Mose Nowland:  Just before Christmas in 1986 I got a request from Ernie Elliott for some cylinder heads.  Ernie, as you know, was Bill Elliott's brother who built the engines that carried Bill to a significant amount of wins in that era.  I got a call about December 23rd and Ernie, who's always doing something different and special to the engines, says "Mose, I need three sets of heads as quick as I can get 'em, and can you do it before you go on Christmas break?" 

 

Ford Racing: He wanted them before Christmas?

 

MN:  We needed to get them machined and shipped out fast.  Anyway, I said "Ernie, I don’t know how soon I can get them done, what do you want?"  He said, "I want to change the machining of the current head.  I know you have castings there so do you think you can rip off a couple sets?"  I told him I'd try.

 

FR:  You thought you were about to have a few days off.

 

MN:  What I was about to do is what sort of happens often during the off-season (of NASCAR), the fury of building and making changes for Daytona in February.  It's 24-7, that's what happens during this time of year.  So here in Plymouth, Mich., we had this small company called Galaxy and they machined our heads.  So I went to Bob, the owner, and said I got a request.  I told him I understand what time of year it is but is there any way to get it done.  He said he didn't know if they could do it because his guys break off at noon on December 24th and have their Christmas party.  That was back when the economy was good and people enjoyed the holiday.  I told him to let me know.

 

FR:  I bet that was a long drive back to Dearborn.

 

MN:  It sure was.  By the time I got back to Dearborn, Bob had left me a message that said he left the decision up to the senior leader of the machine shop.  He'll need to talk his guys into doing it.  Shortly after that, I got a call from the senior leader, I forget his name at the moment, and he tells me the guys want to know what's in it for them if they get this job done!  So I said to him that old Mose has nothing to offer, but I asked what it would take. He said, "You know, we have our party tomorrow and the company buys the food but they won't buy the beer."  (laughing loudly) So I said, "Are you saying for a few cases of beer they might consider it?"  He said, "Yep, you get my drift."  So I told him to let me think about this one.

 

FR:  That sounds like a pretty big price to pay.  That's a lot of beer.

 

MN:  I knew I wasn't going be buying the beer, so I got to thinking that Bill's sponsor was – Coors Beer.  So I called Bill and told him I think we can get the heads the day after Christmas, but it's going to cost you some beer.  He said that was no problem, he would call Coors and they'll find a local distributor to help. So he calls back three hours later and he says, "Mose, we can spare 15 cases of beer but you have to go get it."  I thought ok, that I can do.  I got an address locally and I took the van to get it.

 

FR: Problem solved.

 

MN:  Not completely.  When I got there, there were the 15 cases sitting on the loading dock.  I went to get it and the guy says, "Wait a minute, somebody's got to pay for the deposit on the cans."  I'm thinking oh great, how much is that gonna cost me?  In my head I'm figuring the 15 cases x 24 cans each x 10 cents each, what's that going to be? So I gave him my credit card and paid the $36.  So now I got the beer and I started to do more math in my head.  They asked for 10 cases, they gave me 15 cases, and I'm thinking there's no way Ford is going to let me put deposit for 15 cases of beer cans on my expense report (insert lots of laughing here).  That won't fly.

 

FR:  So?

 

MN:  So, there's four cases of beer that never made it to the party!  (even more laughing!)  Anyway, they got their beer.  They worked late that night, came in early the next morning on Christmas eve and they got out the three sets of heads.  The day after Christmas I went to them, got the heads, went straight to Delta freight and shipped them off to Dawsonville, Georgia.  Turns out those would be the heads they would use for the Daytona 1987 race.  That year, Bill Elliott set a new track record in qualifying of 210.364 mph.  They told me those were the heads they used.  That qualifying record still stands today, and should stand because of restrictor plates. That would be the last Daytona race they ran without a restrictor plate.  Even the new fuel injection will have a restrictor plate.

That’s my story.