| Photo ID # | 05.14.03_037_BEA_WOO_0056_1 |
| Car #: | #37 |
| Driver (s) : | Mike Magill, Frankie Schneider, Steve Elias, (and Bill Hill - Thanks Steve) |
| Location: | Woodbury, NJ |
| Date: | 1956 |
| Photographer: | William Curley |
| Photo provided by: | Russ Dodge |
| Comments: | Comments provided by Russ: Picture is the modified # 37 built for car owner Ken Van Buren in 1956 by the Beach brothers of Woodbury N.J. The car featured a set back Lincoln motor with 4 carbs. Note the sectioned body which started out as a '37 Ford club coupe. This was one of, if not the first car in this area, to have a radical engine set back. Because of it's design, Iron Mike Magill was brought in to drive the car at first. It was felt his sprint car experience would make him a natural for the new design. Frankie Schneider and Steve Elias also drove the car. Steve said that the car worked well when it had the proper soft tires. Because of its design, the car ran at Vineland but was not legal to run at Alcyon, which was NASCAR sanctioned at the time. Van Buren replaced the coupe with a standard '37 ford flatback sedan and ran the car full bodied. Because of the setback, the exhaust pipe came out of the door on the standard bodied coach. Herby Schoch and Kenny Van Buren himself, also drove the car with the sedan body. The Beach brothers were experienced builders and had fielded the car #1 driven successfully at Alcyon by Johnny Karp. For those who followed racing in the 60's and early 70's you see here a forerunner to the Reading modified. (William Curley photo, taken at Ken Van Buren's) Thanks, Russ Dodge |
| Visitor's Comments | To add your comments about THIS PHOTO - Click Here | |
| Date: | Visitor's Name: | Comment: |
| 10/18/03 | Steve Elias | I drove the 37 in 1956 first time at DEL-Mar speedway, finished second in the feature and won the match race with Al Tasnady and Frankie Schnieder. We took the car to Manassass, Va for one race finished third. Won two features at Vineland on the dirt and one at Atco. Blew the motor coming off the forth corner leading on the last lap at Vineland. Russ Dodge has a picture of it. Finished third in points that year. |
| 10/18/03 | 3-Wide | Thanks for the first hand account Steve. The car looks more like something from the early 70's than the late 50's! |
| 12/28/03 | Steve Elias | One driver that has not been mentioned was Bill Hill from Woodbury, N.J. He won a feature in early 1956 at Vineland Speedway. |
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