NASCAR Exhibit > 1973 Dodge Charger

1973 Dodge Charger

#96 Ray Elder Winston West Car

Ray Elder (1942–2011) was an American stock car racer who competed in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Winston West Series. He participated primarily in west coast races at Riverside International Raceway and Ontario Motor Speedway from 1967–1978. Driving a 1973 Dodge Charger for his father Fred Elder, he won races at Riverside in 1971 and 1972. Elder stated that his achievements were due to Fred, the car owner, his brother Richard as his crew chief, and his “crew” consisting of family and friends.

The #96 Ray Elder 1973 Dodge Charger is one of the most significant NASCAR Winston West race cars of its era.

NASCAR's 1973 Dodge Charger on display at the San Diego Automotive Museum

In the NASCAR Winston West Series, he won 47 races and in the NASCAR Western series championships, he won six times: 1969–1972 and 1974–1975. The cars for NASCAR’s 1973 season featured significant advancements in car design and technology. The cars from that era had a modified frame and chassis and were designed to be more aerodynamic and purpose-built for racing.

Born in Caruthers, CA, Elder grew up on a 240-acre farm, which earned him the nickname “Racing Farmer”. He was inducted into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990 for his high school football career, where he earned All-Star honors. Among his many awards, Elder was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in its first class in 2002, the Motorsports Press Hall of Fame and the Clovis Motorsports Hall of Fame.