1964

By 1964, the Smith & Lundy partnership was operating at full throttle.

That season, Earl Smith and Junior Lundy debuted three different 1964 Chevrolet Impalas, each powered by Chevrolet’s legendary 409 engine rated at 425 factory horsepower. It was an ambitious effort that showed just how far the team had come—and how serious they were about winning.

The most famous of the three, and the one forever tied to Earl’s name, was the 1964 Chevrolet Impala Station Wagon. Unlikely, unexpected, and unstoppable, the wagon was factory-built with a 409/425 horsepower engine and a four-speed transmission, classed by NHRA into E/Stock. What looked like a family hauler quickly became a weekly problem for the competition.

Earl drove the wagon with precision and confidence, and the results spoke for themselves. He won race after race, especially at the old Fayetteville Dragstrip, where his dominance became legend. Weekend after weekend, Earl claimed his eliminator so often that the announcer made it part of the show—
“Earl Smith just pulled into the gates… now the question is, who’s going to run second?”

The station wagon became Earl’s most memorable race car, a symbol of creativity, skill, and Chevrolet performance. Decades later, it remains just as important, still owned by the Smith family, carrying its history with pride.

Alongside the wagon, Earl also campaigned two 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS cars. One, finished in white, was trimmed and prepared for Junior Stock, showcasing Earl’s ability to tailor a car precisely to the rulebook. The other, painted red, was transformed into a race car by Earl but sold shortly afterward, moving on to its next chapter once it had been properly sorted.

Together, the three Impalas represented the peak of the Smith & Lundy Drag Racing Team’s power and presence. In 1964, Earl Smith wasn’t just winning races—he was making history, one 409-powered Chevrolet at a time.