the Mercury to Chattanooga for Stumb on the way back to Louisiana.
After traveling 3,000 miles, there may be a Great Race in this cars future.
