Since I have crowned the Volvo 240 series as the Official CC of Eugene, it’s only fitting that I encounter a racing car version of it. What could be more perfect than to take an old Volvo wagon, strip it down, and take it racing on a dirt track on a warm summer night? But it has to be kept stock, in terms of the drive train and such. Red block for the win!
I’m assuming he races it down at the Cottage Grove Speedway, the closest dirt track since the Eugene Speedway closed down almost twenty years ago.
The first couple of years we were here it was still open, and on summer nights one could hear the bark of unmuffled V8s in sprint cars and such from our house. I should have ridden my bike over.
Although the drive train for this class has to be stock, the interior is gutted, and there’s a fuel cell in the back, as well as a sturdy roll cage.
The driver’s seat is very utilitarian, lacking even a hint of padding, and designed to keep the driver in his seat, no matter what.
The only other car that could compete with the Volvo for the title of Official Race Car of Eugene would be a Mercedes W123 diesel, burning the used veggie oil from the concession stand deep fryer.
Neat looking car, but could it be that the padding of the seat has been removed while not in use? I cannot imagine anyone in 2015 wanting to race while sitting on unpadded metal. I sure hope the new cut out edges of the driver side door have been smoothed down. The trailer decking sure looks nice, what wood is that? I take it the tow rig was too ordinary to photograph. The Blue Moon Books signage is reminding me of Googie Architecture due to each letter having its own rectangle.
Good call. My cousin races on an oval track in Wisconsin and he removes his cushions for lack of a driver side window to keep the elements out.
cool dirt track wagon, I bet it sounds delightful! I like the fuel cell bracketry’s use of a wrench, I can always appreciate home engineering.
Seven kids, seven bags of groceries, seven laps around the track.
That’s cool. As a very young kid I would go to bed on Saturday night with the faint sounds of a distant oval dirt track. It closed in 1975 so I never got to go. Did Big Old Chryslers ever make it out to Sattelite Speedway?
Many years later one of my co-workers ran a car at Ridge Raceway, so we all went a couple of times. Hmm that one closed in 1995 too
A Kiwi living in Eugene, and he races a Volvo wagon. What are the odds of that combination?
Well, it is one of those cars appreciated around the world…
He probably misses his homeland’s full contact motor sport but has fun anyway lots of Aroha for the National colours
Going by google, it’s the name of the company – they’re metal fabricators. Sad really, I’d assumed that ‘Fab’ stood for fabulous! 😉
I bet these make great low-end racers. Easy to work on, fix it with a hammer mechanicals, and of course the safety.
Running a car in a demo derby is on my bucket list and I’ve thought about what I’d want to drive if I ever did. A Volvo 240 would be a top pick, but I’d feel guilty destroying one.
Street stock class at our local speedway except we put barson the outside as well full contact motor sport here in NZ, Stock cars being the ultimate form,
American racers come out every year and are astounded by teams champs racing where the object is to obliterate the oposition by force at high speed in cars that are designed to do a high speed demolition derby race after race.
I miss the old dirt track speedways. There are still a couple of them hereabouts, I really must get out and see a race before they go away for good.
I presume that this Volvo is in the “Slow Cars Driven Fast” class?
Nothing like banging doors and trading paint with a Volvo. Happens here on I-5 through Portland. Usually the driver has a Starbucks cup in hand, however.
Lol 😀
That crash video is horrific .
I used to enjoy taking my then young Son to Saugus Speedway , sadly they closed it up like all the other old tracks in So. Cal. .
Are there any left ? .
It’s been a long time since I’ve gone to the races , Irwindale is just blah for me .
-Nate
Nate, Perris is still running, races scheduled through Nov. 26. Did you ever se Julianne in the 18J Camaro run at Saugus?
I can’t say I recall whom , I do remember lots and lots of Camaros @ Saugus .
I especially enjoyed taking Jr. to see the Train Races , I still have his wooden train whistle .
Perris eh ? . that’s like a three hour drive East out of L.A. in maddening traffic .
Maybe , we’ll see .
I miss Ascot Et Al very much .
-Nate
I’ve seen pictures of 240s used in demolition derbies before, I imagine they hold up quite well.
Neat car, I would love to see it run. I miss Cajon Speedway, lots of fun there but no class for the imports to run in.
Looks better now than when new.