In 1980 Kenny Weld found a loop hole in the D.I.R.T. modified rule book and with fellow fabricator Don Brown, 1970 Daytona 500 winner Pete Hamilton, engine-builder Mario Rossi and with driver Gary Balough dominated Schaefer 200 on the Moody Mile on the New York State fairgrounds. The rules gave minimum high and width but no maximums, the rules also prohibited the use exterior airfoils but there no rules banning interior airfoils. Thus allowing the roof to be built as a giant wing/airfoil and airfoils to be built on the interior of the body! The radiator was in the left side pod to help left side bias and allow the Lincoln grill opening to be used as a scoop/cold airbox. The louvers in the sidepods are hinged and controlled with a handle inside the ****pit. Kenny Weld even flew D.I.R.T. chief tech. inspector Don Buschbaschser to Brownsburg Indiana to look at the car. Don Buschbaschser who was less then impressed told them they hadn't flat out broken any rules but they put their toes right to the line! The restored car There were rules changes immediately following the 1980 Schaefer 200 outlawing ground effects!
The Batmobile was restored was paid for by Halmar racing, and done by DKM Ch***is. Stewart Friesen drove the restored car at the Eastern States Weekend 2019. You may notice roof on the car is different at the 2019 Eastern States than it was at Syracuse in 1980. The roof on the car is a design they were going to run at the 1980 Eastern States 200 however the car was outlawed before it could be raced in this form. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=548126142424613
Of course, just because ground effects were "outlawed" didn't mean the concept went away in 1981, Sammy Beavers driving for Norcia #81 team at Flemington N.J. in a car clearly inspired by the Batmobile. Kenny Weld and Don Brown weren't finished playing with the air ether in 1981 they teamed up with Anthony Ferraiuolo's team to build a ahem 1969 Ford Torino bodied modified. Unfortunately, they didn’t get enough time to fine tune things like the breaks for the car to be compe***ive
The Jalopy Journal
