Author Topic: Any circle track racers on here?  (Read 10208 times)

Offline brads70

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Any circle track racers on here?
« on: November 02, 2010 - 10:50:44 PM »
I seem to be drastically outnumbered by drag racers! :bigsmile:
Brad
1970 Challenger 451stroker/4L60 auto OD
Barrie,Ontario,Canada
Proud to own one of the best cars ever made!!!!!

My restoration thread 
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=59072.0
 My handling upgrade post
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=73985.0




Offline Moparal

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #1 on: November 02, 2010 - 11:02:26 PM »
I got a nascar dodge charger front nose clip hangin on my wall, and some slicks off a circle car :swaying:

Offline HP2

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2010 - 08:58:10 AM »
I used to be. Went through two different iterations of it, once in the early 80s, then again in the early 90s. Went drag racing after both stints, but ended up quitting that too. Oval track racing with laps allows you time to recover from mishaps. At the drags, you goof up a little bit, even .01 seconds of a goof, and your day is over. That's too precise for a casual racer like me and I got tired of being first round fodder for guys who race 2-3 times a week. I'm eyeballing autocross and open track days now.

On the ovals I used mopars exclusively in the 80s, but cars were cheap and plentiful then. In the 90s converted to chevys for a while, then used Ford stuff. Ran everything from stock chassis V8 cars, to mini-stocks, and modifieds. I did help out a some mopar guys along the way, so my heart was in the right place even though I was using the competitors iron. Running Fords and Chevys did give me a unique perspective on some things realtive to the mopar camp that I didn't know previously.

Offline brads70

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2010 - 07:02:05 PM »
HP2
Do you have any pictures of your cars?  :picture: :grinyes:
Brad
1970 Challenger 451stroker/4L60 auto OD
Barrie,Ontario,Canada
Proud to own one of the best cars ever made!!!!!

My restoration thread 
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=59072.0
 My handling upgrade post
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=73985.0

Offline BIGSHCLUNK

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2010 - 07:27:39 PM »
Brad, I've sponsored a late model circle jerk for years!! But I like NHRA too!  :bigsmile:
70 Chally R/T Convertible- Yes she's really got a HEMI, no she's not a Charger!
                                             [o o o o]
                                                  OO
                                                  OO 
                                              [o o o o]
https://www.aanddtruckautoparts.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-D-Truck-and-Auto-Parts/67427352555?ref=hl

Offline brads70

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2010 - 08:54:20 PM »
Brad, I've sponsored a late model circle jerk for years!! But I like NHRA too!  :bigsmile:

COOL! :clapping:  Got a picture of the car? What track?
Brad
1970 Challenger 451stroker/4L60 auto OD
Barrie,Ontario,Canada
Proud to own one of the best cars ever made!!!!!

My restoration thread 
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=59072.0
 My handling upgrade post
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=73985.0

Offline BIGSHCLUNK

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2010 - 11:27:42 PM »
No pic on this computer, sorry. Currently running at Jefferson, used to run Lake Geneva (closer to home) but that land got to be worth more than the track so they closed it. Now its a subdivision.  :swear:

Got a few pics stuck on the fridge tho...
70 Chally R/T Convertible- Yes she's really got a HEMI, no she's not a Charger!
                                             [o o o o]
                                                  OO
                                                  OO 
                                              [o o o o]
https://www.aanddtruckautoparts.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-D-Truck-and-Auto-Parts/67427352555?ref=hl

Offline HP2

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2010 - 03:57:54 PM »
HP2
Do you have any pictures of your cars?  :picture: :grinyes:

Yup, I'll post up some time.

« Last Edit: April 14, 2011 - 09:35:56 PM by HP2 »

Offline HP2

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2011 - 09:36:11 PM »
The first car I built, '71 Satellite. Picked it up for a hundred bucks. It had t-boned a tree and the owner couldn't get the hood open. It was slant six that that becoup  miles on it. I ran it the first night out and put a rod through the block. Only way I knew it happened was the sudden and drastic power loss, but the sucker still ran. It was swapped for a 318. I never knew they actually paid racers. I thought you raced for the fun of it and the benefit was the trophies. Imagine my surprise the third week in when I signed in at the gate and they handed me a check. I don't recall much about my finishes, some night were good, some weren't. It was loads of fun though. By the end of the year, the car was trashed and was scrapped.



This one I picked up the next year. I decided the 71-72 models made the best oval track cars because of the extremely large bumpers, that is how abundant these cars were at the time. Because of class rules, A and E bodies were not options, so it was limited to B and C bodies. This was a Satellite Sebring with a 383. Found it at a tow comapnies impound lot. $300 later it was m ine. Learned a lot more about them from the previous year so this one I started experimenting with t-bars, brakes and geometry. Won a most improved driver award, made more money, had more fun, had more frustration. Didn't know it would be my last year driving  for a long time. Ended up selling the car at the end of the season. Was in much better condition that the previous car.


It was 8 years before I got back in it again. Couple guys I worked with knew I used to drive, so I was asked to team up with them. By this time, mopar prices were in the range of stupid, so a home built car was out of the question. Sparks Bros Racing in Long island was reproducing the kit car, so we investigated that as an option, but it was still 3x what it would cost to run a chevy. So we decided to forgo brand allegiance and went with the cheap and easy GM solution.  We initially shared driving duties until my partner put it in to the wall and his wife freaked. She bought him a new sports car to walk away, so after a month, I was the sole driver. Jumping in to the GM camp was a whole new experience. Won rookie of the year award with this car.


The next year we updated the chassis from a Pontiac to a Chevy. Continued to refine the geometry and continued to improve standings, right up until the middle of the season when I got spun while leading the main and got hit head on by seven  other cars.  Needless to say, that ended the useful life of this chassis. We had a back up in the garage that we were prepping but we decided to forgo returning to the carnage of street stock and step up to sportsman. We never made because a promotion at work killed the time I had to dedicate to the car. I spent the next couple of years as a hired driver for a team. I mostly drove Ford products for them, first in the mini stock class, then in the IMCA modifieds. Talk about a power to weight change, but they were a gas. They never had the funds to run a full season so things kind of petered out after a couple of years. Then I went back to drag racing. But that's in another topic.

Offline brads70

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2011 - 10:08:29 PM »
Cool stuff! :cooldancing: I love old stock cars!....when they were actually "stock cars" :2thumbs:
 A buddy just bought an old Cuda street stock style car. It's just a chassis with a roof. It looks very similiar to a kit car. Looks like someone tried to copy one. He is going to hang a new Challenger body on it. Should be a fun project!
« Last Edit: April 14, 2011 - 10:11:44 PM by brads70 »
Brad
1970 Challenger 451stroker/4L60 auto OD
Barrie,Ontario,Canada
Proud to own one of the best cars ever made!!!!!

My restoration thread 
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=59072.0
 My handling upgrade post
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=73985.0

Offline The Cuda Guy

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #10 on: May 03, 2011 - 11:26:10 PM »
what were the engine size limits back then?  Could you run that 383 or was it limited to 360 CID and below?

Don
The Cuda Guy Project is on going!

Member Since January 14, 2002

Offline HP2

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #11 on: May 04, 2011 - 09:51:41 AM »
The class I ran in the '80s was pretty wide open. Any factory offered engine was allowed, so yes I ran the 383. The fast cars in that class were using 454, 455, and 429s. The 383 held its own pretty well down the straights, but iIwas young and not as into the suspension aspect of it then, so I was never a consistent front runner. 

In the 90s things had changed enough that there were cubic inch and weight  limits of no more than 370 cid  at 3200# or 3500#  for engines 383 and bigger. On top of that, I was running in claimer class with a $500 buy out on engines, so nobody really spent a whole lot of money on them.

Offline Super Blue 72

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #12 on: May 04, 2011 - 10:23:08 AM »
Found this pic, thought you might be interested...'74 Challenger



Lots more pics here: http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/circle-track/599185-random-circle-track-car-pics-post-em-up.html

Dodge Aspen circle track car....not finished project.


Another Challenger circle track car, notice the front air dam.  Was a 318 car, no options.






"Wisconsin racer Bobby Wilberg hand built an '09 Dodge Challenger using front end parts from a local dealership and a roof from an early '70s car salvaged from the junkyard. He races at Madison International Raceway in the Area Sportsman class where he reports that the Challenger is easily the most popular car at the track."
1972 Dodge Challenger Rallye 340, AT, Code TB3=Super Blue, SBD=8/17/1971.  Yes, a Rallye without the fender louvers from the factory because of the body side molding option.

Pic #2 and 3 of my ARII 1/24 scale model car 

Phil in New England-Massachusetts  Always thank God for what you have!

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/456046/1972-dodge-challenger

Offline brads70

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #13 on: May 04, 2011 - 05:40:44 PM »
Cool pictures! I'll pass them along to my buddy that's building a new Challenger stock car using a Cuda chassis that was a stock car before he bought it. It's pretty cool, close to a Chrysler kit car. It's stripped down to the roll cage/chassis now with just a roof on it.
Brad
1970 Challenger 451stroker/4L60 auto OD
Barrie,Ontario,Canada
Proud to own one of the best cars ever made!!!!!

My restoration thread 
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=59072.0
 My handling upgrade post
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=73985.0

Offline BIGSHCLUNK

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Re: Any circle track racers on here?
« Reply #14 on: May 06, 2011 - 09:24:29 PM »
We were gonna buy tires this week. (things are off to a slow start RAIN RAIN RAIN) Now the owner/driver mother in law is dying... his wifes taking it pretty hard.
70 Chally R/T Convertible- Yes she's really got a HEMI, no she's not a Charger!
                                             [o o o o]
                                                  OO
                                                  OO 
                                              [o o o o]
https://www.aanddtruckautoparts.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-D-Truck-and-Auto-Parts/67427352555?ref=hl