Ronnie Sox & Buddy Martin
Former stock rivals Ronnie Sox and Buddy Martin joined forces in late 1962. There 1963 Chevy won its first time out and went on to upset the factory back cars of touring stars such as: Don Nicholson, Hayden Profitt, and Arnie Beswick. In 1963, a paid contract to race in Maryland led to an extended Northeastern tour and new careers as professional drag racers. Mercury provided Sox and Martin with the 427 Comet that won A/Factory Experimental honors at the NHRA Winternationals, grace the front cover of Super Stock Magazine, and toured Europe with the US Drag Racing Team in 1964. Through 1971, a series of Hemi powered Plymouth’s helped Sox accumilate a record number of NHRA national event victories (15) and consecutive wins (5), plus numerous AHRA and IHRA titles. Indicative of their domination was an unprecedented streak of five straight NHRA Springnational victories (1967-1971). In late 1969, it was Martin who presented AHRA and NHRA officials proposed rules for a new, heads up class called Pro Stock. Sox subsequently proved so successful by winning six of eight NHRA Pro Stock shows in 1971, plus many AHRA and IHRA races. This caused NHRA to impose a 200-pound weight penalty on Hemi cars effectively ending Chrysler Corporation’s participation. The team ran IHRA events and match races until Buddy Martins retirement in 1976. Ronnie Sox would go on to campaign a six second 200 mph replica of the original 1964 Comet.