SALVATION RACING

My name is Matthew Ball; I am the Driver of the Salvation Racing Team Car!
The Car I will be driving in the up and coming 2010 season will be a completely modified All Steel Bodied, 1979 Chevrolet Chevette. The motor in this car is a Highly Modified Big Block 427 CID Chevy motor making as much or more than 600 hp using 114 octain gasoline. It has a Power Glide 2 speed transmission, running a narrowed 12 Bolt GM 4:88 gear turning 14X32X15 Goodyear Drag Slicks! All of this resting in a 12 point Jegs Roll cage Assembly! This Full Bodied, Full Rolled NHRA approved Pro Gas Chassis's Door Slammer Car is capable of running Speeds of 145 + mph in 9.50 seconds.

I purchased the above mentioned car on the web site “Ebay” Completely assembled and ready to race from it’s previous owner, Mr. Barry Glazier of Stafford Conn. It was at one time his family car, then he and his son’s converted this car into what it is today. One of the finest built race cars on the track.I did have to make some changes and update some of the equipment to spec, but all in all the car came complete!
I’m teeling you these things because I am returning back to a sport I love so deeply and have long roots tying me back for many of years after a 15 year Hiatus!
I did very well in my previouse years Drag Racing back in the mid 80‘s to early 90’s. Along with my past memories and an urge to get back behind the wheel of another car. I was inspired to return back to the sport of Drag Racing after watching many times the TV shows “PINKS” / “PINKS ALL OUT” and the newest of race programs “PASS TIMES”
I was and have been involved with drag racing for a good part of my life starting back into my early teens. Working beside my older Brother as he worked on his motors and cars that he raced, then following in his footsteps working in the Automotive Industry.
I learned to build and to maintain my own street cars with the hands on experience I got from working side by side with my bother. I ran on the streets of Northern Va. Grudge Racing and showing off at local Burger Kings Friday Night Drive Threw Car Shows.
I was introduced to Drag Racing again in 1983, but this time at the race track with fellow co-worker and friend. There I was, hooked again! I soon started off looking for a car to build and use, having 1 just about fall in my lap. The first car I found and I raced with was a Full Bodied 1966 Buick GS weighing 3000 lbs. I got the car for all but free. I paid a tow bill for the young lady that owned the car. She had blown up the original 401 nail-head motor by over heating it!
I found and built a Buick 225 V6 motor to race with and backed it up with a Turbo 400 transmission with a 10 bolt 4:88 Rear Gear! The car ran 8.90 seconds in 1/8th mile at 83 mph. I raced this car for 1 year at Old Dominion Speedway, Colonial Beach Drag-way and Summerduck Speedway! In my first season I won my first overall drag race in Street Modified class at Summerduck Speedway! I also compiled enough North Eastern Division Points to qualify and race in the 1985 NHRA World Bracket Finals at Maple Grove Drag-way in Pennsylvania .
I continued the following year 1986 using the same Buick later upgrading by changing motors from the V6 to a Small Block V8 Oldsmobile motor 350 CID Rocket Engine. During this Season I raced at 3 tracks Maryland International Raceway aka “MIR” in Budds Creek Md. , Colonial Beach Dray-way in VA and Old Dominion Speedway in VA. Racing this my first season I won 1 overall event, 4 runner up titles at MIR and then 2 runner up titles only at Old Dominion Speedway also winning 5 Overall Events and several runner up titles at Colonial Beach Drag-way. Again qualifying for The World Bracket Finals this time in South Eastern Division of IHRA racing at Bristol Speedway in Tenn.
In those first 2 WBF events even though I did well to get there It wasn’t good enough to compete with several seasoned veterans. I lost first round in each of the first 2 WBF I attended. But all in all, I felt that I did well as did others through out the racing committee. In seeing my first 2 seasons that I qualifying for 2 WBF aswell as winning several events, caught the attention of several individuals, being Competitors, Machine Shop and or Speed Shop owners and then over the next few seasons while I raced I was offered help by way of sponsorship either by receiving materials to use to operate my Race Car or to use in my Pulling Vehicle itself.
In 1987 I was approached by local Speed Shop “AUTO SPORT” in Sterling Va. From where I purchased most of the items I needed to run my race car and to run my tow vehicle. Steve the owner came on board supplying me with racing fuel, racing oil, gas & oil filters, spark plugs, gaskets, 1set of racing drag slick tires, along with large discounts on racing parts as I needed………
B & D Plumbing & Heating operated by Buster Dotson came on board not only with the use of a hauling vehicle and trailer to get to and from the races. But a completely different car to race with. Buster allowed me to use his 1970 Olds Cutlass 442 named MR.442 using my motor and transmission combinations.
Changes worked out well and it took some getting used to for awhile. But with change comes testing and I did just that. Spent most of the next season working out the bugs
Wayne Rodgers of Rodgers Automotive Transmission supplied me with 1 replacement Transmission. Torque Converter and repair parts and labor, if one was to be damaged while racing.
1988 season Whitey’s Automotive Machine came on board offering engine machining work supplying me with 1 modified Pontiac 12:1 / 400 CID motor block and 1 set of modified stage 5 heads to replace the 350 CID and on track tuning assistance while racing.
Though over the past few years I brought on more sponsors I did maintain good racing standards. I moved from Street Eliminator class to Pro Eliminator Class Making changes of the classes and into different car and motor combinations did account for not winning the over all events, but I did place well in the top 2nd to 4th place finishes at all race tracks. With a Per Round winning average of over 45%.
I also became employed by Buster Dotson at B & D Plumbing as Plumber Mechanic during the day and also to work on and maintain his Race Car at the National Racing level in IHRA Events up and down the East Coast. When not at IHRA with Buster I also maintained my own racing program at the other tracks. With all that was going on we travelled together as a team group during these years and help each other out while Racing Regional Point events on off weekends.
In the 1989 Race season I went back to concentrating my racing program. After not having the best of seasons trying to keep up 2 cars I had to step aside from helping Buster to work on my own.
In doing so I eventually had my best season. Winning 11 out 23 Overall season events at Colonial Beach Drag-way, becoming 1989 Pro Eliminator Track Champ. Making a good show for all my Sponsers in the long run!
I raced at MIR in the Regional point races during this year as well, I did qualify for the IHRA North Eastern Division. I chose to go with Colonial Beach For South Eastern Division WBF.
This year 1989 WBF performance was better, I had less stress and felt good. In Bristol for this WBF. I won first round of eliminations, moving into the second round with high hopes! It was not to be my day, I lost the second by running too fast under Dial-in.
1990 came in with a bang and a big bang it was. Sponsorship help was still on board but with cut backs. Times started changing in the money world that was leading to cut backs all over the world. Work slowed and racing programs were put on back burners. Though still racing threw the 1990 season I didn’t make enough races to compete well enough to stay in the top 15 of the points at any of the 3 tracks I was racing at. I had 2 motors blow up and lost one transmission in this season. Down time to make repairs set my racing back losing time to testing and tuning in the new motors. Though with improvements the car did well, I did well. Just wasn’t ment to be!
1991 season started but, but not completed.
So needless to say along with performance improvements made my expenses to race grow, along with my performance slipping not what it was the previous season. The need for sponsorship backing was becoming more of a cash affordable program. After leaving Mr.Dotson’s employment and due to Mr. Doston financial cutbacks in the plumbing trades he cut back support completely! Along with the other sponsers, we all decided to cut back my racing program for the next year and to work with others on their programs eventually ending my racing completely before the end 1991.
Aside from the set backs in the early 1990’s with the trades slowing and new home sales dropping. People losing jobs and with a new President coming into Office. It caused even my work to slow as I had become self employed after leaving B & D Plumbing. I hadn’t given up, I did start to build one car to get back into racing over time, It was my old Buick GS. New Pro Gas Chassis using the 400 Pontiac & turbo 400 combination I had with a 4:56 Dana rear. Car was looking good, but by 1996 with no help from sponsers the new car had not been completed and my funds where not there to continue the build. The car project was sold off along with other parts for the project to someone else to complete!

Bringing us here to 2010 and the future of the SALVATION RACING TEAM Program!