Nostalgia
Pro Stock
Ed Miller 1970 Plymouth Duster
Ed Miller, age 78, searched high and low for the original 1970 Plymouth Duster he raced 4 decades
ago, but couldn’t locate the exact car, so he built a striking replica of the original. Before NHRA
even introduced Pro Stock in 1970, Miller was already racing in AHRA’s Ultra Stock division, of
which he won the championship in 1969. The following year, the Chesapeake, VA resident traveled
all the way to Pomoma, CA to compete in an NHRA National Event. “I had a 1968 Baracuda that
I raced at Pomoma that year because the Duster wasn’t quite finished. It would be the middle
of 1970 before the Duster was ready,” recalled Miller. Currently, Ed enjoys bracket racing his
vintage Plymouth and was thrilled when Nostalgia Pro Stock racing came to the Southeast.
Among the most historically significant cars on the property was Shane Westmoreland’s JOB Chevrolet Beretta.
More than merely a tribute, this former Pro Stocker is the actual car owned and driven by the late Joe Lepone,
Jr. The original build tag is still on the roll cage and signifies that this was the first Beretta that Don Ness ever
built. Lepone actually visited a GM plant and walked down the assembly line pulling door handles and tail lights
off of a production Chevy Beretta just so they could finish building this car in time for an important race. The car
actually made its debut several months before factory Berettas were even available for purchase. This car also
changed the rule books in NHRA Pro Stock, allowing a front wheel drive production car to be used in Pro Stock
for the first time. The Westmoreland family resides in Oak Ridge, NC and have owned this historic car since 1995.
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I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 123
Shane Westmoreland/Joe Lepone, Jr. Chevrolet Beretta