"Swamp Fox"
A Professional Looking Race Team on a Working Man’s Budget
Original Owner: Mel Hoyh
1967 R&B Chassis, SEMA #354
392 Chrysler Hemi
Driver: Harold Brewer
Note: I was fortunate enough to meet David Hoyh and Ralph Kitron at the National Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, June 2004 and I have to say that his dedication to this project and to the memory of his father was very impressive to me. I rally enjoyed speaking with him and Ralph Kitron. Not only is this car beautiful but you can tell from the sound that it is rally making some horsepower. Both at the "fire-up" at the host hotel on Friday night and during the "cacklefest" on Saturday night this thing was sounding very wicked.
My late-father, Melvin Hoyh, was the original owner of the Swamp Fox. He became a victim to polio as a young child, but it did not stop him from pursuing his dreams. Mel owned and campaigned a series of Swamp Fox Top Fuelers from 1963 to 1971 throughout the Midwest. Like many racers back then, Melvin worked the basic eight to five job to support his family and passion for racing. On the evenings or weekends he and his small volunteer crew could be found either in the family garage prepping the car to late at night or the family station wagon traveling the Midwest in search of the next win light. Evidenced in the picture above, taken back in 1967 at Martin US131 Dragway, Melvin and his crew, dressed in matching team uniforms, created a clean professional looking operation on a working man’s budget.
The 1967 crew poses with the car. Though stricken with polio, it never stopped Mel Hoyh from participating in the sport he loved so
Driver Harold Brewer prepares for another pass (Photographer Unknown)
1968 US Nationals Appearance
Mel Hoyh and the Swamp Fox did not run at many National Events. The car primarily competed throughout the Midwest at various UDRA meets or match races. But back in 1968 there was a stretch of time where the car was running strong without smoking the tires, thus Mel and his driver Harold Brewer thought they should make an attempt to qualify in the Grand Daddy of all races, the US Nationals. In 1968 bad weather and a field of over 100 dragsters limited the Swamp Fox to only a one-shot qualifying attempt. On that qualifying run the clutch locked up and the Swamp Fox smoked the tires. Knowing this was a one-shot attempt; Harold Brewer kept his foot into the throttle and ran a respectable 214.78 MPH. Reluctantly the team packed up, heading home and looking forward to the next weekend at US30.
Performance Milestones
In the weeks following the 1968 US Nationals the Swamp Fox recorded its best times ever. The run at US 30 was a thing of beauty, the clutch slipped and the car hooked to record one of the quickest runs at that time, 6.57 seconds. One week later at Dragway 42 the car ran 219 MPH, the Swamp Fox might have run 220 that day if it had not been for oil pushing out of the valve covers, forcing Harold Brewer to lift just as he hit the lights.
Quickest ET: 6.57 September 8, 1968, US 30, Gary, IN
Fastest
Speed:
219 MPH
September 15, 1968,
Dragway 42, W Salem, OH
A couple time slips show the car to be a real runner
A Day Dreams are Made Of
Winner “World Series of
Drag Racing” August 25, 1968,
Cordova,
IL
One week prior to the 1968 US Nationals the Swamp Fox recorded is biggest payday, $750, beating some of the best cars from across the nation at Cordova’s World Series of Drag Racing event. In the picture above the Swamp Fox, driven by Harold Brewer, is hooked up on its way to victory over Dwayne Nichols, in Oz Hays’ Nitroholic.
Other Performance Highlights
Midwest
UDRA Member #6504
·
1968
Top 10 Finisher
·
1968
Most Improved Car & Driver Award
1968 and Now
The Swamp Fox Restoration Project has been relatively straight forward. The original rolling chassis, body and levers was found stored in a barn approximately 30 miles from where it all started in 1967. Ralph Kitron, who was a friend of my dad and a recovering cancer patient, found and purchased the 1967 R&B rolling chassis and the restoration began. Utilizing details from original photos, receipts and records I have from 1968 as a guide, the car was reconstructed with the same original “period correct” components and combination from the 60’s. Ralph and I owe many thanks to a group of local hot rodders who volunteered their time and craft toward transforming the car in less than nine months in Ralph’s two-car garage.
The freshly restored "Swamp Fox"
CLICK HERE
for Restoration Photos
Other Appearances
This spring the car will receive improvements in performance and aesthetics. Currently, the car is on display in the showroom of Lane Automotive / Motor State Distributing, the nations 3rd largest distributor of racing performance parts. The plan for 2004 will be to make special appearances at local tracks, plus the Cacklefest at Joliet, Columbus, Bowling Green, Indianapolis and Bakersfield.
Sincerely,
David J. Hoyh
David Hoyh and I check out the machine that is his tribute to his father at Bowling Green 2004 (Photo by Hutch)
