Ronnie Sox Memorial Website

It was the same 427 motivated Mercury that garnered him his first ever National event title at Pomona. It's been a long 26 years since that brite spot in his career and Ronnie will admit the times have changed and so has he, but he still likes to be in the thick of things running in the most popular class of the day. That is the reason he chose to mount a comeback in Pro Modified with a Pro Stalgia type machine. His choice of the '64 Comet was based on sentimental value, product availability and the feeling that Ford would be more apt to assist him in the project than any of the other manufacturers. Another deciding factor was the availability of a Ricky Smith powerplant built and prepared by Sonny Leonard.

The plan was set in motion at the start of last season when it became evident that this itch to go racing could only be scratched by climbing behind the wheel of his own ride. Ronnie purchased the behemoth 707 inch Ford motor from Smith and shipped it back to Leonard so that the necessary accomodations for nitrous injection could be made. The task of assembling a Pro Stock type chassis was given to Tommy Mauney of TM Race Cars in Spartansburg, South Carolina. Harwood supplied the body, which was sent to Big A Fiberglass for customizing. Once there, Ronnie and Big A's C.D.Simmons designed radical dimensions that made it the most aerodynamic 1964 Comet ever. Several lucrative sponsorships fell into place as did financial backing from Travis Webb III, which pushed the project into "full steam ahead" status. Excluding down time, the construction span lasted only five weeks and was completed a week prior to the IHRA Winter Nationals.

With paint literally still wet, Sox did extensive testing prior to the Pro Modified class debut at Darlington. The machine encountered problems throughout qualifying and was limited to a best of 7.61/182. Although he qualified on the bump, Ronnie used his extensive driving prowess and a bit of luck to prove that qualifying and eliminations are two different days. He got by respected driver Mike Ashley when Ashley broke on the line and advanced to the semi-finals by running a 7.14/195 against Brian Gahm. All in all, Sox would agree that it wasn't too bad for a debut.

Although it was his driving that mainly put him in the show, his mammoth Ford motor provided the muscle to make everything possible.This same power plant was originally built in 1988 and saw action in the Rickie Smith Pro Stock Probe. Since then the 707 cubic incher has been totally re-vitalized with a variety of new engine components. It's internal members include Venolia pistons, BME rods, SPeed Pro rings, a Crankshaft Specialists crankshaft and a Cam Dynamics camshaft. The induction is handled by two 4500 cfm split Holley Dominators aboard a Sonny Leoonard sheetmetal intake. N.O.S.supplied the two-stage nitrous oxide fogger system which routed through the middle of the intake manifold under the carburators. This extra boost of horses is distributed through port nozzles and can be activated with the throttle and a button on the steering wheel. The cylinder heads possess a 15 to 1 compression ratio and are the ARA brand which have been modified by Sonny's Automotive. MSD provided the distributor and electronic box while Accel and Mallory were responsible for the spark plugs and the ignition wires. Sonny Leonard, who built and machined the engine in his Lynchburg, Virginia shop, rate it on the dyno to hold 1200 non-nitrous horses at 7400 rpm.

Once know for his talented ability to shift without a tach, Sox carries on the tradition with a state of the art, 2.40 low geared, 3 speed Lenco transmission.Shifting is still as easy as it used to be with the trusty dual disc Hays clutch and flywheel along with a Hurst shifter. Additional driveline assistance comes from a driveshaft supplied by none other than former Sox & Martin team driver, Herb McCandless. The rear end is a Mark Williams designed 9-inch Ford that houses Mark Williams axles and a spool as well as a set of 4.11 Richmond ring and pinion gears.

Although Ronnie put the entire game plan together last year, he contends that his decision of chassis builder was one made several years earlier. "Tommy Mauney ia a talented man," he says. "I had the opportunity to drive a Pro Stocker that he built and I really like the workmanship that was put into it. I'd feel confident putting him up against the best in the business."

Mauney and his talented staff of workers bent and welded 1 5/8 round chrome moly tubing into a 107-inch wheelbased chassis. It has also been fashioned to include a Funny Car rollcage. The front suspension features Lamb struts while the rear has a four link and Koni shocks. Braking power comes from Lamb brakes and the added insurance of two Chute Metal parachutes. Grabbing the asphalt is handled by Goodyear tires mounted on Cragar wheels.

The body work proved to be the most effort-consuming task of building the car. Ronnie and C.D.Simmons felt the best way to get the boxy machine to slice through the air was through a series of alterations. To start with, the roofline was chopped three inches. Then the wheelbase was altered with the front wheels being moved forward three inches. The rear wheels followed the same process by moving up eight inches. The aerodynamic design was further enhanced with a heavily streamlined front end and the removal of eight inches behind the back window. According to Sox, the machine measures 18 1/2 feet in total length with the quarter panels only making up for three. The body was later groomed to painting status by Danny Goins. Goins also applied the red, white and blue paint scheme while Larry Coleman did the lettering.

With the general media attention and the spectator response to his latest venture, Ronnie is really positive of the Comet's future as well as Pro Modified. "I hope to get the same kind of end result from this car as I did with the Pro Stock Mustang in 1981 and that is a World Championship. I admit, it's going to be fun trying but with the help of our sponsors, Shotgun Customs, Jackie Jones Ford and H&H Gas, it will be worth-while. A for Pro Mod, I think it will grow. Even the N.H.R.A is looking at it. I've talked with some of their guys on up the ladder and it appears that a lot of track operators are wanting to run them. I expect this to materialize by next year."

If the class fails, Ronnie plans to take his hard working crew that consists of crew chief Bill Watkins and Ronnie's son Dean in the match race circuit. But like him, we'd hate to see that happen. The car is a real crowd pleaser and, most importantly, was influential enough to bring this legendary figure out of retirement. For those reasons, it rates high on our popularity scale. We're also willing to bet that the "Blonde Bomber" will never forget this one.