Although an NHRA U.S. Nationals win eluded him, Dick's career included many other wins at various NHRA, AHRA, and IHRA drag racing events. Shown here at the Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park, his Demon Pro Stock is making a quick "chirpie" burnout to test the adhesion properties of the IRP starting line. In those days, NHRA allowed Pro Stock drivers to make a quick dry-hop-type burnout to add to the show. judging by the wrinkled sidewalls of the Firestone Drag 500 rear slicks, the car is definitely hooked-up. Dick's car shows off the latest Pro Stock hoodscoop technology with its extended snorkel unit. Notable is the Direct Connection decal located below Dick's brother Mike's name and on the car's quarter-panel. His car also shows the DLI logo (Dick Landy Industries), reflecting his increasing role as a development source for Chrysler's performance parts products.
By the end of the '60s, a new wind began to blow. Super Stock racers who were formerly A/FX and Funny Car contestants began to get the itch for more competition. There was also dissatisfaction with the system of handicapping. Super-powerful race cars, such as the Hemi 426 Darts and Barracudas, were forced to wait on the green light, then charge forward, trying to catch and pass lower-classed, slower cars. The mismatch of a 140-mph car running down an opponent going barely 100 mph was frustrating, as well as dangerous when heavy braking was applied to prevent a break-out.
In the east, a handful of racers had an answer. They began building new engines far removed from the existing, restrictive Super Stock rules. These new engines hovered around 7 liters or 427 ci. They also strayed from the factory rules by running roller cams, high-compression ratio pistons, ported cylinder heads, and, most notable of all, a tall tunnel-ram intake manifold mounting a pair of modified Holley four-barrel carburetors. They installed these into the existing S/S chassis, added a fiberglass hood with a forward-facing air scoop and a pair of extra-wide, rear slicks.
These powerful new engines-most capable of 700-plus horsepower-and manually shifted, four-speed transmissions created what became known as Heads-Up or Outlaw Super Stocks. They were perfect for match race competition and open meets where as many as 20 cars would vie for 8 or 16 qualifying spots to run in their own eliminator. Rather than running off the electronically handicapped Christmas Tree, they lined up for Heads-Up racing just like the professional classes. The drivers loved it, and the crowds took to it instantly.
In the camps of both Dodge and Plymouth, the vehicles of choice were the new Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas. These cars, which were the fastest, quickest, most powerful factory-built stock cars ever offered in America, were easily converted to the new Heads-Up races. Chrysler wouldn't introduce their more compact Dodge Challenger and Plymouth 'Cuda platforms until the '70 model year, so the '68-'69 Hurst Hemi Darts and Barracudas with the added power of the modified Pro Stock-style engines filled in until the new cars could be built.
The cigar-clenching driver is unmistakably Dick Landy, but the name Stuart McDade may be known to but a few Mopar drag racing fans. Stuart was a stalwart Mopar racer and sometimes Chrysler test driver from the southeast. His Demon was closely built to Dick's, so when Dick's Demon was involved in a midseason crash, he turned to Stuart, who arranged to loan his car so Dick could keep his major race date commitments. That loaner car, with a Landy 426 Hemi powertrain transplant, provided a stop-gap while Dick's new Demon was being built in his Northridge, California, shop. A local sign painter provided a quick window sign to identify the driver as Dick Landy, shown here in action at the NHRA Springnationals at National Trail Raceway, outside Columbus, Ohio.
By the end of 1969, NHRA, AHRA, and IHRA had at last heard the pleas of the Heads-Up racers. All agreed to introduce a brand-new eliminator category based on the Heads-Up and Outlaw Super Stock format. NHRA called theirs Pro Stock. In AHRA and IHRA, it was Super Stock. All three associations, in a rare showing of bureaucratic brilliance, set their rules to almost identical standards. Seven pounds per cubic inch was the initial weight break, and the engine had to be the same make as the chassis. Engine location remained stock, and the factory wheelbase of the car had to be retained, possibly to prevent another round of AWB cars that evolved into the nitro terrors of the mid-'60s. Two four-barrel carburetors on any style intake manifold, non-factory hoodscoops, rollbars, and any rear tire size was also acceptable. This was a simple formula suited to practically any of the so-called ponycars-Chevy Camaro, Ford Mustang, Mercury Cougar, Dodge Dart, and Plymouth Barracuda.
Dick Landy and the Sox & Martin teams were the torch bearers for Chrysler, thrusting the Dodge and Plymouth banners into the limelight. Pro Stock rolled in with a bang heard around the drag racing world, beginning with the initial winter events of 1970. Jenkins' Camaro was ready in advance and began the year with an edge. Domination would be short lived though, as the Mopar racers were loading their guns for a battle that would push the Chevys and Fords against the wall.
The dominance of Chrysler products in Pro Stock (Chrysler entries would take all the major event titles for the remainder of the year) created a backlash; at fault was the powerful 426 Hemi engine and the professional, scientific approach taken by factory Mopar racers. By 1971, the sanctioning bodies began legislating different weight breaks for different engine designs, chassis wheelbases, and body styles. The idea was woefully biased against the 426 Hemi. Hemi racers found themselves running with considerable ballast weight, while other less competitive makes enjoyed far more freedom. Dick found himself returning to his match-racing roots to place his cars in front of audiences eager to see competitive heads-up racing.