In 1965, Ray Gardner was one of the first employees of the newly created "Champion of Chamblee (GA)" company. Anne Williams, one of company founder's Jim Williams' children, told me so. The company was set inside the Williams machine shop building in Chamblee. Ray became the advertising manager and produced numerous artworks used in the company's propaganda.
But Ray was also a fierce racer, a Team Champion member who self-named himself "Old n' Slow," in a modest sort of irony. Not quite the case if one looks at his racing record between 1967 and 1970. For one, Ray was one of the stars of the "Race that Shook the World." when the first 1/24 anglewinder cars instantly obsoleted piles of brand-new-just-released inline racing chassis produced by Champion, Pactra, Lancer, Dynamic, BuzCo, and you can add a few more.
The car below is one of Ray's own creations and was his NASCAR ride in early 1969. I just finished restoring it, with a Dynamic Ford Torino body artistically painted by Joe "Noose" Neumeister in the style of the late and regretted Dave Bloom.
The chassis came to me with its motor, guide, lead wires, and a scarce 72-pitch British gear set manufactured by Taylormade (thanks, gentlemen, for the correction). Champion briefly distributed those fine gears in the USA, so it makes sense that Ray would have a set on his car.
Rebuilding meant a mere clean-up as the car was in excellent condition with minor corrosion, but the motor was completely stripped, the endbell cleaned up, and the hardware polished "as new" as its hardware was corroded. The Champion lead wires were also renewed because we are lucky to have plenty of NOS material in stock.
The armature is a single 25 on Champion blanks, with Champion pigtail shunted brushes and Champion springs, and their Cycolac endbell. Arco DZ magnets and assorted two-piece shim are fitted inside the "Group 7" can.
Those two little screws retaining the endbell can make any sane man a bit jagged. Better be patient and have an 0-80 tap handy anyway...
The front and rear tires are also NOS Champion stuff, and the 1/8" axles were polished with Scotchbrite on my EMCO lathe.
The body, created by Jack Garcia, is about as squashed as it gets and was outlawed shortly after it became the choice of most go-fast pros, and I believe for good reasons. One can chop and channel a racing body, but this is truly outside the envelope. Of course, it looks as mean as can be, and while today, an illegal proposition, this car will look great as a display piece.
