Johnny Beauchamp and Dale Swanson of Harlan, IA

[Maineboy]

I have read the book "Ghosts of NASCAR" by John Havick and learned quite a bit about the early days of racing in the midwest. I am trying to find out the color of Beauchamp's first racecar which was a Ford roadster with the old Ford flattie motor, and numbered "55". It looks like it was a 1930 or 31 Model A roadster, He first raced it in 1948. Dale Swanson was a mechanic in Harlan who worked on cars and helped farmers repair machinery. He built most of the cars that Beauchamp drove for many years. Swanson's son Dale Jr is still in that area and building race cars and I think a grandson is involved now. Swanson was one of the first mechanics to get good support from Chevrolet for his racing cars.

In addition to Beauchamp's roadster from 1948 I am particularly interested in Beauchamp's first late model, a 1955 Chevy 2 door owned by George Short. I have black and white photos but nothing in color. I would appreciate any info on these cars as well as other Swanson cars.

Swanson and Beauchamp went on to compete, and do extremely well on NASCAR's southern tracks, for "foreigners" as the southern boys saw them. Another member of the Harlan bunch was the great driver Tiny Lund. He and Beauchamp both drove Swanson late 30's coupes for several seasons in the midwest.

MB

[David Bogard]

Watched him alot at my home track of Peoria Speedway. He drove this Wally Satterfield built '55 Chevy to a title in '66 (I built a tribute model to this car). Anywhere Beauchamp went in the Midwest he was a threat to win.

[Maineboy]

From what I can see looking around on the internet, is that he was indeed a very gifted driver who could win most anyplace he went. I think the last info I saw said he won 35 season championships on many different tracks. He drove Dale Swanson built old model cars for years, at Playland in Council Bluffs and other midwest tracks. In 1956 Beauchamp competed on IMCA tracks in a late model Chevrolet and won 43 features in that one year, running away with the season championship. Now that is great performance.

Beauchamp's first car, in 1948. In front of Swanson's garage. I think it is a 32 roadster. 2 men were killed in these kinds of cars in the next year, 1949, at Playland. Massive head injuries. Easy to see why that happened.
swanson6 by Nathan Pitts, on Flickr

Swanson coupes, 39's, mostly driven by Beauchamp with the #55. Tiny Lund drove another one #5 when he was on leave from the Air Force, as can be seen here. Lund and Beauchamp were both fierce competitors, and also friends.
swanson4 by
Nathan Pitts, on Flickr

Swanson's and Beauchamps first late model, 55 Chevrolet. Swanson by the rear fender and Short the car owner in the center.
swanson9 by Nathan Pitts, on Flickr

I would like to know the colors on Beauchamp's roadster and the 55 in case a model got built of either one. Cannot find any info on the colors anyplace.

Beauchamp had a stunning NASCAR career also, for a boy from the midwest who only competed for a few years in just a few races. More on that later perhaps.

MB

[Olderndirt]

 Johnny "B"'s roadster might very well have started out as a coupe. When the picture is enlarged it looks like there is the remnants of a windshield stantion on the cowl. The enlargement also reveals that the door has been shortened by almost half. The body could have been parts of two different cars.
I love the ingenuity demonstrated in the construction of cars in this era.

  Olderndirt