[Dr. Eric M. Schiffer]

A 1963 article by Roger Huntington about Royal Pontiac.

In the article it mention the 1959 Royal car was not ready. The fact was the '59 Royal car was at the track and was to be driven by Bill Sidwell. Bill asked Jim Wangers if it was alright to take the car out side the fence and show his friends how the car ran. Jim said "NO".

Jim Wangers was up in the tower when some one cameto get him and said the Royal car had been involved in an accident. Jim looke down into the pits and sure enough the Royal car was not there. Bill had gotten into an accident and damaged the Royal car.

Jim wanted have Royal win the very first National to be held at the new Detroit Dragway that he was so instumental in puting together. He helped the Kohn family build the track, then got the NHRA to have the 1959 Nationals to Detroit.

Sidwell was fired and Jim put an even better team together for the 1960 Nationals at Detroit Dragway. Coming with four Royal sponsored cars. Frank Redicker driving the 1959, Jim Wangers driving the winning red 3 speed 1960, Win Brown the white automatic 1960 and Pete Seaton's sceond place blue 3 speed 1960.

There is a picture on the internet that shows four cars across at Detroit Dragway. Tower line a '61 Pontiac with shoe polish on the front fender BILL SIDWELL, next lane Jim Wanger sin the '62 Royal Race car, third lane 61 Ford driven by Norm Ruby and close lane a '62 409 Chevy, I keep forgetting the guys name. Bill Sidwell took the win.

There is another picture of Sidwell '61 with from the drivers side taking on and beating a '62 Chevy 409 driven by Dave Strickler. On the rear quarter panel of Bill's '61 written in shoe polish it say's "LEGAL STOCKER". Keith Wilson a local Detorit Pontiac guy put the shoe polish on Bill's cars. Bill had been torn down and they found nothing wrong.