Hot Rod Blues, Episode 10, Stories from Preston Davis

Episode 10 - The Great Speckled Bird  with HoF Drag Racer, Preston Davis  
On this episode of the Hot Rod Blues Podcast, the guys take the show on the road again to visit Art & Speed Classic Car Gallery in Collierville, Tennessee, to visit with 2016 Drag Racing Hall of Fame inductee, NHRA Division 2 Champion, NSRL driver, Memphis Rodder, and racing legend, Preston Davis. Art & Speed has three of the cars that he piloted for Raymond Godman on consignment, so it made a perfect setting to interview Preston about his years as the driver of the Bo Weevil nitro fuelers back in the day. 
We start off with him describing the first Bo Weevil that he restored in the early-2000s for Godman. The car is significant drag racing history as it was the first car to make an official pass down the track at Indy. The car is restored to the specs as it was when driven back then.  
Mike asks him about a story he heard about him having to push a car over the finish line in Louisiana to win. He said he had to push a car twice to win! Once in the dragster and once in the Funny Car; It’s a hell of a story that he spins of running the nationals and Tulsa in the same weekend after they got their first Crowerglide clutch. He was racing Don Prudhomme who broke on the line. Preston had a single, but the rearend broke 200ft out and he had to push the car to the finish line. 
Shawn asks him about how he got into cars. Preston goes on to tell them about his exploits as a teenager sneaking his parents ‘47 Nash out of the driveway. He got caught racing on the street one time with his mom’s ‘58 Belair and went to juvenile detention. His dad was not too happy. Shawn then asks him how he started driving the Bo Weevil. Preston used to race a ‘50 Mercury with a Chevy engine in it that he used to race. Then, he got a ‘51 Merc with a 327 Chevy in it and was the terror of Summer Avenue. He started driving the Bo Weevil at George Ray’s Wildcat Drag Strip in Paragould, Arkansas, when Joe Monday who owned it at the time asked him to drive it after the original driver, Hugh Walker, got drafted. 
Javi asks about his friend and crew chief, Ray Godman’s street rod. Ray was a paraplegic and drove the car with a cable attached to a dog collar. Preston changes the story to the story of selling the cars sitting there in the showroom and the conversation with Ray about handling getting them sold as a package deal. Mike asks him what the most trouble was he got into while traveling. He tells the story of having to drive to Houma after being up all night thrashing on the car. He had to make a run on alcohol to qualify in time. He qualified 16th (last) at 9.00 seconds, then proceeded to run the fastest E.T. on the first elimination run with 7.01. After they got down to four cars, it started raining, so they split the money. Preston was worn out and Raymond had to drive to the next race in Pheonix City, Alabama. 
 Preston’s next story was about his forced retirement from drag racing because of his age. His doctor wouldn’t clear him for his NHRA physical because of his age, so in 2020, he hung up his racing gloves. He would race again tomorrow if he could, his passion is palpable for the sport of drag racing and it’s easy to see. We wrap with a story of Raymond being shot in Korea and their relationship. They had an on-again/off-again relationship but he loved Raymond like a brother and they were friends until Ray passed away a few years ago.


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