Actually, there were two Challengers. Larry or the writer might have shortened the story, but here is the whole story.

The Fink Brothers (of SS/DA fame) decided to run a SS/KA Challenger as part of their Rod Shop deal, so a 74 Challenger was purchased and made into a race car, and cosmetic changes were made to convert it to a 73 so they could run the more competitive (not sure that is really true) 340. They only ran the car for a short time (anyone have any photos?), and then gave it up to run the SS/EA 64 Dodge 330.

Dave Boertman then used the car a few times, but liked his 383 Challenger better so the 340 car was put in the back of the shop. When Larry Morgan started racing it, the Rod Shop had really closed most of its racing operations, and Jim Thompson and Bruce Miehls were running the race engine shop building engines for customers. They put Larry in the car as a way of advertising to the local racers that the Rod Shop was still in business building motors for customers.

Larry ran the car for a few years (78, 79 and 80) and won just about every bracket race there was to win in the Ohio area with it. He might also have run it in SS/LA (the rules had changed and the car ran a lower class). In early 81, I ended up getting this car as part of a trade deal I did with the Rod Shop. I raced the car for a couple of years, won just about every bracket race around here for a couple of years (it was a "lucky" car), and then sold it.

Now, here is the story of the second Challenger, the one in your photo. Larry was so heart broken to have lost his ride that he build a second Challenger. He must have called me 20 times asking for photos, part numbers and dimensions on parts of the car so he could duplicate it. Larry built it for Super Pro bracket racing only, as far as I know. I'm pretty sure it never had a SS/LA legal motor in it.

This second Challenger was a great winner, too, and one reason Larry was later tapped on the shoulder to drive the 68 Dart and later the Fiero for the Rod Shop.

So, if you really have the one in the photo with Larry's name on it, you likely have the second car. I have attached a photo of the first Challenger as it arrived from the Rod Shop.

Hope that helps,

Mark