Larry Edsall / Special to The Detroit News

This 1936 Delahaye 135S didn't get to race at Le Mans in 1936 (the race was canceled), but it did compete successfully in other European events into the 1950s. Of 14 such cars, this is one of only two that retains its original body.

Vintage racing cars fill up this Field of Dreams

By Larry Edsall / Special to The Detroit News

April 8, 2008

The Copperstate event is in its 18th year (we'll have a report and photo gallery after the 1000-mile drive concludes). For the second year in a row, before launching from Phoenix, the Copperstate contingent took part in a larger car show held on the grounds of Tempe Diablo Stadium, spring training home of the Los Angeles Angels baseball team.

Last year, the theme of the inaugural Field of Dreams was Italian sports cars. This year it was vintage racing cars, some of them arrayed on the baseball diamond's infield, most of them parked up on the ball park's shaded mezzanine level. In addition to the vehicles inside the stadium, members of Phoenix area car clubs were invited to display their cars in the parking lot between the stadium and Interstate 10.

Featured at home plate was a car built for but not raced by all-time stock car champion Richard Petty. The car was far from a stock car. It was a 1965 McKee Mk V sports racer powered by a rear-mounted Chrysler 426-cubic-inch Hemi engine.

Historic racing cars are parked on the mezzanine level of the stadium.

NASCAR banned the Hemi from stock car competition for 1965, so Plymouth, Petty's primary supporter, pulled him from the series as well and commissioned the McKee sports racer for the Can-Am road racing series. But when the car wasn't finished in time for the season to begin, others drove the car and Petty switched to drag racing.

Phoenix Chrysler-Plymouth dealer and sports car racer Bob Montana raced the McKee until 1969, when it was put into storage for 35 years.

Although Petty didn't race McKee, other famous drivers racked up a lot of seat time in the cars on display, including a Trans-Am Ford Mustang raced by Peter Revson and Sam Posey; the 1949 MG TC in which Carroll Shelby won his first road race; a 1966 Holman-Moody Ford Galaxie stock car raced by Fred Lorenzen; a 1959 Watson Indy roadster driven by Jim Rathmann, Tony Bettenhausen, A.J. Foyt and Jim Hurtubise; and Kenny Bernstein's first Budweiser King drag racing funny car.

When NASCAR banned Chrysler Hemi engine from stock car competition in 1965, Plymouth commissioned a Can-Am style racer built for Richard Petty to race. When the car wasn't finished in time for the road racing season, Petty competed instead in drag racing with the 1965 McKee Mk V campaigned by Phoenix auto dealer Bob Montana. A 426-cubic-inch Chrysler Hemi engine propels the car built for Richard Petty. After 35 years in storage, the car was restored in 2004.