MM: What do you think of drag racing today?
JW: I'm glad I raced when I did. It was a wonderful time to be a racer, and I don't know how these guys do it today. I don't know what these teams are spending today in Pro Stock, but it takes millions of dollars to run. Super Stock is almost as bad. To do well at it, you need to race full time and spend a lot of your own money. If you don't have those resources, stay home. No, I did it at the right time. I wouldn't have traded those early years of Pro Stock for anything. It was a lot of fun, and it was the best time of my life.
This was the sport of the '60s. It was in its infancy, and we were all good friends. If you broke down beside the road and one of the Ford or Chevy racers saw you, they would stop and help you out. We all raced match races together, and we were all friends.
Jack "Mr. 5 And 50" Werst's A990 '65 Plymouth Replica
Fast Facts
Owner: Jack Werst
Use: Nostalgia Super Stock racing
Car Builder: Joe Smith Race Cars, Dallas, TX
Body: R051 code Belvedere replica
Weight: 3,450 pounds
Wheelbase: 115 inches
Rims: Centerline Convo Pro
Tires: Mickey Thompson
Engine builder: Ray Barton Racing Engines, Wernersville, PA
Horsepower: 898 big ones
Block: New Mopar Performance Hemi
Heads: MP aluminum
Intake: Ray Barton
Transmission: ProTrans 904
Converter: 8-inch ATI 4,500 stall
Rear gear ratio: 5.67
Best performance: 9:29 e.t. at 141 mph