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Photo ID # K12.06.14_071_OLS_UNK_0076WELD_1
Car #: #74
Driver (s) : Walt Olsen
Location: Bridgeport Speedway
Date: 1976
Photographer: Earl Clouser
Photo provided by: Jim Biehl
Comments: Comment:  Walt Olsen behind the wheel of the Wiechecki Kenny Weld built modified.  Walt was a very good driver and became a winning driver behind the wheel of the Weld built car.  Once Kenny decided to stop building cars, Walt bought the plans and the jigs and began building "Olsen built Weld Modifieds."
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Comment:

12.06.14 Freddy Sabatino

What number was this car because it looks like one with the inboard mounted coilovers......?????

12.06.14 3Wide It is one of a group of about what I think was 8 cars that were built for customers that included:

Statewide #19
2nd Statewide #3
Moskat #11
Wiechecki #74
Cagle #24
Ploski #27
Alan Johnson driven #14J
Bahre Racing #24D

I don't know what order the above group was built and sold, but out of the total but out of the 12 cars modifieds that I think were built by Kenny Weld, only the 2nd car (#91 eventually sold to Britt Batty), and 12th car built (which I think was the car with the engine to the left and driver seated to the right that became the Breeding #1) had a different front end than than the 1st car, and the cars built for customers. The Batmobile that followed a few years later didn't have them either.

Judging by the black and white "Weld Factory" picture on the Weld main page, it looks like at least 6 or so were all being built all around the same time (end of 1975 season into 1976).  Also, according to the Pat Singer article, by July of 1976, Kenny Weld had decided he was done building modifieds.  I think he might have built 2 more (radical offset car and the Bunting car), but I am still waiting to hear what others who were closer to the process know and remember. 

From pictures received, the cars that Walt Olsen built long after the above was taken, had the same front end as the Weld built customer's cars too.  (#81 driven by Walt Olsen, #48 driven by Roy Weist.)
12.07.14 John McCaughey

Hate to throw yet another monkey wrench in there, but technically the Weld customer cars didn’t have coilovers mounted on the rear, just the front. They actually had the shock (usually a Koni)  and spring mounted individually of each other….why I have no idea, but I’m sure there was a reason.

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

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