The independent suspension was a surprise for the period.
Construction of the car started in 1967, with the first race coming two years later. Ed knew many drivers and never had any problem tabbing one for his mount. For its first two years, the car ran with USAC and was competitive, mostly on pavement, but also competed on the dirt. During the USAC years, the car ran at both Eldora Speedway and New Bremen Speedway.
Driver Mark Alderson was at the wheel for several races, with a big win at Sandusky Speedway coming in 1972. The car was also effective in the indoor pavement shows at the Fort Wayne
Coliseum.
Gary Beale, son of Hall of Famer Rollie Beale, also drove the car for several years during the ‘70s, earning three heat race wins and numerous top-fives with the AMRA midget series. Gary took a wild ride in the car at Avila Speedway in Indiana, when Rich Vogler‘s father, Don Vogler, butted the car over the wall and into a swampy area. Gary also drove the car on a number of fairground dirt tracks.
Starting in 1975, Mike Stewart finally convinced his father that he was ready to climb behind the wheel, and competed mostly on pavement up until 1983. The car was racing against newer and more powerful cars but still held its own.
After being retired from the race tracks, the car sat for about 23 years before Mike pulled it out and performed a full restoration. This unique machine certainly illustrates the competence of old-school builder Ed Stewart.