
Welding p**n.. thanks John Santamauro
This page is for our antics at the track and in the shop at Junkyard Dog World Headquarters.
Feel free to comment and post pics of Hardtop race cars and stories about racing these cars..any haters or morons will be deleted and blocked..
Operating as usual
Welding p**n.. thanks John Santamauro
Lots of races this year..here is our plan for the year..
4/8 Antioch
4/15 Marysville
4/22 Placerville
4/29 Merced *
5/13 Antioch
6/17 Antioch*
7/22 Antioch
8/26 Antioch
9/16 Merced*
9/30 Antioch*
10/7 Merced*
10/28 Antioch
* denotes Sportsman/Hardtop race series for championship points.
Look forward to seeing everyone at the tracks..come by our pit area and say howdy,have a cold beer after the races, and get off your wallet and buy a Junkyard Dog tee shirt..this stuff dont run on Bud Light and stripper glitter
Final preparations for the Chet Tompson memorial next week. Joel and myself were debating a spring change.. could not decide.. he goes "I don't know.. flip a coin '.. So we did.. lol.. big thanks to Santamauro Racing Products for donating the material for a new rear bumper.
Today at Junkyard Dog Hardtop World Headquarters we did some repair to the rear crossmember. The spuds that hold the rear bumper got caved in on the push from victory lane to the pit area..car had lost a lot of oil and Joel did not want to risk running it any more than he had to..wise choice. Went to the local scrap yard and found the perfect piece but it was galvanized..took a little work to clean it off but hey it was 5 bucks.It will be stronger now this piece wraps underneath and we can weld the spuds on both sides. Time for a frosty and Flo racing..have you hugged your race car today?
The Junkyard Dog wins at Merced 7/16/22
Off to Stockton to run with the California Hardtops at the Jimmy Sills Classic. If you cant make it to the track it will be live on FLO racing.
One more day! We hope to see you at the Stockton Dirt Track tomorrow!
Merced speedway 4/2/22 Won the heat race and the A main
The Hall of Fame Poster created by Katrina Kniss is simply Jaw Dropping!
Racing returns this Saturday night at Merced speedway!!! Concession and beer back! No fireworks this year!!! Friday night we will have our concession and beer open from 630-8 Pm to help our new staff get ready for Saturday night! See you at the races!
Vintage Hardtop Main Event Winner Joel Hannagan
Another win for the Junkyard Dog team
Up on the haunches and diggin
Hard Tops: Joel Hannagan
Will trade for clean B mod or maybe a spec sprint
Congrats Big Doug!
Update on the new and improved (I hope) front axle. Got the ends tig welded on and off to Champion Machine to have Gary Nolan hone the kingpin bosses to make them round again but the material was so hard from the welding it just ate up his stones. John Santamauro was kind enough to loan me his reamer and last night it took me about 1.5 hours to do the first hole..once I learned to use the tool properly the second one only took about half that time. The kingpin boss takes a insert that allows you to change the kingpin axle for camber adjustment. Much time and effort in this axle I hope it works well.
So after a couple years of trying to bend and twist a forged steel axle and talking to Mike Sargent and Bill Phillips we built a new axle..the easiest thing would be to cut the front off the car and make a independent front end with easy to adjust A arms but I think a Hardtop needs a steel front axle to keep the vintage deal..so we had this old school bad ass cut the ends off a 55 Ford truck axle and reweld the king pin bosses at the angles I wanted..with the Hass cnc machines spitting out sprint car parts in the background he fires up the leaking ancient mill and cuts the ends perfect to the exact numbers I wanted....Thank you John
Sneak peak number three..on the 4th set of caliper brackets.got it right this time..was only 10 bucks more for nickel plated calipers..had to do that..lol.. surgery on the axle this week..stay tuned...
Sneak peak number two..been a bump or two in the road but this is gonna happen..have changed ideas many times but the finish line is close..have thought about the front axle on this car more than any sane man should..with the help of smart friends it should be awesome when its done..
Sneak peak of winter upgrades..race car p**n..spindles be here Tuesday then off to the wizard to have them grafted to the Ford truck axle..would you believe a Ford truck axle has a big ole GM cast right on it..long sad story but I learned something.. If any one needs some 55-59 Chevy truck spindles with the snouts cut off..I am your huckleberry..
Another win for the Junkyard Dog ..bad phone pic of a very nice Katrina Kniss photo
Nice pic of the Dog at our last outing..up on its haunches rear legs diggin..left front paw in the air..its even gonna be faster next year with the new front axle we have in the works with way better geometry..this is phone pic of a Katrina Kniss photo..the real pic is better..its in a frame and going on the shop wall..we keep trying to build a better mousetrap. Will post pics after the holiday of the next phase..ya'll have a Merry Christmas
Had a nice chat with Ted Finkenbinder last night..long time sprint car owner and hall of fame member..he drove my dads car at Vallejo speedway back in the day..here is a victory lane photo with Ted,my dad,my brother Frank Braudrick,myself and a unknown trophy girl with dirty knees..have had this photo in my shop for many years..
The Junkyard Dog wins again..started last and won by half a lap. On a roll for sure cant wait for next year.
Had to make sure it still runs..ready to load and go racing tomorrow..
The Junkyard Dog Hardtop crew will be at Antioch Speedway Friday. No fans in the stands but you can buy a pit pass for $50 and hang out with us..will have a heater in the trailer to keep everyone warm and should be done early so come on out and cheer on the team has we go for 4 in a row and cap off a perfect season. Check the Antioch Speedway for start times. We still have plenty of Junkyard Dog shirts for sale..they make great Christmas gifts!! See Ya'll at the track
I was worried the SPCA was gonna come arrest me for animal cruelty..I left the Junkyard Dog in the trailer for 3 weeks after it won the biggest race of the year ..I moved the garage around and acid washed the floor this morning and VIctor Graham came by and installed all LED lighting.. Joel and Tommy came by and unloaded the dog and gave it a really good bath but it was mad at me...ya ever had a pet that went to bathroom in the house because it was mad at you..well we put the race car in the spotless garage and the side cover on the trans pi**ed on the floor..my hot rods leak..not my race car..ever..I told it I was sorry and promise to give it some more love this week..what ever it takes just dont p**s on my clean floor again..lol