Learning The Trade

Mike Head's same "seasoned" Corvair. He would sell the car to Ronnie Johnson, son of racing legend Joe Lee Johnson. Ronnie also rose through the rans, and later sold the car back to Mike.

Mike Head learned much about racing mechanics by hanging around racing hall of famer Harvey Jones shop in Atlanta off Murphy Avenue. Jones had been building championship cars since the forties.

“There at Jones Garage, Harvey was very instrumental to my racing,” Head said.  “We still didn’t know anything about motors or really anything about race cars. Harvey was a master mechanic and built the motors I used in my early race cars. He is a legend. Everybody came through his shop – T. C. Hunt, Russell Nelson, Shorty Tanner – all those guys were in and out of his shop. We would just hang out to listen to what they had to say.

“Over the years I won several championships at Senoia and a couple at West Atlanta (Seven Flags) Raceway. I have fond memories of that track also. After Ed Massey got that track, I raced there almost every week. I was wild and crazy in those days, and would get booed or whatever out there, but Ole Ed would just wipe his hand across his face and tell me, ‘You let them boo you or spit at your or whatever. But when you come through those gates there (as he would point to the pit gates), you are coming for the money.

“Early on I had a Chevy Corvair built on a 1955 Chevrolet frame. We were running in B Class Sportsman. Since we were winning, they outlawed it because we didn’t use a rear engine as from the factory. We switched to a Vega but our wheelbase was too short for their rulebooks. After that we just went to the Camaro. We sold our Corvair to Joe Lee Johnson for Ronnie to drive. I have built most of my cars but Roscoe Smith built a few. He had much influence on my racing. I use to be down at his shop and watched his son Clint get off the school bus – now I race against Clint!”