Extreme Sports Team
Featured Car
Howard Scruggs of Kings Mountain, NC beside his 1951 Hudson Hornet short track vintage stock car.
This month we spotlight the restored 1951 Hudson Hornet racer #98. Howard saw this car run at the Shelby Speedway when he was still in his teens while the owner raced it in the North and South Carolina dirt tracks. Howard had to go and serve in the military and years later when he got back to his home in Cleveland county, he started asking about what ever happened to that fast 6 cylinder Hornet. Well, after many months of asking around, he found this Hudson way back hid in a private pasture. Somehow young Howard found a way to obtain the Hornet. Howard's friends offered up different items even a case of oil to help Howard get that '51 Hornet back in action. Well there have been several Hudson six cylinder engines replaced over the years in his prized Hornet, but Howard is one of the most faithful racers to bring out the Hornet to our Vintage events. Along the way, Howard has obtained a few 6 cylinder trophies and loves to talk about his racer wherever someone gets near enough to see that this is the real thing just as he saw it run when he was a teenager. Keep it going, Howard!
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Jim Ivey's 1965 Ford Galaxie
Last month featured the 1965 Ford Galaxie #45 of Jim Ivey. Jim Ivey raced South Carolina dirt tracks back when he was a young man. Like a lot of racers that get the racing bug, he never quite got his fill of making laps and bringing home trophys. At some point this young racer got the calling to preach and that has been his livelihood ever since. A couple of years ago he saw his career slowing down a bit, so Jim headed out to his backyard garage to fix up this 1965 Galaxie. Jim was not really part of any vintage racing group, but when Darlington Raceway started their annual vintage weekend where drivers and their vintage stock cars could make laps at speed Jim knew what his next project would be. With his wife Joyce's blessing, Jim started and finished this nice 1965 Galaxie with real big block 390 Ford power. The car passed Darlington's safety inspection and he and son Jim Jr. made laps at the historic raceway. With this new race car ready for the track, Jim joined the Carolina Vintage racing club after a few safety updates, and now Jim loves racing and showing off his two Fords on the short tracks in the Carolinas. Jim's cars also took part in the filming of the Wendell Scott documentary where Jim and grandson Jamie had time behind the wheel. Even though this Ford has had its share of engine and radiator troubles the last couple years, Jim has been to almost all of the our events. Last fall at two of our dirt track races, Jim Ivey took home the V8 trophies in the #45. The Iveys like this racer so much that they have another one under construction.
1963 Pontiac Bonneville 2-door Hardtop
A few months ago the Carolina Vintage Stock Car Racing club featured the recently-built 1963 Pontiac Bonneville 2-door hardtop. This heavy machine was built into a vintage race car during the summer of 2010 by Wayne Poplin. Wayne acquired the Bonneville from his neighbors and close friends Cletus & Faye of Finger, NC. Cletus purchased this car new and he and wife Faye drove this Bonneville for years until they decided to put the car into the barn and plan a restoration. Cletus wasn't able to restore the car, so his friend Wayne offered to purchase the car as a candidate to make it into a Carolina Vintage racer.
This picture shows the Bonneville just finished getting the vintage decals in place. Wayne and wife Ruth came up with the idea to paint and hand-letter the '63 Bonneville just like a former '63 Bonneville number 7A that Florida driver Bobby Johns drove in the NASCAR Grand National series back in 1963. Well, they really nailed it.
A special thanks goes out to Rick Earnhardt for the countless hours of fabrication. Special thanks goes to Randy Robertson for his motor-refreshing efforts on the big block Chevy that's under the hood. Wayne's Pontiac is sponsored by Steve's Auto Care of Finger, NC where Wayne carries his street cars to get repairs. Now let's all watch for Wayne Poplin as he continues to make history in the Bonneville. I hope Wayne kept a little extra touch-up paint because you know "rubbin is racing!"
