World Record by Michael Irvine

By 1969 the horsepower wars between the Big Three were in full swing. And nowhere was that more evident than at the superspeedway. It was a great time for Nascar fans as the boundaries of maximum aerodynamics were tested by the new 1969 Dodge Daytona Charger. Sporting a pointed nose cone and a rear spoiler referred to as a wing, the Hemi powered Daytona reached new speeds never before seen on the track. Racing at speeds that pushed the tire's capabilities to the limit was risky to say the least. It took a special kind of person to take on that challenge - Bobby Isaac was one of those people. With 11 victories and 20 poll positions in 1969, as well as winning the 1970 Grand National title, Isaac proved that with the right car, the right crew and the right driver, new records could be set.

By the end of the 1970 season, Nascar's edited rules made it impossible for wings cars to compete on the track, resulting in Isaac and the #71 only competing a few times in 1971. The full potential of the Daytona was clearly known by both Bobby Isaac and the K & K Insurance team and in 1971 they would show the world.

Over a period of four days on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats, Bobby Isaac and his crew; Harry Hyde, Robert Gee, Harland Cox, Larry Ragan, Buddy Parrott, Harry Lee Hyde, Tommy Johnson, Kenneth Trout, and Ray Fox Jr. would push the envelope in attempting to break records. With Isaac behind the wheel, they would earn a total of 28 of those records, including the measured 100-mile record on a ten-mile oval flat track, the fastest flying mile (the average speed of a vehicle across two rolling-start runs of a mile) and 182.174 mph in the standing start 10-mile trap.

In this brilliantly vibrant painting, Michael pays tribute to a significant event in automotive history. On this mid-September day in 1971, Bobby Isaac pilots the 1969 stock body Charger, with a naturally aspirated 426 c.i. Hemi, as USAC official Joe Petrali clocks his speed at 216.945 mph. A new 'world record'.

"Ford has definitely kept the muscle car alive with it's continuous production of the Mustang. With the recent retro styling by the Big 3, we've seen some impressive examples of modern muscle. I started this series with the 2010 and 1969 Camaros. I planned on doing a painting featuring the Shelby, but didn't really know what direction to take it. When the Hellcat was released, the mirage idea came to me right away. So, I had the Camaros on a rain slicked road, the Challengers in the desert with a mirage acting as a reflection, it seemed logical that my next 'mirrored' surface would be black ice! And what better cars to hug the curves and handle the slippery slopes than the 'kings of the road', the classic and modern Shelby GT500KR" - MICHAEL IRVINE

Print Size: 27" x 18" image on 32" x 24" museum quality stock, Edition Size: 800, S/N Price: $170