The Back Garage is where recently completed, current and future vintage race car projects will be featured. There also will be a photo or two of the remains of an old, once forgotten race car being discovered and the plans to give new life to a piece of history.

There are three categories of vintage race cars - restorations, replications and representations. A restoration is an authentic old race car restored to its original condition. A replication is a 'new' race car built from the ground up to resemble an old race car that no longer exists. A representation is a 'new' old race car built to represent a racing era, such as the 1950's.

If anyone is working on or planning a vintage race car project, mail or e-mail photos and any information about the project to MVRCA. If possible, include a photo or two of when the race car originally raced, of the condition of the race car before the start of restoration, during the project and of the finished project. 

 

Joey O'Brien - Class 'A' Modified cutdown
 
Joey O'Brien has recently begun to restore the Class 'A' Modified cutdown that he drove over thirty years ago at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. The photo on the left shows the restoration project is well underway in Joey's shop. The car was originally driven by Phil Libby (photo on the right) and was red in color and adorned with Phil's famous number "99". The car was later sold to and driven by Dave Gutter, who in turn sold the car to O'Brien. 
 
 
Plum Potter III - 1955 Chevrolet sedan
Plum Potter III has chosen this #101 1955 Chevrolet sedan for his first restoration project. Plum plans to move the car into his shop this spring. The "101" ran at Oxford Plains Speedway in the late 1960's.
 
 
Neil Martin - 1935 Hudson Terraplane sedan
 
 
 
Neil Martin rescued this 1935 Hudson Terraplane sedan from a field in northern Maine. The Hudson powered sedan once raced at the old Exeter Raceway in the 1950's. Trees had grown up around the car (top row) and it took Neil two tow trucks to get the car out of the field and loaded unto a rollback truck. Neil plans to completely restore the former Exeter racer.
 
 
Steve Pellerin & Carl Gain - 1936 Chevy coupe
 
 
Dick Haskell was in the process of replicating the Chevy coupe he raced in the Modified division at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in the 1970's (bottom row, left photo) when he died of cancer in 2005. A year after Dick's passing, his family asked Steve Pellerin to complete the project in Dick's memory. Steve, with the assistance of Rick Hannon, finished putting the coupe together before sending the car over to Carl Gain where he built and installed the race motor. The Chevy coupe made its debut in primer at SUMMERFEST 2007 in August (top row, left and right photos). The coupe is done (bottom row, right photo), with the bronze color and Dick's familiar #15. 
 
 
Steve & Gardiner Leavitt -  1941 Ford coupe
 
 
Steve Leavitt wanted to honor his father Gardiner Leavitt, a Maine racing legend and Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame member, by replicating one of Gardiner's early race cars. Steve built an identical replica of his father's last Class B Bombers - a 1941 Ford coupe - from the early 1970's at Beech Ridge Speedway. By the mid-1970's, the Class B division had evolved into a full-fender Late Model division. The #35 Ford coupe pictured above is powered by a six-cylinder Ford motor. Steve debuted the tribute to his father at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Orlando, Florida in December, where these photos were taken.  
 
 
Leon Simmons - 1982 Buick Regal
 
Leon Simmons recently acquired Wally Patrick's #4 Buick Regal that Wally raced in the Late Model Sportsman division at Oxford (Maine) Plains Speedway in the late 1970's and early 1980's. The photo on the left is how Leon found the Howe chassis equipped Buick at Patrick's home. With some air in the racing slicks, the Buick was rolled onto a trailer and on to Leon's shop for restoration.
 
 
Dave Coffin - 1974 Dodge Challenger
 
 
Dave Coffin is inching closer to restoring this Dodge Challenger he built and fielded for the 1980 season at Oxford Plains Speedway for Earl 'Parnelli' Jones in the Late Model Sportsman division. Dave has removed body panels from a spare Challenger and has all the original race parts for the future restoration project. Photo bottom row, right: Earl Jones behind the wheel of the Coffin Dodge at Oxford Plains in 1980.
 
 
Wally Henderson - 1965 Chevelle
 
MVRCA member Wally Henderson has been spending the last year replicating the #155 Chevelle he drove in the Late Model Sportsman division at Oxford Plains Speedway in the late 1970's. The Chevelle is nearly ready for Wally's familiar blue and white paint scheme.
 
 
 
 
Dale & Steve Libby - 1932 Ford coupe
 
 
 
Dale and Steve Libby, sons of Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame member Phil Libby, wanted to honor their uncle Bob Libby, also a Hall of Fame member, by replicating the famed Clint Abbott maroon #39 their uncle drove in the 1960's. The project began last fall and the photos above shows how the brothers and friends are progressing. The bottom row photos show how far Dale and Steve have progressed as of August 12th.

 
 
Ken Temm - 1976 Dodge Aspen

 
 
MVRCA member Ken Temm was looking for a restoration project when he entered retirement. Ken found it with this Dodge Aspen Late Model he picked up from Dave Coffin. The blue and gold #45 Dodge Aspen, owned by Coffin, was driven by Earl 'Parnelli' Jones at Oxford Plains Speedway during the 1981 season.
 
 
Bob Morris - 1934 Dodge pickup
 
 
A rare find. This 1934 Dodge race truck was found in Scarborough by way of Oxford Hills by the late Phil Libby. Buddy Colby built and drove this race truck for the 1957 racing season at Oxford Plains Speedway. In the 1950's and early 1960's, trucks and stock cars raced together. Most of the race trucks of the era were cab only but Buddy Colby elected to retain the truck bed. Note the tip out windshield in the photos on the right. Bob Morris will begin restoration of this rare race truck in the spring. 

 
 
Rosey Gerry - 1934 Ford coupe

 
 

Rosey Gerry has a knack for finding long lost race cars of the past. In late 2005, Rosey found the remains of Red Giroux's famed #V8 1934 Ford coupe that Red raced at several dirt tracks in the 1950's including Unity Raceway. Left: Red and the 'V8' going through the dirt pile in turns 1 and 2 at Unity. Right: The remains of the 'V8'. Rosey is gathering the pieces and parts to restore the 'V8'.
 
 
Rosey Gerry - 1955 Studebaker
 
 
Rosey Gerry has lined up another restoration project - this 1955 Studebaker that raced at the old Exeter Raceway.
 
 
Barry Clukey - 1940 Plymouth coupe

 
 
Barry Clukey acquired this 1940 Plymouth coupe from Wayne Brann, who did not have the time to restore the former Unity Raceway stock car. Left: The Plymouth coupe as it was in 2002. Right: Barry has begun the restoration project.
 
 
Charlie Sheehan - 1956 Ford

 
 
 
Top left: Harvey Sprague's 1956 Ford as it was in the late 1960's on its way to Speedway 95. Top right: Harvey Sprague with the remains of his Ford, just as Charlie Sheehan found it in 2005. The body panels on the right side were missing. Bottom left: The Ford return's from Dave Webster's sand blasting shop. Bottom right: The Ford is nearing the painting stage.
 
 
Charlie Sheehan - 1957 Plymouth

 
 
"Christine lives!" Charlie Sheehan, in addition to restoring Harvey Sprague's '56 Ford, is building this 1957 Plymouth race car. The Plymouth body is set over an existing Street Stock race chassis because of the long wheelbase. The car is a replication of Gary Robbins' #66 1957 Plymouth he raced at Speedway 95 in the late 1960's and early 1970's.
 
 
Rosey Gerry - 1946 Ford coupe

 
 
 
Rosey Gerry recently found this 1946 Ford coupe and is a future restoration project. Top left: The #7 Ford coupe pictured in the 1960's at the old Cherryfield Park race track. Top right, bottom left and right: Photos of the Ford coupe as Rosey found it, with the original four tires and wheels, including an extra tire in the trunk area.