Wiley Cossey

[Paul Ceasrine]

Wiley Cossey

A 'Plymouth Factory-backed' Super Stock 'west coast' drag racer 1967 thru 1969.

Sponsored by; Casler Tires, and Southern California Hooker Headers.

April 11, 1968 - Plymouth announced that Wiley Cossey would be acing a 1968 Hmei Barracuda
in NHRA SS/B Class, and that the California resident would be one of '10' other factory-sponsored
Plymouth Barracuda drag racers who would be holding 'Performance Clinics' thoughout 1968 and
1969.

Here at OCIR, California in mid-1968

SS/B Record at the time...........10.72.

[Paul Ceasrine]

By August 1968,

Wiley Cossey had won '4' Super Stock Eliminator Events in California
with his new '68 SS/B Hemi Barracuda.

Including;

AHRA Points Meet at Freemont Dragstrip
(June 29)

AHRA Super Stock Nationals at Freemont Dragstrip.
(August 2, 3 and 4)

Wiley Cossey ran a 10.73 @ 132.34 MPH in the Finals, knocking off
another 68' Super Stock Hemi car, that of Harry Holton in the 68' Dart
'Hemi Countdown'.



.

[Paul Ceasrine]

Sunday, September 1, 1968

NHRA Indy Nationals

Wiley Cossey captured the SS/B Class Trophy, when his opponent
Ronnie Sox 'Red-Lighted' and left too early on the starting line.

The Pomona, California Drag Racer took an easy Sunday Drive, as
he 'cruised' to the finish line with his 1968 Hemi Barracuda with an
Elapsed Time of {12.30}.

The winning time should not reflect what Wiley Cossey had run previously,
as he ran consistent {10.70's} with his car on both Saturday and Sunday.

Wiley now qualifies as the #1 Super Stock Entrant for the Eliminator
Event to be held on Monday with 32 other Super Stock cars.

Ronnie Sox in the 'Sox & Martin' 68' Hemi Barracuda had previously run
the Low E.T in the SS/B Class at {10.46}, but it appeared that Ronnie
purposely fouled, allowing Wiley Cossey to win the Class.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...luaU62_xUfc6Qg

[mopar68]

Cudas are nice but B-bodies are more my style.

M68

[Paul Ceasrine]

Wiley Cossey was 'very' successful with is 67' 'RO' 426 Hemi Belvedere.

1967 ... SS/B
1968 ... SS/D
1969 ... SS/E

In January 1968 - Wiley won a 'Big $$' Super Stock Eliminator Event at
Freemont Dragstrip in Northern California.

Participants,
* Dick Landy.............68' SS/D.......426 Hemi Dodge Charger
* Harry Holton...........67' SS/D........426 Hemi Plymouth RO Belvedere
* Shirley Shahan......67' SS/DA.... 426 Hemi Plymouth RO Belvedere
* Ed Terry.................68' SS/E....... 428 Ford Cobra-Jet Mustang
* Bill Ireland..............68' SS/E........428 Ford Cobra-Jet Mustang
* Betty Walker..........65' SS/E....... 396 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS396
* Carol Wray............64' SS/DA.....426 Max-Wedge Dodge #330

[DeuceCoupe]

Hey all, I wish Paul were here but perhaps one of you has the answer to this. I'm trying to find out what Wiley Cossey drove BEFORE he switched to Mopar. I have:
* 1966: 1966 Biscayne L72 in W/P=8.70 class
* 1964-65: 1959 El Camino 348/315-6v in W/P=11.90 class
* 1962:
This is the mystery. The old sheets show Cossey with wins & records in the W/P=11.90 class, driving a "1962 Chevy". I figure if true, that had to be a 1962 Impala 4ds with W/P=11.93 and an overrated 327/300 under the hood. That combo doesn't seem very competitive, especially before cheater/fat cams.


I'd figure maybe it was a typo and his 1962 Indy winner & record holder was really the same 1959 El Camino, but it's pretty hard to confuse those cars, and it says "62 Chevy" on 3 different sheets.


Did Cossey really run a 1962 Impala 4ds, 327/300 back in 1962?

[dc1320Fan]

I can help some with Wiley after 1969 with the Mopars but I did not know him well prior to that. We both raced in division 7 but in different eliminators.
I know he raced earlier in Junior Stock and had a brother named Bill that also raced. Anything he raced was a stick shift and he was a good driver and seldom broke anything. His cars were always successful. He worked for Bill Casler in the tire division and later for Hooker Headers for many years.
I hope some older division 7 racers can help out here.

[dc1320Fan]

Found this old National Dragster article by long time journalist/artist John Jodauga now retired but I believe it just covers what you already know.

[dc1320Fan]

Originally Posted by DeuceCoupe

Hey all, I wish Paul were here but perhaps one of you has the answer to this. I'm trying to find out what Wiley Cossey drove BEFORE he switched to Mopar. I have:
* 1966: 1966 Biscayne L72 in W/P=8.70 class
* 1964-65: 1959 El Camino 348/315-6v in W/P=11.90 class
* 1962:
This is the mystery. The old sheets show Cossey with wins & records in the W/P=11.90 class, driving a "1962 Chevy". I figure if true, that had to be a 1962 Impala 4ds with W/P=11.93 and an overrated 327/300 under the hood. That combo doesn't seem very competitive, especially before cheater/fat cams.


I'd figure maybe it was a typo and his 1962 Indy winner & record holder was really the same 1959 El Camino, but it's pretty hard to confuse those cars, and it says "62 Chevy" on 3 different sheets.


Did Cossey really run a 1962 Impala 4ds, 327/300 back in 1962?

There is a photo in the Petersen Archive site ID872756 at Pomona 1962 with an E/S 1961 Impala 250hp, owner Flanagan, sponsor Airline Auto Sales.

[DeuceCoupe]

Originally Posted by dc1320Fan

There is a photo in the Petersen Archive site ID872756 at Pomona 1962 with an E/S 1961 Impala 250hp, owner Flanagan, sponsor Airline Auto Sales.

Thanks well that answers a couple questions -


I didn't know Bill Cossey & Wiley Cossey were different people!


And the 1961 Impala, I had guessed a Belair 2-door 348/250 but maybe an Impala 348/250 fits as well, that firms that one up a bit.


The big mystery is Cossey's 1962 Chev, wins at Pomona and Indy, both ends of national record, all in 1962, C/S=11.90 class. My guess is a 4-door 327/300 but as I said just a guess.