(Words and photos by Jacob Marshall) – Frequent Bangshifters will know that while I embrace any hunk of metal that burns gas and spins tires, my heart truly lies with Mopars. As a result, this past weekend at Summit Motorsports Park, in Norwalk Ohio, gave me total sensory overload. I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of fast Mopars present. The staging lanes were full of everything from Slant Six A bodies, to Hemi powered Super Stockers. While the words “Heaven” or “Nirvana” may come to mind, the event is actually called Monster Mopar. And the longer I spent walking the pits, car show, swap meet, and track, the more I realized what an apt name that really was.
While the event got off to a slow start due to weather and a freak accident involving a spectator and a spark plug, the track crew was on the ball with one of the quicker track dryings I’ve ever witnessed. Darts, Dusters, Cudas, Challengers, and other Muscle Mopars were definitely the norm, but some of Chrysler’s finest oddball machines were on the track as well. Hopped up Rampages, Daytonas, an 11 second Dodge A-100 van, and even a wheelstanding Jeep Cherokee XJ were in the mix! Those of you under the blue oval persuasion would be pleased to know there was a Ford Maverick present, but with a big Pentastar in the grille, and a nasty Mopar under the hood. But this anti “LS swap” attitude could be found in other non Mopars in attendance with Mopar power plants, like the black Volvo and Ford Roadster in the attached gallery. This year was my first time attending the event, but seeing the quality of the track, and the potency of the cars present, I know it’s going to make my yearly calendar of events for years to come. Sit down, crack open a cold one, and forget about all that other nonsense for a while, it’s time for MONSTER MOPAR!!!
Great gallery! You know you’ve found a set of hardcore Mopar fans when someone’s towing his racing operation with a Dodge semi truck.
That’s a great show! I only ever got there once but I really liked it. Just a shame it’s so far away from me.
The track is really nice. The pit area is bigger than my town. A pound of Superman ice cream for $1(where’s that been all my life?). Loved the way the grandstands were designed to increase the noise. Just a cool place.
God bless all the racers but especially the Marshall clan. Every time I see that real deal 65 car of his it makes me smile. SO cool he didn’t just stick the car in a bank vault like most others did. Keep up the good work!!
To my Bangshifting Mopar people,
On October 1 & 2, at Gateway Motorsports Park, Gateway Classic Mopars is sponsoring Monster Musclecar Weekend where there will be drag racing, car show, swap meet, and manufacturers midway.
Registration starts August 5th,2016
636-362-4MMV http://www.mmwstl.com
702-256-8254 http://www.matslv.com