Powering the
Pursuit of Speed
Sox & Martin were a well-known drag racing duo in the 1960s, competing in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and other major drag racing events.
From his humble roots as a young man from North Carolina, Buddy Martin would change drag racing forever. His love of cars and trains began when 16 years old. While in high school, Buddy worked at the local textile mills in Burlington, North Carolina. After graduating, Buddy worked for the Norfolk and Western Railroad Company running various stations that handled freight and passengers. By saving his money, Buddy purchased a 1958 Corvette and began racing it at his local drag strip. His love of racing and all that went along with it only fueled his desire to make it his career.
His journey to becoming a legendary team owner began when he met another young drag racer who had almost robotic driving skills when powershifting down the quarter mile, Ronnie Sox. It was at this moment that Buddy formed a long-lasting friendship with Ronnie and the two became racing partners for over a decade. Since Buddy left the driving chores to Ronnie, he could focus on procuring sponsorships to grow his newly formed Sox & Marin Racing Team. While campaigning a 1963 Chevrolet Z-11 427 Biscayne with Ronnie Sox driving, Buddy heard rumblings that General Motors was pulling the plug on all racing activity for 1964. Being proactive, Buddy contacted Ford and had a deal the race a Mercury Comet A/FX race car in 1964. It was Buddy’s marketing skills and business acumen that brought in support from a major manufacturer along with key marketing partners.
It wasn’t long until Detroit automaker, Chrysler Corporation, took notice of the success the Sox & Martin race team was having on the drag strip. Chrysler was looking to enhance the image of their Plymouth division and make it more appealing to younger buyers. Sox & Martin’s spit and polish image and professionalism were exactly what Chrysler was looking for. Buddy negotiated a lucrative long-term sponsorship with Chrysler/Plymouth for the 1965 season that would last until the late 1970s.
Buddy also knew he’d need to deliver wins on the track and took the operation from a tiny two-bay gas station to a dedicated race shop with state-of-the-art fabrication and machining equipment that could build anything from engines to complete race cars. Buddy also hired top-notch mechanics like Jake King and made sure each team member had a clean appearance and was polite and respectful to fans.
Once Plymouth was onboard, Sox & Martin was asked by Chrysler to implement the Plymouth Supercars Program in 1967. This traveling road show with race cars, performance parts, tech seminars, and driving tips, crisscrossed the country setting up at Chrysler Plymouth dealerships. At the time, it was a revolutionary marketing innovation that connected the brand to young car buyers and racing enthusiasts. Buddy also used these tools and became a trailblazer in promoting his team and leveraging his sponsors for even more national exposure.
As drag racing evolved during the start of the 1970s, Buddy led the charge to create the new NHRA heads-up class, Pro Stock. Without Buddy and a few other hardcore racers, Pro Stock probably would not have been created. When Plymouth wanted the Sox & Martin team to run multiple cars, Buddy hired Herb McCandless, a relatively unknown driver at the national level, yet Herb could cut a light and handle a four-speed with the best of them. The Sox & Martin fleet of red, white, and blue HEMI-powered Plymouths crisscrossed the country winning races and setting records for fans everywhere.
By the early 1980s, the Sox & Martin team dissolved, and Buddy Martin retired from the grueling life of constant travel and spent more time at home with his family. Never one to walk away from the sport of drag racing, Buddy dabbled in the NHRA Pro Stock Truck class in the 1990s and once again with Pro Stock cars in 2007 with a Dodge Stratus. Today, Buddy Martin is still working at his car lot and attends many Mopar Car shows throughout the country.
Powering the