MovieChat Forums > CHiPs (1977) Discussion > Drive, Lady, Drive! part #1

Drive, Lady, Drive! part #1

posted 10 years ago by ronaldt49
4 replies | jump to latest

Anybody notice there were TWO Red and Blue #43 race cars. Difference was easy from the front view. One driven by Lady Driver had four fake headlights. Looked almost like cutout cardboard colored over and stuck on front of vehicle. The other viewed while racing was more realistic view from the front and I think may have been the King himself, Richard Petty, in the car he was racing at the time.

Had they been able to film at Daytona that year they could have viewed the fight between Cale Yarbrough and the Allison Brothers at end of race. Might have livened up the show!!!

[–] Lincbond442 10 years ago

They used lots of stock footage in this episode. Most of the footage was from Riverside International Raceway and Ontario Motor Speedway. Riverside was a 2.8 mile road course while Ontario was a 2.5 mile rectangle oval patterned after Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was called "the big O" and "Indy of the West". Both tracks are sadly gone today thanks in part to Southern California's ever-expanding population.

You are correct about the #43 Petty car. The car with the round headlight covers was used for the episode while the one with the chrome front end is actual footage of the King filmed at Riverside and Ontario. BTW, Petty began racing the red and blue Dodge Charger in 1972 and remained with this body style until the end of the 1977 racing season. I think he last drove the Charger in the first race of the 1978 Winston Cup season at Riverside.

Ontario Motor Speedway is also featured in the Charlie's Angels episode "Angel Come Home" and the George Hamilton film Evil Knievel.

"Don't tell me your little problems son, I'm only interested in results."

[–] MrBuzzcut 10 years ago

Were these two episodes (I haven't seen part 2) fodder for a spin-off with the babe race car driver adopting the little girl under the watchful eye of the magnificent Simon Oakland?

Ponch is hilarious as a social worker.

[–] ilovemyrv 10 years ago

I wondered the same. I love how the lady driver adopted (or planned to adopt?) the little girl and then basically dumped her on her parents.

I will say this though, Tracey Gold as the little girl out-acted everyone that had ever been on CHiPs!

[–] VegasNanny08 10 years ago

I don't think she ever planned on adopting her, she just wanted to keep the girl with her instead of going into foster care. The parents wanting her was a bonus. :)