The Chrysler 300 B Introduces the 300M At Daytona
By Russ Truelove





In 1998, during the time of the introduction of the 300M, the advertising division of Chrysler Corporation was looking for the Kiekhaefer 300B Race Car that was still around. Bob Valpey was the owner at that time. They contacted Bob and requested their use of the 300B at various shows around the country. Bob and I have been good friends for years. He did not want to get involved with any transactions concerning the use of the car. He authorized me to handle whatever negotiations that may be involved.
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The shows under consideration were the Barrett Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida, the Chrysler Wine Country Show in Sonoma California, the Monterey Historic Races Monterey California, and the Chrysler Thunder Historic Road Races in Tustin California.

We reached an agreement to have the car at these events and I would be attending with the car. The events were a success and I enjoyed myself, meeting many members of the Chrysler 300 group such as Charles Angel of Florida.

In 1999 Chrysler again contacted me and wanted to use the car for some filming at Daytona on the sand. At that time Jack Boxstrom, a previous owner, had borrowed the car for a show over in England. The car was on a ship on the way back, due into New York Harbor in a few days. I arranged to have the car picked up at the pier after customs, and a car transporter to ship the car down to Daytona.

The destination was to be at friend of mine Pete Harris, home located next to the Daytona Speedway. Arrangements were made with the Chrysler ad group on a given date, noon at the Hilton Hotel on the Beach where they had arranged to do the filming. In the interim Pete and I had to have a tire from the car fixed at a garage. No problem as Pete knew everyone in town. When he told the garage fellow the wheel/tire came from "the famous 300B", it was like he was working on gold!
Pete and I drove the 300B over to the Hilton on the agreed time/date and waited. At noon Sheila Karabees of Ross Ray Communications arrived. She announced that everything had to be called off. Buck Baker, who was to drive the 300B was in the hospital. Everything was doom and gloom.
With that I said to Sheila. "I can put something together in a hurry, with other people who were involved with the Kiekhaefer Race Team in the 50's. Ray Fox, the chief mechanic for the car and NASCAR Mechanic of the year in 1956. Also Vicki Wood who drove the 300 in time trails for Kiekhaefer and holds the speed record for women on the Beach".


In no time I had the two of them on the phone and arrangements made to do the filming the next morning. This saved the day for the show to go on as intended. Shelia was so thankful for our action she said I would be included in the story.

Pete knew the people at the Chrysler dealership and arranged to have a 300M in the right color available.



We completed shooting in the morning to everyone's satisfaction. I then took Shelia over to the NASCAR archives so she could get some pictures from their files to help in the layout of her story.

And that's the rest of the story on how I got into the Chrysler pamphlet, which you can see below.

All the Best, Russ


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