Comment:

Very well put Joe, couldn’t have said it better. Kenny’s first modified (#29) was the game changer. This one was just UNTOUCHABLE. At Statewide (Bridgeport) in 1975 this car that Gary Balough called the Side Winder made a joke of the field. As John McCaughey said it we all “brought a knife to a gun fight”.

Everyone was scrambling to catch up by the end of the 75 season. The car built in the back yard garage was no longer useful. I believe this car is the reason that 13 cars were built in Indy. I know it’s the reason Gary left to drive for Statewide #3. He didn’t want to race with Weld until the playing field was level.

In what year did Kenny first start racing this car? Kenny started out the 1976 season running the MK Foreign Car #91 that had the original 1974 chassis design. Did he debut this chassis in the later part of 1976 after possibly splitting  with MK? If so, funny how here he is running a lighter chassis than that of the cars he built over the winter of 75-76 to sell. Always thinking of how to keep ahead of the competition. I doubt this chassis would have been reproduced for anyone else as Kenny wanted to liquidate the car building business and put together an Indy car operation. Also, the trick Lanco transmission was in the original car he built in 1974.

I remember being at Bridgeport when  Kenny Weld had won four or five in a row with this car.  They put a bounty on him, to be paid to someone who could beat this car.  He was not happy.  I think he sand bagged it and started about last.   After fifteen laps he was well in the lead, all by himself and spun it out.  He then re-started last, winning a thirty lap feature by a straightaway.  

After the race, I went over to look at the car.  Kenny took the time to explain stuff to a young guy trying to learn.  I always found him to be a nice person.