ROSS AND MOODY MODIFIEDS ADDED TO SARATOGA AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM'S "RACING IN NEW YORK" GALLERY‏

“THE BOYS FROM SARANAC LAKE” - ROSS AND MOODY MODIFIEDS ADDED TO SARATOGA AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM’S “RACING IN NEW YORK” GALLERY

 

Saratoga Springs, NY  

 

A pair of radically different modifieds wheeled by star drivers who grew up together in, of all places, the tiny Adirondack mountain village of Saranac Lake, NY are now on display at the Saratoga Automobile Museum.

           

“Sometimes things come together perfectly,” offered 'Racing in New York' curator Ron Hedger. “I invited Wes Moody to speak at last fall’s ‘Lost Speedways’ program and he was excited about his recently rebuilt #63 coupe, which he immediately offered for display once he saw our racing gallery.

           

“At the same time, Brian Ross, who grew up with Wes in Saranac Lake before moving to the Saratoga area, had just found his famed #73 asphalt modified, which had been converted to a dirt late model, and was in the process of restoring it to original condition. The completed car was first shown at our Spring Invitational in May, where it was named “Best Race Car.” Putting them together in our racing gallery seemed to be ordained by the racing gods!”

           

As good on asphalt as he was on dirt, Moody’s Chevrolet coupes were always fast, but he still shocked the racing world when he was the first to qualify over the magic 100 mph mark at the New York State Fairgrounds mile, an oval that is still known decades later as the “Moody Mile.” And Ross’ homebuilt NASCAR modified was equally significant, winning races and track titles on asphalt speedways throughout New York and New England against fields full of factory-built cars.

           

“The cars come from different eras and are great examples of how technology, fabrication techniques and safety considerations changed markedly in a relatively short time,” summed up Hedger. “That Wes and Brian are lifelong friends and competitors makes the mini-exhibit even more relevant.”

 

 

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The mission of the Saratoga Automobile Museum is to preserve, interpret and exhibit automobiles and automotive artifacts. We celebrate the automobile and educate the general public, students and enthusiasts regarding the role of the automobile in New York State and in the wider world. In addition to technical and design aspects, our educational focus is on the past, present and future social and economic impact of the automobile.  The Museum is chartered by the Board of Regents of the State of New York Department of Education as a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit institution. The Museum is a member of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and the National Association of Automobile Museums (NAAM).

 

 

 

 

Heidi A. Shull

Director of Marketing and Events

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Saratoga Automobile Museum

110 Avenue of the Pines

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

www.SaratogaAutoMuseum.org