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PRESS
                                                                             Continued from page 49
                                                                               Dan doesn't overlook the importance of psy-
                                                                              chology in  racing.  "When we first started  run-
                                                                              ning  the  backwards  motor we  always  kept  it
                                                                              covered up," he says. "When somebody would
                                                                              ask  the guys on  the  crew about it they would
                                                                             just tell them, 'We don't know anything. We just
           CUSTOM  FABRICATION  OR                                            wash the car and play catch with the Frisbee."'
                                                                               When  he  first  started using the flex  plate in
                                                                              place  of  a clutch  it  was  engaged  with  an  air
           COMPLETE  ROLLING  CHASSIS!                                       cylinder  device  which  made  for  rather  jerky
                                                                             starts. "A guy asked me about it and I told him
           OUR  SHOP  IS  A UNIQUE  FACILITY.  WE  SPECIALIZE  IN  THOSE  HARD  TO  COMPLETE   my clutch was shot. I must have convinced him
           SPECIAL FABRICATION JOBS THAT OTHER SHOPS REJECT.  MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS   because during the  race I lapped him about 5
           BRING  US WRECKED  OR  OUT DATED  RACE CARS AND WE CUSTOM FABRICATE THESE   times and afterwards he told me he worried that
           CARS  BACK  TO  THE  LATEST STATE-OF-THE-ART RACE  CARS AT A FRACTION  OF  THE   I wouldn't finish  because every time I went by
           COST  OF  A COMPLETELY  NEW  CAR .......... SAVING  YOU  MONEYI   he smelled burning clutch lining."
                                                                               Dan agrees in principle with the trend toward
           KITS  CARS:                                                       track tire rules,  an  unusual attitude for a front
           Many shops around the country offer excellent kit chassis that need to be as-  runner with the best in equipment. "With harder
           sembled.  We  specialize  in  this  area.  Order your kit chassis anywhere in the   tires you wouldn't need big,  expensive motors
           U.S.,  have  it drop shipped to  our shop and we will work with you to complete   because you couldn't get the power down to the
           the car.                                                          ground.  It  would  be  cheaper and  driving  and
           PERSONALIZED  SERVICE:                                            chassis setup ability would be more important,"
                                                                             he says.
           We feel a race car should be tailor fitted to the driver and his particular driving   "The  way  things  are  now  the  guy  who  is
           application.  For  this  reason  we  work  with  each  customer  on  an  individual   willing to spend the most dictates what the rest
           basis.  We encourage our customers to get involved with the construction of the   of us have to do.  The crowd doesn't care how
           car.                                                              fast we're going. They just want to see a good
                                                                             race.  We're  going  way too fast  on  a flat  third
           COMPONENT  FABRICATION:                                           mile  track  that  wasn't  designed  for  these
           We  also  offer a complete  up-dating  and custom fabricating service.  Bring us   sophisticated  cars  and  somebody is  going  to
           your current race car and we will up-date it to current standards.  We also fab-  get hurt."
                                                                               These  words  were  unfortunately  prophetic
           bricate:  SEAT MOUNTS,  WHEEL  WELLS,  FUEL CELL MOUNTS, MOTOR PLATES,   because  a few days  later Dan's throttle stuck
           PLUS  COMPLETE FABRICATING  FOR  INTERIORS  AND  ENGINE  WELLS,  INCLU-  open with the  nitrous  bottle  (legal  at Saugus)
           DING AIR DAMS.
                                                                             full  on.  The  car  hit the  wall  at  over 120 mph,
           EXER-DRIVER:                                                      spun around 180 degrees still at full throttle and
                                                                             hit again.
           Finally  an  exercise  machine  designed                            It took half an hour to cut Dan out of the car
           specifically  for  race  car  drivers.  Exer-                     and  his  left  leg,  hard  on  the  brake,  was
          Driver  builds  and  tones  the  muscles  a                        shattered.  The crash totally destroyed the car
          driver  relies  on.  Daily  work-outs  with                        and cost him the championship which he was
          the Exer-Driver can give you tremendous                            leading  at  the  time.  A  new  car  is  under con-
          confidence  in  even  the  most demanding                          struction and no one who knows Dan Press has
          conditions.                                                        any doubt that he and the car will be as fast as
          RACER  NET  ................... $129.00                            ever.
                                                                               While doing fiberglass work on his race car in
                CALL  US  TODAY  REGARDING  OUR  COMPLETE  FABRICATING  FACILITY.   preparation  for the  1976 season,  Dan's  eyes
                                                                             became  inflamed  and  eventually infected.  He
                                                                             got a tetanus shot which caused a severe aller-
                                                                             gic reaction  and  left  him  paralyzed  from  the
             Lance Smith Fabricating             19441  Business  Center  #132   waist down.  "The doctors told  me  that  it  was
                 I                               Northridge, California  91324   probably permanent and I told them that I was
                                                   (213)  993-3896           going  racing  on  April  1st  (the  first  race  of the
                                                                             season)," he remembers. Needless to say Dan
                                                                             raced on April 1st although he still suffers some
                                                                             residual effects of the paralysis to this day.
             ··Your   Source  For                                              The current injury,  complicated  by an  infec-
                  Performance                               CaH  S 17-435-7080   tion,  hasn't  proved  to  be  a  deterent  to  Dan
                       ED  HAMBURGER'S                                       Press making the first race of the season. It did,
                       HI-PERFORMANCE                                        however,  force him back onto the crutches he
                       PARTS  INC.                                           though he was rid of.
                       1590  CHURCH  SC                                        Anyone  who  has  seen  Dan  Press's  black
                       TOMS  RIVER,  N.  J.                                  #25 Camara in action knows the true meaning
                       (201)  240-3188
                       MQN.  •  FRI.   to   P.M.                             of phrase "hooked up." The car goes so fast so
                                             3195  Lyle  Rd.                 effortlessly  that  it  belies  the  work  and  ability
                                                                             involved.  Dan Press works as hard as anyone
         SEND  $3.50  FOR  OUR  1981  PERFORMANCE  GUIDE   COMPLETE  CHASSIS  &   in racing to make it look easy.
         ANO  PARTS  CATALOG  -  ADD  $2.00  FOR  DIRECT
         CONNECTION    AND  PRICE  LIST.         CHASSIS  COMPONENTS
                                                   HEADERS          ·                  Have regular
                                                         EQUIPMENT  ·              medical check-ups.
                                             ACING  ACCESSORIES  · TIRES             Amer con .....   Assoc1ot on
                                                                                    WE'RE  FIGHTING FOR YOUR LIFE
                                                            G..
        86                                                                             STOCK CAR  RACING
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