In 1969, you could hardly pick up a drag-racing magazine without spotting a picture of Sam Auxier Jr.‘s ‘69 Mustang. Based in Maryland, Sam and his red, white, and blue fastback match-raced all over the northeast, taking on big names in drag racing like Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, Ronnie Sox, and Al Joniec. Also a competitor in the UDRA’s Ultra Stock class, where it earned Cars magazine’s title as “Ultimate Ultra Stocker,” Sam’s Mustang was a pre-cursor to what eventually became Pro Stock.
Sam stayed plenty busy throughout 1969 with his 427 Mustang, competing in UDRA, AHRA, and NASCAR (yes, it sanctioned drag racing in the 1960s) events and match-racing against other name drivers across the country.
He garnered plenty of magazine coverage by winning titles at events staged by Super Stock and Cars magazines. He is especially proud of the fact that he beat Ronnie Sox at the ‘69 Cars championships, then defeated Grumpy Jenkins in the finals for the second year in a row. Even Hot Rod magazine took notice and featured Sam’s Mustang in the August ‘69 issue.
In racing, there’s nothing more worthless than last year’s race car, so Sam sold his ‘69 Mustang in November 1969 and moved on to the Pro Stock ranks with a ‘70 Maverick and, later, a ‘71 Mustang fastback.
Recently, Todd Claxton, whose father had worked on the ‘69 with Sam, found the Mustang in a Frederick, Maryland, garage where it had been sitting for nearly ten years. He listed it for sale on eBay.
Sam was there, of course, dressed in his matching red, white, and blue team shirt and standing proudly for photos with the Mustang he describes as “probably the most successful car I ever raced. It was definitely in more magazines.”
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