Dirt track Jalopy?

[thirdgearspeedshop]

What are the thoughts on a build like this? are oval cars considered unTRAKable?

[Mr. Metallic]

There has been some discussion lately on this subject. Search through these to see the debate.

trakinscale.proboards.com/thread/17790/vintage-dirt-modified

trakinscale.proboards.com/thread/18906/55-chevy-dirt-slinger

[thirdgearspeedshop]

Yes, The 55 was mine. That's why I'm posting here, to get a green or red light before sharing my work on this forum.

[Bernard Kron]

I posted one of these both as a w.i.p (see: trakinscale.proboards.com/thread/17805/fordor-jalopy-racer-larned-update ) and as a completed car (see: trakinscale.proboards.com/thread/17834/ford-jalopy-racer-larned-circa ) in 2017 and nobody said boo. The roots of competitive hot rodding lie deep in "jalopy" circle track racing, whether it was the roadster racing in early postwar California and the West coast, the dirt fairgrounds of the midwest, or "stock" car racers in the south and all along the eastern seaboard. Most of the flathead speed equipment manufacturers sold at least as much of their wares into the circle track market as they did to the straightline guys. I suspect it remains true to this day. It's also worth noting that in the era of proto-hot-rodding, the pre-WWII "gow jobs" and hopped-up and stripped down hot cars of the 20's and 30's, to the extent that they were raced in organized competitions, were mainly raced on small oval dirt tracks. Straightline racing was limited to informal (and mainly illegal) street racing and to informal and occassionally organized dry lakes racing, the latter on the West coast. So this type of car can be seen as prototypical of what we model here on TRaK.

Here's a pic:

[chepp]

It's OK by me (but it's not my decision). The guidelines say "Traditional styled...(some pre 40's dirt trackers and other racers are acceptable)" -- I would interpret that to mean "some pre 40's" body styles built as racers up to the 1969 cut-off date.

TRAK guidelines: trakinscale.proboards.com/thread/8980/guidelines-posting-on-trak

The racer in 1953 that you posted looks neat!

[skip]

I think it would be fine as well, as long as its an occasional post. If it were to become a more routine posting then I might think it would be appropriate to ask for a category to place it in. Then if that were done and someone had an issue with early dirt/asphalt roundy - round cars they don't have to look!

[EchoBravoSierra]

There was lots of roundy-round coverage in Throttle and early Hot Rod magazines, for whatever that's worth.