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SHORT TRACK MODELS by Ontario's Bill Bruins Glen Box's 1938 Dodge Modified

decals by BULLRING GRAPHIX!

Running the ¼ mile dirt oval was not the easiest on the rookie team, and several spectacular crashes, one of which saw the car completely airborne, another knocking down a concrete wall, were endured. The team persevered, and always managed to have the car ready for the next race. There were successes as well, with some heat wins, and a respectable enough standing to win Rookie of the Year, and be voted one of Brockville’s athletes of the year.

Over the winter, the car was refined, with new carburetion for the Ford 289, a quick-change rear end, and improved graphics. After Glen’s aerobatics, the team was dubbed “The Flying 48” and Snoopy was enlisted as the team mascot. More success and disasters at the track led to the team placing 8th in the final standings. That year, they also brought home the “Best Appearing Car and Crew” honours.

More improvements over the winter and even more success at the track in 1973 raised the team to 4th place at the end of the season. After racing at other tracks in Kingston and Cornwall, the dream came to an end as money and interest ran out.

The kit started as a 1937 Chevy Ritchie Evans Modified. Slight modifications to the body included flattening and shortening the rear deck and adding small skirts over the rear wheels. The hood was also trimmed to fit. Small mesh screening used on the windshield and rad.

The chassis required much more extensive work. First, the frame was shortened; removing both the front clip and the fuel cell out back. The motor mounts were moved back to snug the engine up to the firewall, necessitating opening up the firewall and removing the transmission tunnel from the floorboard. A new tunnel was fabricated from aluminium.

Modification to the suspension had the rear leafs shortened and the mounts moved forward, the front shocks removed from the rad support and into the “A” arms, and fabrication of a front transverse leaf spring out of aluminium. Kit tires, other than the left front were used and wheels scavenged from dragster kits. All bumpers and nerf bars were fabricated using 14 gauge copper wire.

After some thought, the kit engine was retained. Small mods included flipping the intake to put the distributor out front, moving the oil filter, modifying the headers, replacing the breather and adding ignition wiring.

Inside, a small support was made for a tach, and a headrest was fastened to the roll cage. the fuel cell is installed up under the rear deck behind the cockpit.

Tamiya semi-gloss black was used to finish the body, and many thanks to Les and Bullring Graphix for the excellent decals, without which this project could never have been completed.