GOD SPEED to a legend in dirt track racing, member of the National Dirt Late Model Hall Of Fame, and an innovator in American Motorsports.
One of the very best has passed away. Sad day in dirt racing as CJ has touched many a lives with his racing on and of the track. One of the nicest guys you could meet at a track or his shop in Indiana
If anyone has not heard of History mystery man on YouTube, he has a great interview with C J 🏁
Plus lots of other great shows with racing stuff .
Rest In Peace 😢
Late 80s and early 90s i was following LM's as much as sprints. (Lawrencburg ran em too regularly) So I ventured out to brownstown, eldora, bloomington when they had em. CJ was a staple. Tall, Gruff and always a contender. R.I. P C.J
Bet he makes a pass on Betty White. Prayers to friends and family.
Absolutely a Late Model legend. From the part of Indiana that’s actually Late Model country, C.J. Rayburn Race Cars, Stronger than Dirt we’re commonplace. RIP CJ. Also if you guy’s would like to here a good interview, Michael Rigsby’s the Rigsby Report podcast has a really good one with CJ.
It would be interesting to know what Mr. Rayburn truly thought about the twisted up, jacked up, right front hanging out a foot or more beyond the right rear, banana shaped contraptions dirt late models have been allowed to become.
Isn't Mr. Rayburn one of the three gentlemen who gave birth to the post stock frame and sheet metal modern dirt late model? IIRC it was Rayburn, Bob Glidden and Karl Kinser. Someone correct me if I'm once again mistaken.
RIP Mr. Rayburn............
Silver Crown Championship Dirt Cars properly driven on a one mile dirt track are classic poetry in motion. Using that analogy, Jack Hewitt is one of the greatest poets of all time.
Originally Posted by ISF:
It would be interesting to know what Mr. Rayburn truly thought about the twisted up, jacked up, right front hanging out a foot or more beyond the right rear, banana shaped contraptions dirt late models have been allowed to become.
Isn't Mr. Rayburn one of the three gentlemen who gave birth to the post stock frame and sheet metal modern dirt late model? IIRC it was Rayburn, Bob Glidden and Karl Kinser. Someone correct me if I'm once again mistaken.
RIP Mr. Rayburn............
Well since he had a hand in creating everything that a modern Late Model is, I'll go out out on a limb and say he liked them. Cantilever cars, swing arms, top links running backwards, super weird(at the time) front end geometries. CJ Rayburn didn't get to be CJ Rayburn by thinking that Late Models shouldn't evolve.
Originally Posted by kendirt:
Well since he had a hand in creating everything that a modern Late Model is, I'll go out out on a limb and say he liked them. Cantilever cars, swing arms, top links running backwards, super weird(at the time) front end geometries. CJ Rayburn didn't get to be CJ Rayburn by thinking that Late Models shouldn't evolve.
It would have been fun and very interesting to hear his true thoughts on what he had a huge roll in creating and what it has become, for better or for worse.
Silver Crown Championship Dirt Cars properly driven on a one mile dirt track are classic poetry in motion. Using that analogy, Jack Hewitt is one of the greatest poets of all time.
I raced against CL almost 50 years ago. CJ was a drag racer before he ran late models. He put some humper tires on the rear back then. Then he came up with the steerable rears later on which allowed the right side to move backwards and the left side to move forward. This is what makes the late models and mods lean in the corners. Who would of ever thought this would work before CJ did it. I also bought engine parts from CJ.
I'm disguised as a responsible adult!...
