348-409 circletrack modifieds ?

[carlalique]

In the late 50's early 60's modifieds at raced dirt tracks and asphalt tracks all over the country. Is anyone aware of any modifieds from the 50's or 60's that ran the 348 or the 409...even it was a small local track? I'd be very interested in any names, details, track, photos, year, engine, etc? We all know about drag racing success...did anyone race the ovals?

[Phil Reed]

Supposedly there was a guy here in KC that had a 348 in his dirt track car. I guess he ate everybody's lunch on the straightaways but then everybody passed him in the curves!!!!:doh :doh :doh

That's all I've heard!!

[chevymusclecars]

There was a racer out of Akron, Ohio named Paul Wright that was succesful at racing on the round tracks. There was an article written about him in 1975 where he describes building the 409 in one of the best articles I have read. I took the time to track him down and talked with him a bit but he no longer involved with building the 409 and has sold all of his parts.

Bill

[real61ss]

One of my hero's from the local track (Southside Speedway in Richmond, Va.) was a gentleman who would come up every Friday night from Winston-Salem, N.C. named Carl Buris. He drove a black 36 Chevrolet coupe. This was about 1961 and I worked at a Texaco service station after school, Mr. Buris would stop there on his way to the races. He usually ran a small block Chevy motor but one Friday afternoon he stopped by and he spotted my '61 Impala parked by the station and he told me that he also had a '61 Impala that had the 348/350 motor. He had blown the small block engine the week before and wasn't able to get another one built in time for the race so he removed the 348 from his Impala and put it in the little 36 coupe. He had a pickup truck with an open trailer that he hauled the race car on and we went out to the truck and he raised the hood on the race car and sure enough, there set the 348 with the 3 carbs. I went to the race that night and he won. Sadly, I heard that Mr. Buris passed away a year or so ago.

[rstreet]

Tom.. Sorry to hear about the loss of one of your heroes but you and "speed" keep the stories coming. They are all appreciated up here:bow
robert

[quik9r]

Paul was stroking the 409 in 1975 to 496 cubic inches and the 409 he ran at the track I beleive was stuffed in a 70's camaro. A great article in Popular Hot Rodding 1975, that issue even had a feature on custom vans:brow

kevin