Download POP! Slots t2m.io/Stapleton42 and get 10M FREE chips if you’re a new player A lot of people know the stories and the drivers.. but not everyone knows Waddell Wilson was behind the curtain making these cars fly. He’s lived through it all.
A very good friend of my brother Tim. Wadell is the nicest guy in the world. I'm so happy you and Logan got to do this video. He's like an old uncle that everyone loves. I've talked to hima few times over 40 years and I've never seen him lose his temper, though I've heard he can lose it once in awhile. Another great job, buddy.
@@Stapleton42 Hi, I would like to know more about the segmented drum brake shoes that were on pre disc brake Nascar cars. Here is a clip from the 1971 Winston 500 showing what i mean.ruclips.net/video/OHw_eqQBzPU/видео.htmlsi=IhkuE776mWIAT2Si&t=100. Cheers Bill from Australia.P.S. I bought a copy of Wadell Wilson's book. It is gold.
Waddell Wilson is one of the greatest engine builders of all time. Guys like him, Larry Wallace, Tommy Turner, Robert Yates, Randy Dorton, etc. are all pioneers of horsepower.
Buddy you're nearly single handedly keeping the greatest Nascar generation alive. I appreciate your time and work. 50 years from now these will be the videos that documentary movies are made from
A pure legend. Guys like him made the sport. They had a story. The announcers at the time cemented the legendary status. The sport is about people. NASCAR has a personality problem. The story that got them there made these guys legends. It’s not very exciting for it to be well my daddy is rich or famous and that is why I got racing.
What an awesome video of one of the greatest engine builders in the history of NASCAR! I was fortunate to have been able to watch and be a fan of NASCAR during what I think of as the true golden era of the sport! I appreciate people such as yourself, who work hard to keep the history alive. They're the last of a bygone era. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for documenting all this history. You could be spending your time and energy doing many other things, and you chose to document these amazing stories before they are lost. You are doing a great service to preserving the history of racing!!
Another legend in Motorsports. When you get these old guys talking they get a string of thought going and so much history and nuggets of what happened back in the day comes to light. You guys always ask the right questions to keep the stories coming. I agree that all engines have a personality and when you understand that they will talk to you. Y’all have a great Christmas.
It was interesting to watch Waddel explain things. He was so organized,precise. You can tell this was his standard way of everything he did. Just total concentration.
I could listen to this guy talk for hours, man. Love hearing the stories, they're fascinating. How sharp he still is at 86 - wow. Your format is working man, don't change a thing. And you guys do a great job with your interviewing - not interrupting, letting them talk and just listen....love it. Keep doing it.
As a mechanic I love hearing the technical details and tricks and cheats these guys used thanks for all the content. these people aren’t going to be around forever .
Wilson says he didn't cheat. I almost believe him. But back then the rules didn't tell you exactly what you had to run so he could do shit with the venturis or with the cowl induction or suspension like on Greg Sacks '85 Firecracker 400 winner. Be curious to know what he did to limit rolling resistance which he mentioned but did say specifically what he did. I know limiting unsprung weight is a big factor.
Waddell is one of my hero’s. I would sit and listen to anything he had to say about anything! I have read everything possible that I have seen with his name on it. I built my first engine with things that I heard him talk about. My 1968, 327 that I built in, 1984 is still running to this day! And it’s putting out roughly what the 327, 375 hp Corvette motor puts out. It’s got 1-3/4” primary headers. And when you stomped the gas pedal, it sounds like a dog barking. Waddell is the man!
Waddell was my first ever engine building mentor. I've never met him, but I bought his book, and read it so many times that I couldn't tell you. Even today, 40 plus years later, i still pick it up occasionally and reread it. Great interview.
The continued connections that you both are making has paid off great for everyone that has been following you! You may not realize it now but you are making history by saving history and the both of you will eventually be part of the history of this sport because of what you are doing right now! Mark my words! The Stapleton name will go down in the annals of Nascar history as the people that saved the history of the sport in video form!
What a great video! All of the younger mechanics will never understand how he had such a feel for engines and their performance. Didn’t rely on electronics or digital gauges. This is true history!
I super appreciate this video. My father in law (Chuck Hurn, Peoria IL) was the 1970 Amateur Champion at Peoria Speedway. Amongst his hoard of vintage Ford (427,429) parts was his collection of books to guide his racing career, one of them being Waddell Wilsons book with specific notes as he made changes. Chuck has been gone for 12 years but my wife and I still try to honor his memory and try to learn from the masters in this sport. Thank you for talking to Waddell.
Another legend in front of you guys. That’s probably the longest time that Waddell has been on camera and told that many stories. Just amazing! I applaud you Mitchell and Logan. Merry Christmas 🎄
The present generation can't think for themselves, can't do anything without a phone in their hand. People like Waddell are far and few between now days, they learned things by trial and error and just plain common sense. Take what you have and make it work. He hand picked the parts, he simply had a knowing of the parts that were presented to him. Keep making these videos, you are making history here, soon all these people will not be here and that knowing can only be passed along by videos like this. I will gladly come to your shop and teach you some basics of building the bottom end of engines.
I forgot I did build an engine once that’s still living in a friends fairmont. I just don’t bother with it anymore because I have much more important things to do 😂
Another home run. I started following Nascar in the early 60s and by 63 my information as a yankee was from Motor Trend and Hot rod that would carry the results. Many of the old timers are aging out and your history videos are invaluable.Holman and Moody were everything back in the day. Thank You for the shows
Waddells book on how to build engines inspired me to build and go to N.A D.C.in 1990 to learn by the path he had taken . Waddell, i never met you ,but you are one of my hero's. Thanks so much for doing this video. ❤
Fantastic as always. Whenever I think about Waddell, the first thing that usually comes to mind is him looking for blood after Ricky Rudd had his win taken away at Sonoma in 1991. Lee Holman said something interesting that I have noticed myself. NASCAR guys go to other series and tend to keep up or even outshine the stars of said series. Outsiders come to NASCAR and will be average to mediocre.
My father was at the Rockingham race when F1 Champ Jim Clark ran a HM Ford. He said Jim had almost no practice arriving late in the week. Jim ran around top ten until he fell out with mechanical issues.
The thing that most of us don't know, Waddell had a temper and never minced words with anyone. He was a bit of a bragger and hated to get beat. I think that is what made him great.
I'll never forget how Rudd was robbed that day at Sonoma. As Waddell said: "They're in a hair pin turn, I could have pushed the 28 car around with my hand."
Another great interview from the two of you. I’m 72, my dad would go to Daytona in February in the 60’s. I can remember him bringing me back the newspapers from race week. I would read them over and over until they fell apart. I wish I still had them. Thanks for keeping the memories alive.
LOVED this the video, especially this part @ 58:38 "I always loved Fords, ... We learned so much from working with those guys. They were smart people. I never learned anything from GM, I was in a wind tunnel @ GM, the guy with me said, 'Do you know what your doing? You're educating GM about this race car, about aerodynamics-you're crazy, stop telling 'em things!' I never learned anything from Chevrolet, nothing. Ford I did"
I am a old school gear head. I went to my 1st nascar in 1981. But knew much of the history of the sport from the start. Many of the names WW drops i have heard many times but didn't know the context of the stories. WW filled in the gaps and completed the history as I thought it was the whole story. But little did I know there was much more to learn from WW so glad I caught this history lesson from one of the most famous people in the sport. I am so glad he never let greed get to him. He was great at what he did because he did it because he loved it. The comment he made about Smokey is what cements his name in the History of Nascar. Keep up the good work kids "Stapleton's" love ya both. I hope your Mustang sounds n runs like that GT40
Only good, hope you can do as good when you're on the high side of 80's, I can't remember what day it is sometimes, but ask me something anything about the 62 Indy Nationals or about attending the NASCAR convertibles races.
Oh my God! This episode is like unlocking every secret I wish I could have known when I was watching those very races Waddle is speaking of. I always wanted to know how did Cale go that fast? Thank you both of you. Merry Christmas 🎁
OMG. Another one. Out of the ballpark. Another big THANK YOU for documenting this NASCAR history. This is so important to many. I have been studying this NASCAR race car tech history for 35 years. At one point using the knowledge in restoring historical race cars. (I had the incredible honor to resore a Holman and Moody build race car)And now, use it today in another industry of scale model cars. I still learn new things from your videos with these great personalities. Keep doing this. Your videos are always getting referenced to watch in our circle of hard core enthusiast that are a bunch of old guys like me. Also on my little You Tube channel about model cars. We love what you two are doing. BTW. The last thing said by Lee Holman, totally blew my mind. It was PURE GOLD for a NASCAR Tech Historical Junkie like me. I think its past due that I start supporting this channel more than just being subbed and watch. This IS the most important NASCAR History Channel on You Tube.
Building 500 plus engines in 365 days is incredible. Waddell said they worked from 8:00 AM til 10:00 PM to accomplish this. I wonder how how their wives allowed that. I do not believe you have to change anything on your video presentation. I enjoy that you allow interviewee to simply tell there story. It is like listening to someone telling stories over cup of coffee. Great format. Thanks Mitchell and Logan
They were doing pretty good, H&M were charging Ford for every hour plus the overtime hours, it was probably better than working in a sweat shop cotton mill.
I bought this man's book years ago learned so much from him he is truly my engine builder hero super glad you did this video with him keep them coming.
Another awesome interview! I never knew Waddell worked for hm. I started watching NASCAR in the mid 70s when ABC covered it live. And I mostly associated Waddell with Darrel Waltrip, he talked about Waddell slot. So I always associated him with Chevy engines and Chevy teams. Never knew he was a Ford guy too. Thanks!
It is funny to see how these interviews often start a bit slow and reserved. Then the guys start to open up and the information and passion then just starts flowing out of them. Thanks Mitchell and Logan for continuing to document all of these stories. They really are a treasure. Merry Christmas to both of you, and Shelby!
I remember one day while in Charlotte sitting at an intersection off I85 this Tractor trailer with HARDEES RACING got into the turning lane so I just turned in behind it we were on Hollywood Dr pulled in this fence we were at Ranier Racing Shop so I exited my vehicle walked into the shop,first person my DAD & me talked to was Robert Yates while Waddell Wilson was working on an engine,I told Robert I (we) my DAD were from Conway S.C. up there buying cars we were welcomed with open arms really nice bunch of guys letting me sit in Cales cars,actually went into Robert's office cup of coffee and some laps raced never for the 28 car crew that day thanks guys for the hospitality.
Yours is a great format. I particularly like the little inserts of photos and short interviews that relate to and support the longer story. Keep up the good work.
Ralph Moody used to come into an auto parts store that I worked at in the late 80s. We had a fellow that worked there that was friends with Mr Moody. They would talk and I would listen. He was a great guy to talk to and a huge wealth of information. Thanks for keeping the history of NASCAR going. Bob in Charlotte
Well Waddell Wilson is a nascar legend engine builder for sure and at 87 years old he is still sharp as a tack. great video i really enjoyed it. thanks for sharing!! Larry
Oh I forgot to mention the photos mixed in with the conversations was superb. It then give the audience without as much knowledge as you the ability to see the cars etc that you are talking about. And for the future generations they also will see what this is all about. Great work and it will be very much worth it as a historical piece of filming.
Thank you so much!! It is awesome that you guy's record NASCAR History for future generations!! Waddell was a pure mechanical genius!! And anything on Holman Moody is right in my wheelhouse! My Father and I are huge Holman Moody Fan's, Thank you again for documenting history!!
Comment #2. Love the cold "authentic open". What a good hook. Also, I love the pics that reference the story. Keep it up. Kudos to Logan for baffling the great Waddell Wilson for checking out welds on headers. He just didn't quite know how to process that, and I'm loving that!
Thank you for asking about the Hardee's urban legend - I cleared that up a few years ago, which ticked off quite a few people who swore that a youtube video about the subject was gospel. I had black and white evidence that it was in fact Atlanta a few weeks later that they used a car slated for show car duty (but not plucked from a restaurant) to win the Atlanta 500. Over the years the Daytona and Atlanta stories got intertwined and the Daytona tall tale was born. Thanks again for having him clear it up.
Another legendary engine builder! I was not aware of the Mark Martin story. That would have been a potent combination, for sure! Every time we fly through the airport in Charlotte I try to figure out where the original Holman Moody shop sat.
I love how you do videos about the people in nascar's history and not just the videos about the teams of nascar's history, Waddell Wilson is an all time legend, really enjoyed this one.
Men with this type of skill are fast becoming extinct. What a fountain of knowledge. So glad you're making these videos of these gentlemen. They are priceless
I’m still surprised to this day how Waddell hasn’t aged at all. He still looks like he could pass off being a young 30-40 year old man still, and he’s in his 80s now. In all seriousness though, for everything this man has done for NASCAR as a sport, the auto industry in general, for big companies like Cummins, and for all of us fans, especially those who were lucky enough to grow up watching the men he worked with drive to win after win after win, I think I speak for all of us when I say a simple… thank you for everything, Waddell Wilson. 🫡
Man what a legend!! So cool that you are able to bring this history to us thank you. Have a blessed day.( I love Fords I learned nothing from Chevrolet) lol great stuff you two
Absolutely fantastic interview with the great Waddell Wilson!! I'm 66 years old and through my years as a bracket racer and an Indy Car machinist, I considered Waddell as a mastermind of engine building and race car setup. I would read everything that he put out and learn all I could about how and why he did the things he did. As you mentioned, the fact that you are getting him and other talented veterans of motorsports on video like this is priceless. I love the channel and I really appreciate all you do to make the content so good! Thank you so much!
Stories from these legends are priceless. I know I say it on damn near every video, but thank you again for what you and Logan are doing. Merry Christmas to you both! (And Shelby, too.)
Awesome! You guys keep cranking out the Legends of Nascar history. At 58:17 when Mr. Wilson busts Logan out, "What are you studying so hard over there?" Lol, That Hardees 28 Monte Carlo is why I still have the '84 SS I bought in '87. Great work, Merry Christmas to y'all.
Thank you so much for this incredibly,entertaining video! Being a huge Ford fan for over 50 years, this brought back a lot of great memories! Wishing y'all a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year & keep these amazing videos coming!❤👍
Yet another absolute gem, how do you and Logan keep turning out such great content and as far as the format and editing.......love it, keep doing what you're doing. Fantastic content. Thank you, MarknLily
A testament to Waddell, was how fast in 1985 how fast he was a top Ford contender before the other Fords, going from the Cleveland heads to the Windsor head. He went from Chevy to the Windsor essentially. Merry Christmas Guys.
Hi Mitchell, Hi Logan! Wow. This one, is absolute top notch NASCAR GOLD!!! Waddell Wilson is s brilliant man, and it's such a privilege to hear him telling all these stories from memory like this. I'm just a couple minutes past halfway, and I stopped to make this comment. Going to go and make a bowl of soup, and enjoy the rest, and then most likely I'll start it over and watch it again, thank you so much for tracking Waddell down for this interview! And at Holman-Moody, no less! Bravo, and Merry Christmas to you and Logan!🏁🏆😎
Waddell Wilson Best Crew Chief And Engine Builder For Harry Rainer And Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Winston Cup Series Team From 1979 To 1993 Awesome Thanks For Uploading
Thx for responding to my comment. I'm a big fan of your love for our racing history. I'm an old man now. So refreshing to see someone your age interested in videoing and documenting racing history that will be around forever. Keep up the excellent work you do!🏁
Once again, you guys get the right guys talking about the right stuff. I've been watching your videos since you painted Coopers garage and never would have dreamed where you would end up. Keep these videos coming!
I like your "cold openings." Ive said this in nearly all my comments, but y'all do an amazing job. I love hearing the stories and memories, it's very important to me because I love this sport so very much. I do sometimes feel like im standing there in these shops or garages with y'all. The mics make your documentary process seem so much more efficient, it's a great improvement, it just makes it easier to enjoy and listen. I love listening to these legends, and y'all have such a rapport and create an easy environment for them to just open up and share with us. From what I can see, its only Dale Jr and you two doing a lot of this type of work over the last few years. Merry Christmas. 🏁🏁🏁🏁
Y'all do such a great job of getting all this history down before it's to late. You ask the right questions and you're capturing stories and history of Nascar in a way I've never seen before. Going around getting these interviews at all these historical places. It's so cool to see the shops where all this history was made and hearing from the folks that made it. I watch every video and love your channel! Thanks for making these videos for us race fans and future generation race fans! 😎🏁
Yes, I loved the opening on this video. I also love the fact that you are getting with these great people of the original NASCAR and making sure that what they did and the stories they have told us about will be around forever. Can't wait for the next video. Take care and stay safe.
This is why I keep coming back. Love you channel and keeping the past alive. So many awesome personalities and characters, these guys are absolute treasures. Keep up the great work man. The artifacts give your stuff such a unique aspect to reliving the stories and I’m sure it sparks way more than sitting in a room would. Thank you!
I was blessed to have 2 favorite drivers Cale Yarborough through my young yrs them Big E grin about 18 on. I watched Cale win in Darlington with no power steering, he was a man in a small package.
I’ve watched this one about three times. Wadell mentioned tons of my Heroes by sharing his stories. Wendell Scott, David Pearson, Mario Andretti his Employers Holman and Moody. This was Top Shelf Mitchell !
Waddell is a true legend and a humble guy.If my aging race memory serves me correctly.After Cale flew the Monte Carlo,Waddell’s engine was put in the winning back up car.Which was a LeMans. Stuff like that will never happen again. Another great video! Oh, I like the way your videos open.Content is what we’re here for.Not slick tv style openings.Keep up the good work.
I have Waddell's book I bought it in 1982....My machinist who was a noted West Coast engine builder with a few NHRA World Record Holders running out of his shop asked me....WTF is this stuff when I brought my 69 Z/28 302 motor into his shop for "blueprinting"....He'd never seen the decks of a block strengthened with 3/4NPT iron pipe plugs in the deck before....GREAT BOOK! I still have it somewhere....
What an incredible video. You guys just keep putting these out. I’m very surprised that NASCAR or Motor Trend hasn’t snatched you guys up yet. Merry Christmas, Stapleton Team. 🎄❤️
Thanks man! I’m not for sale and never will be. I’ll gladly work with other organizations but not for one. Gotta retain the ability to follow my gut and you often don’t have that when you have a boss.
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A lot of people know the stories and the drivers.. but not everyone knows Waddell Wilson was behind the curtain making these cars fly. He’s lived through it all.
And a very humble master of the trades!
A very good friend of my brother Tim. Wadell is the nicest guy in the world. I'm so happy you and Logan got to do this video. He's like an old uncle that everyone loves. I've talked to hima few times over 40 years and I've never seen him lose his temper, though I've heard he can lose it once in awhile. Another great job, buddy.
@@georgewalkeriii8112 thank you George! Your brother is a cool dude
I wish you could get Tommy Turner to interview. You hear the name and accomplishments, but never see him. I hope he has not passed on.
@@Stapleton42 Hi, I would like to know more about the segmented drum brake shoes that were on pre disc brake Nascar cars. Here is a clip from the 1971 Winston 500 showing what i mean.ruclips.net/video/OHw_eqQBzPU/видео.htmlsi=IhkuE776mWIAT2Si&t=100. Cheers Bill from Australia.P.S. I bought a copy of Wadell Wilson's book. It is gold.
Waddell Wilson is one of the greatest engine builders of all time. Guys like him, Larry Wallace, Tommy Turner, Robert Yates, Randy Dorton, etc. are all pioneers of horsepower.
Absolutely!
Richie Gilmore
Don't forget Maurice Petty and Junior Johnson
Don't forget Yunick, Jenkins, and EC Birt.
I didn’t know Waddle was so good at understanding aerodynamics, very interesting stuff in this video 🏁😎🏁
Buddy you're nearly single handedly keeping the greatest Nascar generation alive. I appreciate your time and work. 50 years from now these will be the videos that documentary movies are made from
I appreciate it man. The future value of this footage is definitely on my mind. I archive all of it. Even what doesn’t make the final edit.
I couldn’t agree more. I think we are in the 3rd era of NASCAR. Real cars with real drivers and real people working behind the scenes.
I could listen to guys like this talk for hours. Well done.
A pure legend. Guys like him made the sport. They had a story. The announcers at the time cemented the legendary status. The sport is about people. NASCAR has a personality problem. The story that got them there made these guys legends. It’s not very exciting for it to be well my daddy is rich or famous and that is why I got racing.
I agree
What an awesome video of one of the greatest engine builders in the history of NASCAR! I was fortunate to have been able to watch and be a fan of NASCAR during what I think of as the true golden era of the sport! I appreciate people such as yourself, who work hard to keep the history alive. They're the last of a bygone era. Keep up the great work!
The point where he talked about drivers showing up to win but not for money pretty much distinguishes most in NASCAR today versus “back then.”
Thank you for documenting all this history. You could be spending your time and energy doing many other things, and you chose to document these amazing stories before they are lost. You are doing a great service to preserving the history of racing!!
Wow thank you very much!
Another legend in Motorsports. When you get these old guys talking they get a string of thought going and so much history and nuggets of what happened back in the day comes to light. You guys always ask the right questions to keep the stories coming. I agree that all engines have a personality and when you understand that they will talk to you. Y’all have a great Christmas.
Thanks Rick we appreciate you
@@Stapleton42did you see him back up and put his right foot down on the concrete while picking his left foot up
It was interesting to watch Waddel explain things. He was so organized,precise. You can tell this was his standard way of everything he did. Just total concentration.
Well I'm old enough that I can actually say I got to see these guys race back in the day..🏁
You are very fortunate for that!
I could listen to this guy talk for hours, man. Love hearing the stories, they're fascinating. How sharp he still is at 86 - wow.
Your format is working man, don't change a thing. And you guys do a great job with your interviewing - not interrupting, letting them talk and just listen....love it. Keep doing it.
Note taken sir! Thank you
As a mechanic I love hearing the technical details and tricks and cheats these guys used thanks for all the content. these people aren’t going to be around forever .
Wilson says he didn't cheat. I almost believe him. But back then the rules didn't tell you exactly what you had to run so he could do shit with the venturis or with the cowl induction or suspension like on Greg Sacks '85 Firecracker 400 winner. Be curious to know what he did to limit rolling resistance which he mentioned but did say specifically what he did. I know limiting unsprung weight is a big factor.
These videos are solid gold! This will be the standard for all time.
Waddell is one of my hero’s. I would sit and listen to anything he had to say about anything! I have read everything possible that I have seen with his name on it. I built my first engine with things that I heard him talk about. My 1968, 327 that I built in, 1984 is still running to this day! And it’s putting out roughly what the 327, 375 hp Corvette motor puts out. It’s got 1-3/4” primary headers. And when you stomped the gas pedal, it sounds like a dog barking. Waddell is the man!
Waddell was my first ever engine building mentor. I've never met him, but I bought his book, and read it so many times that I couldn't tell you. Even today, 40 plus years later, i still pick it up occasionally and reread it. Great interview.
That’s awesome!
Man you can tell Waddell liked both of you a lot! He was the best engine builder in the business and didn’t tolerate any bs from anybody
Thank you josh! We like Waddell!
I thought the same. It started out a little rough, but Waddell seemed to eventually warm up to them.
The continued connections that you both are making has paid off great for everyone that has been following you! You may not realize it now but you are making history by saving history and the both of you will eventually be part of the history of this sport because of what you are doing right now! Mark my words! The Stapleton name will go down in the annals of Nascar history as the people that saved the history of the sport in video form!
thanks man!
His HOF speech was one of the best I've ever seen and one of the most deserved 🎉
What a great video! All of the younger mechanics will never understand how he had such a feel for engines and their performance. Didn’t rely on electronics or digital gauges. This is true history!
Sure enjoyed your interview of Waddell Wilson. These stories will never be equalled ,those were the Golden Days of NASCAR,60's-90's.
The organic opening to the videos are awesome!
Glad you like them!
Watching the 1983 Daytona 500 made me a NASCAR fan. Waddell and Cale together were a great team.
That’s awesome
One of the top 3 interviews with a real racing hero & legend. I could listen to him for hours. So thank you very much.
I super appreciate this video. My father in law (Chuck Hurn, Peoria IL) was the 1970 Amateur Champion at Peoria Speedway. Amongst his hoard of vintage Ford (427,429) parts was his collection of books to guide his racing career, one of them being Waddell Wilsons book with specific notes as he made changes. Chuck has been gone for 12 years but my wife and I still try to honor his memory and try to learn from the masters in this sport. Thank you for talking to Waddell.
Another legend in front of you guys. That’s probably the longest time that Waddell has been on camera and told that many stories. Just amazing! I applaud you Mitchell and Logan. Merry Christmas 🎄
I hope this was only Part 1 of Waddell Wilson -- we know there was more! For a guy that doesn't do camera interviews, he did really really well.
I think it helps that we are young people with a genuine interest in what he has to say. People can sense that I believe
The present generation can't think for themselves, can't do anything without a phone in their hand. People like Waddell are far and few between now days, they learned things by trial and error and just plain common sense. Take what you have and make it work. He hand picked the parts, he simply had a knowing of the parts that were presented to him. Keep making these videos, you are making history here, soon all these people will not be here and that knowing can only be passed along by videos like this. I will gladly come to your shop and teach you some basics of building the bottom end of engines.
I forgot I did build an engine once that’s still living in a friends fairmont. I just don’t bother with it anymore because I have much more important things to do 😂
One of the greatest that should never be forgotten. One of the smartest in nascar
I took Waddell to Stewart Haas in 2014...maybe 5 people knew who he was. I was so sad that nobody knew the legend that was in the shop.
1hr and 15 minutes of this!? I’m ready
Heck yeah!
Another home run. I started following Nascar in the early 60s and by 63 my information as a yankee was from Motor Trend and Hot rod that would carry the results. Many of the old timers are aging out and your history videos are invaluable.Holman and Moody were everything back in the day. Thank You for the shows
Waddells book on how to build engines inspired me to build and go to N.A D.C.in 1990 to learn by the path he had taken . Waddell, i never met you ,but you are one of my hero's. Thanks so much for doing this video. ❤
Fantastic as always. Whenever I think about Waddell, the first thing that usually comes to mind is him looking for blood after Ricky Rudd had his win taken away at Sonoma in 1991.
Lee Holman said something interesting that I have noticed myself. NASCAR guys go to other series and tend to keep up or even outshine the stars of said series. Outsiders come to NASCAR and will be average to mediocre.
Back then they had tons of power no brakes and lots of body roll. Hard cars to manhandle!
My father was at the Rockingham race when F1 Champ Jim Clark ran a HM Ford. He said Jim had almost no practice arriving late in the week. Jim ran around top ten until he fell out with mechanical issues.
The thing that most of us don't know, Waddell had a temper and never minced words with anyone. He was a bit of a bragger and hated to get beat. I think that is what made him great.
I'll never forget how Rudd was robbed that day at Sonoma. As Waddell said: "They're in a hair pin turn, I could have pushed the 28 car around with my hand."
Regarding the Lee Holman comment: The exception was A.J. Foyyt.
Another great interview from the two of you. I’m 72, my dad would go to Daytona in February in the 60’s. I can remember him bringing me back the newspapers from race week. I would read them over and over until they fell apart. I wish I still had them. Thanks for keeping the memories alive.
Another great story ! Waddell's 1975 book is a masterpiece !
LOVED this the video, especially this part @ 58:38 "I always loved Fords, ... We learned so much from working with those guys. They were smart people. I never learned anything from GM, I was in a wind tunnel @ GM, the guy with me said, 'Do you know what your doing? You're educating GM about this race car, about aerodynamics-you're crazy, stop telling 'em things!' I never learned anything from Chevrolet, nothing. Ford I did"
😂
I am a old school gear head. I went to my 1st nascar in 1981. But knew much of the history of the sport from the start. Many of the names WW drops i have heard many times but didn't know the context of the stories. WW filled in the gaps and completed the history as I thought it was the whole story. But little did I know there was much more to learn from WW so glad I caught this history lesson from one of the most famous people in the sport. I am so glad he never let greed get to him. He was great at what he did because he did it because he loved it. The comment he made about Smokey is what cements his name in the History of Nascar. Keep up the good work kids
"Stapleton's" love ya both. I hope your Mustang sounds n runs like that GT40
Thank you Dean!
87 years old and still going strong. Waddell is one of my favorite Nascar people of all time.
Same! A living legend
Keep making them the way you’re doing it right now. Perfection doesn’t need to be altered, changed in any way.
For someone who does not like to be on Camera .. Waddell Wilson tells good stories is honest and still has a god Memory.
Only good, hope you can do as good when you're on the high side of 80's, I can't remember what day it is sometimes, but ask me something anything about the 62 Indy Nationals or about attending the NASCAR convertibles races.
Oh my God! This episode is like unlocking every secret I wish I could have known when I was watching those very races Waddle is speaking of. I always wanted to know how did Cale go that fast? Thank you both of you. Merry Christmas 🎁
Thanks man Merry Christmas!
OMG. Another one. Out of the ballpark. Another big THANK YOU for documenting this NASCAR history. This is so important to many.
I have been studying this NASCAR race car tech history for 35 years. At one point using the knowledge in restoring historical race cars. (I had the incredible honor to resore a Holman and Moody build race car)And now, use it today in another industry of scale model cars. I still learn new things from your videos with these great personalities. Keep doing this. Your videos are always getting referenced to watch in our circle of hard core enthusiast that are a bunch of old guys like me. Also on my little You Tube channel about model cars. We love what you two are doing.
BTW. The last thing said by Lee Holman, totally blew my mind. It was PURE GOLD for a NASCAR Tech Historical Junkie like me.
I think its past due that I start supporting this channel more than just being subbed and watch.
This IS the most important NASCAR History Channel on You Tube.
Just saw this comment now. Thanks man we really appreciate it!
Building 500 plus engines in 365 days is incredible. Waddell said they worked from 8:00 AM til 10:00 PM to accomplish this. I wonder how how their wives allowed that. I do not believe you have to change anything on your video presentation. I enjoy that you allow interviewee to simply tell there story. It is like listening to someone telling stories over cup of coffee. Great format. Thanks Mitchell and Logan
They were doing pretty good, H&M were charging Ford for every hour plus the overtime hours, it was probably better than working in a sweat shop cotton mill.
I bought this man's book years ago learned so much from him he is truly my engine builder hero super glad you did this video with him keep them coming.
This was one of my favorite and most wild episodes just from a history standpoint. Appreciate you.
Another awesome interview! I never knew Waddell worked for hm. I started watching NASCAR in the mid 70s when ABC covered it live. And I mostly associated Waddell with Darrel Waltrip, he talked about Waddell slot. So I always associated him with Chevy engines and Chevy teams. Never knew he was a Ford guy too. Thanks!
It is funny to see how these interviews often start a bit slow and reserved. Then the guys start to open up and the information and passion then just starts flowing out of them. Thanks Mitchell and Logan for continuing to document all of these stories. They really are a treasure. Merry Christmas to both of you, and Shelby!
I’m glad you noticed that because we do too. It happens a lot 😂
I remember one day while in Charlotte sitting at an intersection off I85 this Tractor trailer with
HARDEES RACING got into the turning lane so I just turned in behind it we were on Hollywood Dr pulled in this fence we were at Ranier Racing Shop so I exited my vehicle walked into the shop,first person my DAD & me talked to was
Robert Yates while Waddell Wilson was working on an engine,I told Robert I (we) my DAD were from Conway S.C. up there buying cars we were welcomed with open arms really nice bunch of guys letting me sit in Cales cars,actually went into Robert's office cup of coffee and some laps raced never for the 28 car crew that day thanks guys for the hospitality.
That’s awesome. I didn’t think Waddell and Robert were there at the same time. At least for not very long?
Here watching, and to hear him speak of so many greats.
And listening to him speak of Cale.
Rest in Power Cale.
This is great , this guy got more horsepower out of Small block Chevys, and figured out the restrictor plates . Thank you and Merry Christmas 😊
Thanks man!
Yours is a great format. I particularly like the little inserts of photos and short interviews that relate to and support the longer story. Keep up the good work.
Y'all are doing great work. Thanks. These old timers probably love talking about their hay days and how relevant they still are.
Ralph Moody used to come into an auto parts store that I worked at in the late 80s. We had a fellow that worked there that was friends with Mr Moody. They would talk and I would listen. He was a great guy to talk to and a huge wealth of information. Thanks for keeping the history of NASCAR going.
Bob in Charlotte
Well Waddell Wilson is a nascar legend engine builder for sure and at 87 years old he is still sharp as a tack. great video i really enjoyed it. thanks for sharing!! Larry
Oh I forgot to mention the photos mixed in with the conversations was superb. It then give the audience without as much knowledge as you the ability to see the cars etc that you are talking about. And for the future generations they also will see what this is all about. Great work and it will be very much worth it as a historical piece of filming.
Excellent video I can remember Waddell back in the late 70s early 80s can’t believe he is 86 years old holy smokes time flies
Thank you so much!! It is awesome that you guy's record NASCAR History for future generations!! Waddell was a pure mechanical genius!! And anything on Holman Moody is right in my wheelhouse! My Father and I are huge Holman Moody Fan's, Thank you again for documenting history!!
Thanks man we’re glad you’re here for it!
Comment #2. Love the cold "authentic open". What a good hook. Also, I love the pics that reference the story. Keep it up. Kudos to Logan for baffling the great Waddell Wilson for checking out welds on headers. He just didn't quite know how to process that, and I'm loving that!
Thank you for asking about the Hardee's urban legend - I cleared that up a few years ago, which ticked off quite a few people who swore that a youtube video about the subject was gospel. I had black and white evidence that it was in fact Atlanta a few weeks later that they used a car slated for show car duty (but not plucked from a restaurant) to win the Atlanta 500. Over the years the Daytona and Atlanta stories got intertwined and the Daytona tall tale was born. Thanks again for having him clear it up.
I do what I can to find the truth when possible!
Another legendary engine builder! I was not aware of the Mark Martin story. That would have been a potent combination, for sure!
Every time we fly through the airport in Charlotte I try to figure out where the original Holman Moody shop sat.
Me too 😂
I love how you do videos about the people in nascar's history and not just the videos about the teams of nascar's history, Waddell Wilson is an all time legend, really enjoyed this one.
Men with this type of skill are fast becoming extinct. What a fountain of knowledge. So glad you're making these videos of these gentlemen. They are priceless
Thanks man. I agree they’re fading out way too fast without passing along the wisdom to someone willing
Thanks guys u have done it again..... Merry Christmas to you guys keep them coming this stuff u guys r doing is better than anything on TV
Thanks man!
Great video, guys, absolute legend of an engine builder. Bought the book years ago and still reference it.
I'm a fan of your format. Keep up the great work in sharing the history of racing.
I’m still surprised to this day how Waddell hasn’t aged at all. He still looks like he could pass off being a young 30-40 year old man still, and he’s in his 80s now.
In all seriousness though, for everything this man has done for NASCAR as a sport, the auto industry in general, for big companies like Cummins, and for all of us fans, especially those who were lucky enough to grow up watching the men he worked with drive to win after win after win, I think I speak for all of us when I say a simple… thank you for everything, Waddell Wilson. 🫡
Man what a legend!! So cool that you are able to bring this history to us thank you. Have a blessed day.( I love Fords I learned nothing from Chevrolet) lol great stuff you two
Absolutely fantastic interview with the great Waddell Wilson!! I'm 66 years old and through my years as a bracket racer and an Indy Car machinist, I considered Waddell as a mastermind of engine building and race car setup. I would read everything that he put out and learn all I could about how and why he did the things he did. As you mentioned, the fact that you are getting him and other talented veterans of motorsports on video like this is priceless. I love the channel and I really appreciate all you do to make the content so good! Thank you so much!
WADDEL WILSON IS THE KING OF ENGINES, MITCHELL! AWESOME INTERVIEW! I HAVE HIS ENGINE BOOK!!!!! Thank You Mitchell and Logan!!!!!!!
Thanks rob!
Stories from these legends are priceless. I know I say it on damn near every video, but thank you again for what you and Logan are doing. Merry Christmas to you both! (And Shelby, too.)
Thanks man merry Christmas to you too
Awesome! You guys keep cranking out the Legends of Nascar history. At 58:17 when Mr. Wilson busts Logan out, "What are you studying so hard over there?" Lol, That Hardees 28 Monte Carlo is why I still have the '84 SS I bought in '87. Great work, Merry Christmas to y'all.
I don't know how you do it but, each episode seems to be better than the last.
Great stuff, keep it up.
Thanks man!
Thank you so much for this incredibly,entertaining video! Being a huge Ford fan for over 50 years, this brought back a lot of great memories! Wishing y'all a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year & keep these amazing videos coming!❤👍
I am that rare Nascar fan who knows very little mechanically, but could listen to this kind of stuff all day. Pure Americana..love it.
Thanks man! We like to make our videos understandable for everybody!
Yet another absolute gem, how do you and Logan keep turning out such great content and as far as the format and editing.......love it, keep doing what you're doing.
Fantastic content.
Thank you,
MarknLily
Wow, thank you!
A testament to Waddell, was how fast in 1985 how fast he was a top Ford contender before the other Fords, going from the Cleveland heads to the Windsor head.
He went from Chevy to the Windsor essentially.
Merry Christmas Guys.
Another great interview of a living legend
Hi Mitchell, Hi Logan! Wow. This one, is absolute top notch NASCAR GOLD!!! Waddell Wilson is s brilliant man, and it's such a privilege to hear him telling all these stories from memory like this. I'm just a couple minutes past halfway, and I stopped to make this comment. Going to go and make a bowl of soup, and enjoy the rest, and then most likely I'll start it over and watch it again, thank you so much for tracking Waddell down for this interview! And at Holman-Moody, no less! Bravo, and Merry Christmas to you and Logan!🏁🏆😎
I have been a wood bros. Holman Moody fan since I can remember. Watching them big blocks during the 60’s was awesome…
Great that you are getting these "old guys" and hearing the stories. The best years of racing !
thank you Jim!!
Wow, what an incredible engineer he is, a wealth of knowledge.
What a great Christmas gift, thanks guy's
Our pleasure! Merry Christmas
Waddell Wilson Best Crew Chief And Engine Builder For Harry Rainer And Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Winston Cup Series Team From 1979 To 1993 Awesome Thanks For Uploading
thanks man!
Such a Great Video Brother !!! The Knowledge is just priceless !!!
Thx for responding to my comment. I'm a big fan of your love for our racing history. I'm an old man now. So refreshing to see someone your age interested in videoing and documenting racing history that will be around forever. Keep up the excellent work you do!🏁
I love this channel so much.
Thank you stew!
Once again, you guys get the right guys talking about the right stuff. I've been watching your videos since you painted Coopers garage and never would have dreamed where you would end up. Keep these videos coming!
Thanks man!
Great episode, hopefully more from Waddell in the future!
The Andretti saga is compelling. From the motor tags to the white knuckle drive, just a great story.
Waddell Wilson is a legend. Yes forgot more about engines than any of us will ever know.
I like your "cold openings." Ive said this in nearly all my comments, but y'all do an amazing job. I love hearing the stories and memories, it's very important to me because I love this sport so very much. I do sometimes feel like im standing there in these shops or garages with y'all. The mics make your documentary process seem so much more efficient, it's a great improvement, it just makes it easier to enjoy and listen. I love listening to these legends, and y'all have such a rapport and create an easy environment for them to just open up and share with us. From what I can see, its only Dale Jr and you two doing a lot of this type of work over the last few years. Merry Christmas. 🏁🏁🏁🏁
Y'all do such a great job of getting all this history down before it's to late. You ask the right questions and you're capturing stories and history of Nascar in a way I've never seen before. Going around getting these interviews at all these historical places. It's so cool to see the shops where all this history was made and hearing from the folks that made it. I watch every video and love your channel! Thanks for making these videos for us race fans and future generation race fans! 😎🏁
Spoke to Waddell for probably an hour on the phone this past summer about our Ranier car. Super nice guy.
Yes, I loved the opening on this video. I also love the fact that you are getting with these great people of the original NASCAR and making sure that what they did and the stories they have told us about will be around forever. Can't wait for the next video. Take care and stay safe.
Thanks man!
This is why I keep coming back. Love you channel and keeping the past alive. So many awesome personalities and characters, these guys are absolute treasures. Keep up the great work man. The artifacts give your stuff such a unique aspect to reliving the stories and I’m sure it sparks way more than sitting in a room would. Thank you!
Thanks man!!
These old stories are priceless. 👏
I was blessed to have 2 favorite drivers
Cale Yarborough through my young yrs them Big E grin about 18 on.
I watched Cale win in Darlington with no power steering, he was a man in a small package.
I’ve watched this one about three times. Wadell mentioned tons of my Heroes by sharing his stories. Wendell Scott, David Pearson, Mario Andretti his Employers Holman and Moody. This was Top Shelf Mitchell !
Waddell is a true legend and a humble guy.If my aging race memory serves me correctly.After Cale flew the Monte Carlo,Waddell’s engine was put in the winning back up car.Which was a LeMans. Stuff like that will never happen again. Another great video! Oh, I like the way your videos open.Content is what we’re here for.Not slick tv style openings.Keep up the good work.
Thanks man we appreciate you! I want to make it feel like you are here with us when we do these videos
I have Waddell's book I bought it in 1982....My machinist who was a noted West Coast engine builder with a few NHRA World Record Holders running out of his shop asked me....WTF is this stuff when I brought my 69 Z/28 302 motor into his shop for "blueprinting"....He'd never seen the decks of a block strengthened with 3/4NPT iron pipe plugs in the deck before....GREAT BOOK! I still have it somewhere....
What an incredible video. You guys just keep putting these out. I’m very surprised that NASCAR or Motor Trend hasn’t snatched you guys up yet. Merry Christmas, Stapleton Team. 🎄❤️
Thanks man! I’m not for sale and never will be. I’ll gladly work with other organizations but not for one. Gotta retain the ability to follow my gut and you often don’t have that when you have a boss.