My name is Rick Blanchard, I'm from Detroit, Michigan, I'll be moving to Tucson, Arizona by mid-year 2001. Just down the road from Tucson International Speedway. A fantastic racing complex. I've been involved with Stock Car Racing in one way or another for almost 40 years. I've driven race cars, built race cars from the ground up, wrenched and maintained them. I've also worked on a pit crew and traveled all over the country and Canada to work on race cars, watch them race in associations like ARCA, USAC, ASA and NASCAR. I'm in my mid fifties and no longer able to work from disabilities. I've always followed racing and needed something to do.
I build and collect little race cars. I'm assembling a collection of small Stock Car replicas called The Legends of NASCAR. The 720 plus car collection is made of 1/64th scale cars
(Approx. 3 1/8th inches long).
I know, why so small?? It is the only way I could afford such a large undertaking and the only way I would have enough space to hold the volume of cars involved in this collection, plus the other 10 smaller collections I have. (i.e.) The Champions of NASCAR, 1948 to 2001, all the Race Cars of A.J. Foyt, Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Ect. Where does a person store a thousand (1,000) cars? It's not hard to have 1,000 1/64th scale cars. 1/24th or 1/18th scale, forget it. The only way for me is small. The only drawback is 1/64th scale is a bit hard to work on at times.
About 70% of my collections are diecast cars I've purchased around the country. The other 30% are cars I make myself. Some cars or racecars were never produced in 1/64th scale. At times all I need to do to replicate a certain racecar is strip off the paint, make certain race car modifications, paint the body and make the decals for it to look like whoever I want. For example, David Pearson's 64 Dodge, #6 owned by Cotton Owens. That race car was never manufactured in 1/64th scale. The only 1964 Dodge ever made in 1/64th was a RCI replica of Bill Golden's Maverick drag car. Very rare and hard to find. I searched the Diecast shows and on the Internet. When I found it, I payed $15.00 to $25.00. Take it apart, strip the paint off, paint and letter the car properly, then I've got David Pearson's legendary 1964 Dodge.
