The roll cage, rear end, tuned headers, seat and 5 gallon “Jerry Can” came from Bob Couch and Jim Binkley’s worn out number 17. A ’57 Ford hardtop. Did I say worn out? It’s more like done for, but I salvaged what was still use-able. Cannibalized is more like it. I had new wheels made at C-D Wheel, the tires, street tread design only, came from Phillips and Anderson. The holes in the hood were required, in case of an engine fire.
 
The motor for 121 came out of my ‘55 Ford Fordor Mainline, which was a street engine with some oats, it was a Louis Walker built 312 c.i. “Y” block; if you are familiar with Louis Walker, you know he did it right. That ‘55 street car would really run. Besides we had another family car.
 
So there it sat, all welded, blended, mended, and ready for racing . . .Whoa, hold it not quite ready, it needed a paint job. But still there was one problem, a body shop paint job would be expensive, even though I would do the numbering and lettering. So on an early Spring Saturday, around ten in the morning I went to the war surplus store at Alameda and Pecos (Denver), bought 12 spray cans of olive drab . . . Six beers and 6 hours later 121 was painted. This was all done in the “Under the sky” back yard. The next day I marked out the numbers and painted them, along with the bumpers and the grill. Good looking . . . I felt like it was like a KK or Watson built car. Unfortunately I only painted the sponsors names on the grandstand side of the car.
 
My father-in-law was tight with Bob McDowell at Banner Auto Wrecking, so I got replacement parts at a bargain, Twins Inn across the street from Banner covered the cost of tires, the independent service next to Twins Inn took care of the oil and the ten gallons of gas for each week. My father-in-law provided the car hauler, it was a 1952 IH R190 lot of yards dump truck. My father-in-law helped Gene with the building of the initial CNS, and they remained close friends, so Gene fixed a place where I could unload the car at the track. Did I mention Gene let my father-in-law get in for free?
 
I had a lot of fun with 121, the first Saturday night out at CNS with 121. It was on the pole in each event of the “B” class races, but we finished the events we were in. 121 missed only a couple of race meets of the 24 scheduled race meets. We were mostly just one or two cars out of the “A” class, but there were a few times that found us running the main event. The mains back then were 50 laps. 121 got crashed a couple of times, and lost a couple of trannies. I had real good friendships at CNS, Paul Anderson #51, Larry Ginardi #3, Bill Micklejohn #13, Fritz #59, they helped us out, and gave me set-up ideas and suggestions, etc., we were never a real threat to the “Chrome Shoes”.
 
The next year saw some changes in our family, my father-in-law was stricken with cancer, and without him and the rest of the 121 cheering section I lost interest and gave the car to my neighbor to run. I think he struggled to keep it going, I helped when I could, but still it was half hearted at best.
 
What became of 121?  I think it was scrapped by the third owner, now it is only a picture of what 121 was . . . And that is the way it was in 1969.

Thomas Ellis - CNS 121