Johnny Beauchamp's first 1955 Chevy stock car

[Maineboy]

This is a photo of Johnny Beauchamp's first 1955 Chevrolet STOCK car.

swanson9 by Nathan Pitts, on Flickr

I have the model kit for a 1955 Chev Belair 2 dr sedan and want to build a model of this car. The man in the hat is George Short, of Omaha, NE who bought the car brand new from a chevy dealer. The man beside the rear tire is Dale Swanson, the mechanic and race car builder from Harlan, IA who built many race cars that Johnny Beauchamp drove early on in his career.  This was his, and Beauchamp's first attempt to race in modern STOCK cars. At that moment in time a stock car truly was stock. A good mechanic got the parts he wanted from the factory to make his car truly competitive.

I sent a message to Hemiman asking if he thought he could make the decals for this car. He asked if I could find more pictures. I found out a while ago that Dale Swanson, Jr has had a race car shop in Harlan ever since he got old enough to work on the cars. So I sent him an email a couple days back asking if he had any more pics of this car. He replied today.  He was extremely interested to learn that anyone would want to build a model of this car. He said he would look through his pics and see what he had. Then he went on to tell me that he is 79 yrs old, and was there the night this photograph was taken. He was 13 at that time. He said this photo was taken around 10 PM and the car was raced, for the first time, the next day. He said he remembered it well and that it was "baby light blue and white, as it came for the dealers lot.

I just love when you can find the history of something like this. Fascinating and really still a pretty small world.

Dale Swanson, JR race shop
https://swanson-automotive.com/

MB

[TarheelRick]

Interesting story and racer.  Is it done yet, are you building it? Please don't keep us in suspense. A true representative of the "SC" in NASCAR.

[Maineboy]

Haven' started it yet. Winter project I think. But I sure have wanted to build a model of this car since I first saw this photo. Dale Swanson, Johnny Beauchamp and Tiny Lund were all boys from  Harlan, IA. Swanson built all their race cars for a long long time. Swanson built cars for them both. Beauchamp had won everything there was to win in the area so they went for the stock car racing. They decided to try NASCAR and went south. They all liked it cause it was warm in FL in Feb.  Beauchamp and Swanson teamed up to race on the IMCA circuit. In 1956, driving a 56 Chevy owned and prepped by Swanson Beauchamp won 38 features and blew away everyone else on that circuit. He repeated as IMCA champion in 1957. One could say Swanson knew how to build a race car and Beauchamp knew how to drive one. Swanson went south in 1957 to head up the super secret SEDCO operation for Chevrolet in Atlanta where they prepared cars for NASCAR races. That is where he headed up the well known preparation of the "Black Widow 57 chevys. Johnny Beauchamp finished second on the last race held on the Daytona beach. He was the only car on the same lap as winner Cotton Owens.

Since about the age of 15 I have had a lifelong love affair with tri-5 Chevy's. Have had more fun working on them than just about any other car.  I am moved tremendously to think that a couple of guys from a remote part of IA could go to Fl and take on the big boy's on their own turf.......and do tremendously well. I have always loved to see the under dog pull out victories.

This project will show up on these pages this winter I hope. Going to have my right knee replaced in 3 1/2 weeks so should get some modelling time on it this winter.

MB

[Fordguy01]

How ya doin MB?  I just read your article on here and saw the pics you had of Johnny Beauchamps 55 Chevy and it reminded of a book I have called The Ghosts of NASCAR by John Havick and has some info in it on that very car but not too many photos.  What's there is in black and white.  There are some black and white photos of some other really neat old racers one of them is Tiny Lunds old racer.  I don't know if you have the book or not but if you think you would like to check it out I will gladly lend you mine if you're interested.  You may also find it on-line.  Let me know.

Al

[Maineboy]

Fordguyo1, Thanks for your generous offer. As a matter of fact I do indeed have the "Ghosts of Nascar". That wonderful book introduced me to these great men. Dale Swanson was as good a car builder as they have come. And Johnny Beauchamp could drive those cars with great skill.

Until I read that book, several times in fact, I did not know that these men existed. After reading that book I have gone out of my way to publicize what these men did. Beauchamp was a winner from the start. And kept that up for years.

My own racing experience, in the 1960's was built around tri-5 Chevys. And I had a 55 that was a street racer and had some fun with that. Not every good driver ever got to drive in Nascar races. Swanson went to Atlanta in the winter of 56-57, to run the super secret operation known as SEDCO,  a secret operation of Chevrolet to build outstanding race cars for the big tracks. They developed the 57 Chevy "Black Widow" cars. Beauchamp came in second in the last race on Daytona beach. Those cars could really go.

I hope the story of these men gets some attention......as they well deserve it.

MB

[Fordguy01]

Good to know you have the book it may come in handy for reference when you build your model.  Keep us updated on your progress.  Enjoy the weekend.

Al

[Maineboy]

I have got my #56 project coming along. Hope to get primer on the body tomorrow. I have Beauchamp's 55 as my next project. Got the AMT 2 dr sedan model, had it for a while. Mechanic Dale Swanson's son told me the car was a light baby blue and the roof was white. Searching for the paint. Chevrolet called it "skyline blue" on it's color chart for 1955. I am in the process of ordering the decals.

I have an additional problem. The AMT 55 Belair 2 dr sedan kit comes with mag wheels and no reg steel wheels are included. I have nothing suitable in my not too big scrap box yet. Can anyone recommend a source for wheels and tires for the stock 55 Chev. Resin or plastic, makes no difference. I have searched the resin guys a bit and have not found any yet. I can find Holman and Moody wheels and tires but from the 60's, not 1955. Direction would  be much appreciated.

MB