Lake Speed's 90's NASCAR Thunderbird Resurrection: Running 780hp Wide Open at 75 Years Old!
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- Lake Speed is a retired 90s NASCAR racer with a couple things still left over... Last year we pulled one of his old Ford C3 engines out of the dust for a full modern build increasing the horsepower from 480 to 780! Now at age 75, Lake Speed will hop in his Thunderbird for the first time since 2003 and lay on it wide open at the Virginia International Raceway road course! This is the same small block Ford C3 engine from the build series and dyno videos we did with Lake Speed Jr over the past year!
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The last time Lake Speed drove this car was in 2003 when he did some vintage racing events with it. Back then the engine was worn out and barely making 500hp. Now 20 years later with the newly revived Ford C3 engine under the hood making 780+hp Lake gets to experience his favorite car in a whole new way!
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U got it Mitch and the Boss lady. Anything that might help your indevors
Ha ha bought my shirt eons ago it seems. Wear it weekly. Love that shirt. Love that car!
To anyone reading this. I wear my Stapleton42 clothing every single week. The hat. The shirts. They're comfortable, they're durable, they clean very well. But most of they're friggin cool 😎 🤟 even have a hoodie. Needs to be colder for that.
Btw we want to see a part 2! Jobe can’t just go back under the covers for another 20 year
This is something. Revival video was awesome 👌 don't be so hard on yourself seeing that big smile of enjoyment, priceless, thanks for your efforts.
@@markdunn2299 I wanna see Jobe and Mitchell's car hit Wilksboro and Rockingham. Now that's a video!
This is Lake Jr. I wanted to say thanks to Mitchell, Logan and you the viewers for making this series possible. Getting Dad back on the track behind the wheel of this car has been very special to me and my family.
I love your content. This is the best thing on the internet.
@@smsnc20 thanks!
Well done‼️ 👍🏻 💖
Let us all know what was wrong with the brakes and get back out there soon. A lot has been left undone still, unfinished business.
It’s awesome getting to watch this it brings back memories of how great it was it watch nascar back then.
It brings tears of joy to my eye seeing that 75 yr old man behind the wheel and seeing the excitement in his actions!
I could care less about what Nascar does on Sundays but this I'll watch all day long. This is real NASCAR not Malibu Barbie NASCAR
Thanks man 💪🏻
Malibu Barbie NASCAR lmfaooo
Good stuff, right there. Watched it three times
Agreed 👍
Real Nascar!!!
My father is long gone now, so it's always nice to see father and son coming together and doing something they both like doing. Trust me, make time to spend with your father or son that is away from the tv or computer before you don't any time left. Just spending time together fishing on a river bank with out a cell phone to get in the way or something is memories you will hold on to the most. I so wish I could of done one more fishing trip or gone to the track one more time with my father before he started going down hill.
The joy in Lake's voice when he was describing how well the engine ran was so great!
@Stapleton42 I think you made an old man feel like he was a teenager again. Congratulations and thank you to all who helped make this possible
Those ol Ford Nascars are my absolute favorite
It’s hard not to smile watching Lake in the car. Safe to say he’s a inspiration to all of us.
and even get a tear or two in the ol' peepers 🤫 😢 🙋🏻♂️
I’ve told y’all this several times but I just don’t think it can be said enough. Thank you two kids so much for doing what you do! Saving history and teaching at the same time
I found this channel a while back searching for old nascar stuff. I loved the hay day of the Earnhardt era and that’s what helped me and my dad bond. I even had an Earnhardt car on my grooms cake at my wedding! I miss hearing Mike Joy and Dr. Jerry Punch calling these races. Mike Joy had such emotion in his voice especially during the 98 Daytona 500 when he said “20 years of trying “ when all of the crew members from all of the teams formed a welcoming line for Dale. I cried that day and the day he passed.
Mitchell seeing a 75 year old man get that jacked about a car he raced is well worth the price of a ticket! If it were not for your desire to tell these stories they would be lost in the fog of time so keep working on your skills and your up coming race car and it will be more than gratifying for you.
"How's it feel?" LS-"I can't wait." Love that.
I've got chills
Absolutely fantastic!!!
That music gets me everytime..
Me too man. It’s just epic
That is so freaking awesome!! Sitting here in Germany and watching this NASCAR Legend come back to life!! Thanks for making that happen!!!
What you're doing to keep NASCAR's history alive is remarkable! Must watch videos if you're a fan. Thank you!
watching a 75 yr old wheel man row thru gears like he"s in his 20s.....man that smile and feeling he has in jobe must be amazing.
Lake is still a class act
I could tell the sound and the smell the engine is bringing him back some memories of a good old days
I love this stuff. My grandpa raced NASCAR in the 50's. He helped my dad build his race cars in the 70's with late model dirt racing. Then in 2009 my dad and grandpa helped me build my first dirt car. About 2 years later my grandpa passed away. But sure was a great memory! Family and racing is something else!
Thanks for documenting this . The Speed family Rocks . He still has what it takes .
Something about the days of thunder music to really get you going, love the videos please keep them alive
Hans Zimmer is the man. Especially on that movies songs
You also have to credit guitarist jeff beck who did the guitar solos for the days of thunder score with hans zimmer
Gave me CHILLS
This video was awesome. I raced bomber class stock cars, and my car number was 83. I also loved the end with Lake and his son. I just lost my Dad 3 weeks ago so yes, I had tears in my eyes. Family is everything, and the pride and gratitude in Lake's eyes was awesome. Thank You for bringing me along in this endeavor.
Lake Speed is the man. I grew up watching him race in Nascar and love watching the old Nascar content. Great Channel
It’s bloody fantastic seeing Mr Speed back in his car. Please let us see him out again. Age is but a number but the mind never ages. Mr Speed I salute you. Never stop doing what you love. 👍
were working on it!
@10:38 Lake climbing out of that car effortlessly.
I RACED A NEIGHBORS GO KART BACK IN THE 1970'S AT THE OLD JACKSON MISSISSIPPI AIRPORT ABANDON LANDING STRIP, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I SAW LAKE SPEED. I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING HIM EVER SINCE. I EVEN WORKED WITH ONE OF HIS CREW GUYS, MIKE DONAHOE FOR MANY YEARS... GOOD TO SEE LAKE BACK AGAIN IN A RACE CAR..AND FOR YOU BROTHER, KEEP UP THE AWESOME WORK ON OLDER NASCAR INFO THAT YOU BRING FOR EVERYONE TO SEE !!!! THANK YOU AND LOGAN AGAIN !!!
Absolutely outstanding project. I remember watching Lake as a kid. Almost had tears in my eyes when he was talking with his son at the end of this video.
I miss the real Nascar. Great video, well done.
Regards
Mark
OMG THOSE OLDSCHOOL WINSTON CUP SOUNDS!
This is so freaking cool to finally see after all that hard work you guys put into it. Also getting to hear those old Winston cup noises on a modern, clear video is so cool. Brings me right back.
My Grandpa was Lake’s fan club president. I grew up going to races all through 90’s and would go to Lake’s shop and set in what maybe that car. Thanks for doing this videos.
Greg Anderson and his Rottler boring bar deserve to ton of credit as well.Great work guys!!!!!
People do things that take years off their life's but you guys putting this together put years back on his life he was so proud and was great to watch well done everyone
Well said! I believe stuff like this does add years to your life. A life without purpose is a waste
Feels like I've waited years for this video! Thank you!!!
Thank you joe for waiting all this time! It felt like years to us too😂 we couldn’t wait to see lake get back on the track
Mitchell - this video really hit home. The SOUND of Lake's car brought back so many memories from when I was a kid in the 90s - watching my first Coca Coca 600 in Charlotte and going to the local speedway in Asheville - the New Asheville Motor Speedway. As locals, we were heart broken when the track closed down in 1999, closing many racing shops and losing a piece of life as we know it. Watching all of your history videos has opened my eyes to so much more that was going on in NASCAR when I was a kid. I love what you all are doing with these interviews and history - really great and inspiring. Keep up the good work and hope to see y'all in Asheville one day!
I've said it already but I'll say it again, Lake Speed is a living Legend, I could watch him drive and talk about driving Jobe every week, love him and love what you all have been able to accomplish.
You are blessed to be able to do what you do and Lake is blessed by what you are doing.
We would love to see him do some roundy round racing as well.
Thank you!
I talked to Greg Moore Lakes Team manager at Bud Moore engineering after seeing the engine upgrade and he called Lake to be on his radio show in the coming weeks and Lake agreed. ill Make sure Greg sees this video before the radio interview. Greg is my best friend and i try to help his radio show when i can. i meet Lake several times when he drove for Bud Moore. Great guy and very nice. Good luck on the show Lake. thanks stapleton for your videos. we love to watch them!! Larry
This is pure greatness. I didn’t realize just how much I miss the good ole days and the sounds of authentic NASCAR. Thank you for your dedication to this and thank you to the Speeds for opening up their time capsules. Great work everyone.
Unreal. Thanks for the awesome effort to revive this nostalgic car. Thank you. You expressed that you missed some moments from audio/video glitches. Chalk that up to the learning curve and growing pains. Your efforts haven't gone unnoticed. Awesome job. Keep it up!
Father looking so proud at his son at the end was the best part. My dad passed away 7 years ago so i dont have that chance anymore.
BRING JOBE BACK!!!!!!! Nothing sounds like these anymore. It was an emotional moment for me. My dad raced karts here in the 70's and I have memories from childhood at VIR.
I thought Logan was just a pretty face but a mechanic and fabricator too??? Fantastic!!
Got chills hearing it fire…..& not even there 🤩
Seeing Lake Speed ripping through the gears and absolutely flying in one of his old whips was nothing short of historic and mind blowing awesome. Was stunning watching Lake transform back into a racer 👍
I was Pres of Lakes fan club in his racing days. There has never been a better man strapped into a race car. I look so forward to what happens with this project. Go get them Lake
Damn, that car looks and sounds sooo good! And seeing Lake drive a Cup car again is an awesome sight. It looks like Lake was having great time until the brake problem. And yes, please don't let this be the last Lake Speed driving video. We want to see more Lake and JŌB.
I love me some Lake Speed. Such a cool guy who’s humble and his family is amazing!
This was really totally awesome! To hear that revived motor, to see that car, "the real nascar racing car" not today's nascrap..and to see Lake enjoying that again and enjoying it all with his son is priceless!!! Thanks for taking us along Stapleton your videos are great!!!
Still not stock on those days either old timer .
LONG TIME COMING AND IM GLAD I'VE BEEN HERE FOR IT!! 75 years old 🏁🏁🏁
We want to see Lake Speed back on the track again with that car !! I first saw the channel when you were doing stuff with Cooper Boghetti . Been a Nascar fan since I was 7 years old back in 1980 . Grew up a fan of the Petty's and the Earnhardt's . Sure miss the way Nascar used to be it was a way of life for me back then .
One of my favorite video's you have made. Don't get me wrong I really enjoy all of your videos but the look on Lake Speed's face with his family there made this video special. I hope in 35 years I can still grab gears like him. Then the conversation before loading the car about working on cars with your grandfather and father brought back tons of memories. Growing up my father raced dirt late models here in the midwest and I always told my grandpa and dad that would be me out there one day. Unfortunately my grandpa passed before I started my racing career in dirt modifieds but I always knew he was riding shotgun with me. I have since quit racing but love the history. Keep doing what your doing, great work and keep making dreams come true.
“Dream maker” perfect quote from Lake. You could tell he and his son really loved this. What a great an amazing family event. Thank you
Thanks man. We appreciate you
Seeing Lake behind the wheel rowing thru the gears at speed is an experience I won't forget, plus the smile on his face is priceless.
Thanks David 💪🏻
Wish they had let him run couple laps at Darlington this weekend. Crowd would love it too.
I agree. He’s 75 years old just like NASCAR 😂
That would have been awesome!
Most people don't know him.
he would kick Bubbas ass.....
Miss those days of nascar and the cool drivers that came with it
I would LOVE to see Lake and Jobe and everyone else back at the track with the brakes working like they ought to. I had a smile on my face the whole time watching! Big thanks to everyone who made this happen! Yall are awesome!!!!!
Totally agree. Don't cover that car back up and let it sit again. Race cars were built to be used and not to sit motionless in a museum. They are built to be experienced.
@@nunstersplace 💯
Seeing Lake Speed's smile getting out ot the car saying it was still pulling hard after 8000 rpm made me smile. I don't like nascar anymore but I would pay money to see his generation of driver back in the cars.
Thanks man we appreciate you
seeing lake talk about it and drive that car is amazing and I'm looking forward for the next video after the brakes are fixed.
So cool! Reviving NASCAR history is awesome
Thanks to the Stapleton42 people showing us Lake speed again.
I always forget Lake Speed beat Aryton Senna in the world karting championship what a dude
This was an awesome video! Love Lake Speed! It was awesome to watch the old man drive his car again! I've always wanted to meet Lake . I have been a NASCAR fan since the late 70's and getting to watch these TRUE stock cars run again and hear the sound of the exhaust pipes are a real treat! Logan looks like, she's doing great with her project! The way I seen you video was, just scrolling through RUclips and I saw the video with Harry Gant's Skoal Bandit car. That car was always one of the coolest cars on the track! Keep up the great job!! I would love to see another round with Lake and the 83 car! Hope to see more videos like this one!!
thanks man I think you will see that in a few months!
You made this Mississippi boy very happy today. That T-bird is bad to the bone once again, not to mention its driver who hasn’t missed a beat! Congrats to all who got Lake back on track, and hope we’ll see more track outings soon if circumstances allow. Even if not, this was an experience that few get to have, because sometimes it’s impossible to ‘go back’ like Mr. Speed did here. You guys are the best - keep carrying the torch forward!
thanks man!!
OMG that car looks and sounds incredible! Watching the in-car camera with wheeling that thing, absolute poetry in motion. I hope this made Lake as happy as we were watching it!
This Lake Speed series has been the best.
I'm betting my kingdom Lake isn't going to mothball that car. That's like a time machine for him. Thanks for making it happen.
I hope Lake brings that car back out again and tries to do some vintage races with it or some vintage days at the track!!!!!
Days of Blunder. Love it.
Yep i agree, that was a TERRIBLE representation. Stroker Ace is more like it, the best.
Seeing Lake Speed racing his car brought back memories of when he was in cup and I was 12 watching him on ESPN.
Hearing the car going down the back straight made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and I had headphones on just for that purpose. Thank you for a great video.
You made a whole lot of people happy following along on this story! You could see how much it meant to Lake and Lake Jr and all the people that were so helpful to make this happen! What a great job Mitchel thank you! I sure hope you get back to some drag racing soon!!
We will!
Thank you what you do man. I was very cool to see Lake back in a car.
You’re probably one of the most underrated videos on RUclips. Some of the best content out there. Keep up the hard work buddy!
Thanks man!
i have been to Daytona alot especially in the 80's. the cars had a thunder when they came around that made you shiver. when they went to fuel injection that went away. thanks for keeping it alive
Lake is a cool guy. I was at Charlotte for the 600 in ‘93, ‘Job’ was really fast that day.
You get much more feeling of the car moving around with unstabilized cameras! Such a cool ride we just took, THANK YOU LAKE SPEED, THANK YOU MITCHELL,!!
66.5 years old and still get tears when watching stuff like this. THANK YOU Mitchell and Logan!!!!!!! Just ordered a Lake Speed shirt from you. Keep it up!!!
Thanks man!!
Love that blue paint❤
Just seeing the expression on Lake's face driving that car makes this series so much better! It looks like he hasn't lost a step in 20 years away from NASCAR!
I love how the engine protests at anything less than WFO. This whole project is off the charts cool.
It just wants to run 😂
Fantastic! Lake is the best!
Got to get it back in a race. One more win for us Lake.
It brings me a lot of joy hearing the little small block rev to 8,000 and seeing how the more he is pushing it and how it's coming back to him in real time and you can see the talent he had in his prime still in his whole being it brings me to tears in a great way thank you for doing this series it's a time capsule of memories of the great sport of racing
This series was awesome 👍😎.
Love Lake Speed. Always thought he was a great guy and racer and now there's proof.
What a video!!! I was smiling the whole time watching it. If you just did stuff like this for the rest of your life, it would be a life well lived. Congrats on another AWESOME job!! :)
I agree. Getting these guys back in the seat is a great feeling
Way cooler then any of the cats in todays feild. That look when he knew that motor was stout reminds me so much of what draws us in to this sport. I miss it some days somthing feirce.
Like most I suppose , I found you by accident and have enjoyed everyone you've done. I raced local dirt tracks for a few years, built our own semi late models. Some of the late model racers had cars built by Bobby Allison and a few other NASCAR drivers , watching this one was awesome. I saw NASCAR race on dirt at Richmond and watching this brought back memories. Don't be concerned about perfect videos, I can take myself back in my memories and relive the sights and sounds. Thanks very much for bringing history back.
Thank you sir
Boom Tubes or not that engine sounds great, headphone heaven!
We need more Jobe.
Awesome man. Makes me smile. Lake is one a hell of a guy! Car sounds so good!
Thanks man!!
Logan's looks like a 1965 Mustang. Can't wait to see that one finished. Girl got skills!
Also I love the "The Chosen" hat Lake is wearing. Awesome series!
I think you might be on to something here. The excitement that Lake Speed had was amazing. Reuniting the old NASCAR stars with their old cars might be a series of videos in your future. I watched the video with Mark Martin driving his old car and he seemed genuinely excited to drive that car for a couple of laps too. Rusty Wallace too when he drove Midnight after it was restored. Maybe you can find people that own old Nascars that would be willing to let the old drivers drive them. Maybe Penzoil could sponsor this. I saw a video where Bill Rhine, I think that’s his name said drivers could use their car anytime they wanted to. Grassrootsracing, a RUclipsr has a Kyle Petty Mellow car and a Harry Gant Skole Bandit car. He might be willing to work with you. See how many drivers you can get and do a show on each and then have a track day at a track with all of the drivers there. I think people would pay to see that.
Bill Rhine does not like me and hates our channel. I don't know why. I offered to help him a long time ago. He told us he didn't need the internet... and I later found out he had been badmouthing me to other people for no reason. At one time I had high hopes for him being a cool dude too. Sad.
As long as he's comfortable in the car I'd like to see him out there again. It's great to see Lake make some new updated memories.
*Thanks for the videos 🏁*
That thing sounded so amazing. The whole story and journey is amazing as well. Congrats on getting her running and hope yall can get it out more! Many more need to see the glory days of nascar again.
You all did a Great JOB ! Pop's and Son were bonding big time; the whole thing was SPECIAL, and as they said, it wouldn't have happened without a guy who loves old Nascar stuff. You made this FORD Fanboy of 62 y.o. Very Happy too. And keep doing a great JOB !!
What engine is Logan putting in her STANG, is it going to be Lake Speed's other engine ?!
Preemptive, ten-minute-in “this totally rules” comment. Lake is such a cool, sweet guy and hat’s off to you to bring this project back into his life. It’s just so touching, all of it, and hearing that motor cut on made the hair on my arms stand up.
Edit: Lake’s face at 22:06 says it all.
Dude, even though your video equipment was on blink, the video turned out AWESOME. And to have a wife who would choose to stay home and work on her Mustang, while disappointing to us we didn’t get to see more of her, is the icing on the cake for you my man. You are one lucky dude.
It's awesome to see Lake out there again. Back in my younger days I was at the Glen every summer watching him and Dale Sr. And Rusty. I could go on with names. Back in the m8ddle eighties I was watching a new driver that all of them said would be the next hottest driver. Robby Moroso. He tragically lost his life after a win on his way home killed by a drunk driver. Hearing Lakes car in this video without the boom tubes brought back all those memories. Thank you Mitchell you have o e of the best channels on youtube!!
Thanks man!
That car looks as fresh as it did back in 1993! I was actually quite surprised to hear that Lake built his own chassis way back then. Pretty much everyone with maybe the exception of Hendrick Motorsports were buying assembled chassis from Banjo, Laughlin, Hutcherson-Pagan or Hopkins then finishing them up in-house. For a smaller budget team to be building their own stuff way back in the late 80s/early 90s, that is pretty hardcore!
Absolutely, fix it and get it out on track again. I love this Resurrection series, thank you for planting the seed. The pure joy on Lake's face is awesome.
Been watching for a while. Mever thought to comment....until you said "test me" the beauty of youtube, amd grassroots creators like yourself, is that to me, it still feels like youre a tv star, and I'm watching you talk to, and about all the racing history that hooked me as a kid. Love the channel, love what you and logan are, and have been doing....amd yes, boom tines forever
Stupid phone.....BOOM TUBES FOREVER
Challenge accepted here I am answering 😂 boom tubes for life 🏁
Have been patiently waiting for this video! Thank you!
This is awesome. You could tell Lake really enjoyed this and to be able to do it with his son.