57 Chevy 2 dr post sedan model kit

[Maineboy]

I have been thinking about a possible model of the 1957 Chevrolet "Black Widow" cars that were built by Chevrolet especially for NASCAR racing. 7 were built if my info is correct. 6 went to SEDCO which was a semi-secret group that prepared them for NASCAR racing and the seventh one was shipped to Harlan, IA where Dale Swanson turned it into the IMCA championship for 1957. Johnny Beauchamp drove one of them to second place in the next to last Daytona race held on the beach. He spent most of the rest of his time winning that IMCA championship. 40 races entered, 34 wins. Nobody else even came close.

This is the "Black Widow" he drove to 2nd place at Daytona in 1957.
johnnyb2 by Nathan Pitts, on Flickr

Don't think it is the same car he won the IMCA championship with that same year.  6 cars were shipped by Chevrolet to Nalley Chevrolet in Atlanta where they were prepared for NASCAR. They could not get the cars to run right so they called Dale Swanson from Harlan, IA to come and get them to work. Beauchamp went with him and ending up driving this car. Swanson got them to run good with 2 4bbl carbs.  The 7th car had been shipped to Harlan and Swanson and Beauchamp went back there after Daytona.  Have not found a pic of the IMCA car yet, that I am sure of.

Been pondering a model of the "Black Widow" car but don't know of a 57 Chev 2 dr post sedan to use. Can't use a hardtop as the roof is lower. The 57 "gasser" might work, not sure.  Any thoughts and ideas on a possible project using a 57 2 dr sedan I would be interested in hearing.

MB

[TarheelRick]

You could use the Revell 57 Chevy 150 Sedan "Black Widow" kit. Here is a link to Modelroundup - I am not soliciting for them, just showing you what is available.
https://www.modelroundup.com/RMX-4441-1957-Chevy-Black-Widow-Revell-Model-Kit-p/rmx-4441.htm

[Maineboy]

Thanks for that info. I was not aware that this model was available. That will make a project almost too easy. I will save up my change and see if I can get one.  I am thinking of building the one that Beauchamp won the IMCA championship with in 1957. The story goes that Chevrolet had six 150 models delivered to SEDCO which was working out of Nalley Chevrolet in Atlanta while a seventh one was delivered to Dale Swanson's place in Harlan. I believe all of them came with the Rochester fuel injection. Swanson scrapped the FI and replaced it with 2 4 bbl carbs and it ran good. I think Beauchamp may have raced once or twice in IMCA racing before SEDCO called Swanson to come to Atlanta to show those guys how to make the car run. He was the man who made those Black Widow cars what they were. Beauchamp placed second at Daytona in one of them #50. Four of those Black Widows finished in the top ten of that Daytona Race. Not bad considering there were only 6 available to race.

Once back in Harlan they began racing with a vengance and won everything including the year end championship. Chevrolet was so taken by Swanson's ability that they tried to get him to move to Atlanta and run their factory racing organization. Quite a complement to his ability in my book. Have read quite a bit about the man and always wished I could have known him. I have been fortunate to have had an email exchange with his son Dale, Jr about the 55 that they raced two years before. I asked a few questions about that 55 as I thought it was white and he told me mostly baby blue with white roof.

I have always wondered how well Swanson and Beauchamp had done if they had moved down south. Beauchamp drove a 58 Ford T bird in the first Daytona 500, think it was a Ralph Moody car. Many say Beauchamp won it. But Lee Petty protested it and Bill France gave the win to Petty. Many of the pit crews believed that Petty was a lap down. Just by coincidence Petty's wife was counting his laps. Petty won a couple more on protests like that one including a win over his own son Richard. Beauchamp and Tiny Lund came from Harlan IA and neither of them wer afraid. But Beauchamp used more common sense. Those guys, Swanson, Beauchamp and Lund rattled some cages as those southern boys did not take lightly to some "foreigner" from the midwest coming down and beating them on their own tracks.  Those must have been truly great days to be around racing.

MB