Although they've been myopic on numerous occasions, American automakers have rarely been blind to the promotional opportunities afforded by stock car racing. Currently, most car companies are seeing more clearly than ever, and virtually every marque - with the exception of Chrysler - is represented on the nation's race tracks. The last Chrysler-manufactured vehicle to be actively campaigned was the Dodge Mirada/Chrysler Cordoba of 1983.

That situation has recently [when the article was written!] been rectified. The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) has approved the 1989 Chrysler LeBaron for oval track competition at its sanctioned races.

Once the LeBaron was approved for competition in the ARCA Permatex Super Car Series, the missing ingredient was an owner to field a car. That vacancy was filled by Jerry Churchill, an experienced racer who has competed on the ARCA circuit for a number of years. Churchill brought with him the sponsorship of Churchill Transport from Detroit, an interstate trucking company. Additional sponsorship is provided by Chrysler's high performance parts division, Mopar Performance.

The chassis of Churchill's LeBaron was built by Norm Negre of Negre Enterprises, Kannapolis, who also serves as crew chief for the superspeedway races. (Joe Boyle is the crew chief at all short-track events.)

Nestled between the framerails is a 355 cubic inch Chrysler "LA" smallblock built by Arrow Racing Engines of Rochester Hill, Michigan. With a bore of 4.04 inches and a stroke of 3.46 inches, the engine utilizes a Mopar Performance race cylinder block, Diamond pistons, Carillo connecting rods, a Keith Black billet crankshaft, Fluidampr vibration damper and Reed roller camshaft. The short block is topped off by Chrysler W-2 (cast iron) or W-5 (aluminum) cylinder heads (both types are being evaluated as part of the engine development program), with 2.08-inch intake and 1.60-inch exhaust valves, a Mopar Performance intake manifold and Arrow-modified Holley carburetor. For lubrication, the engine relies on a Weaver three-stage dry sump pump and Canton oil pan.

A parallel engine development program is also under way. Joey Arrington (son of longtime Mopar racer Buddy Arrington) is working directly with Churchill Racing in developing other engine combinations. [Joey Arrington later worked with Ted Musgrave.]

Listening to the engine, both at idle and at wide-open throttle, there's no doubt that the Mopar small-block is producing an abundance of power. Bill Hancock of Arrow Racing Engines doesn't say much about horsepower numbers because the engine is still in the developmental stage. However, during the car's very first on-track check-out runs at Atlanta International Raceway, lap speeds in excess of 160 mph were recorded-even though the chassis was still being dialed in.

While the engine consists largely of Chrysler-issue parts, the bellhousing and transmission have more of a GM flavor. Like virtually all top-running ARCA and Winston Cup cars, the LeBaron is equipped with a Super T10 transmission that incorporates GForce race parts. Mike Powell of Tex Enterprises built the gearboxes, which include a special high strength tailhousing, billet shift heads, rollerized first gear and a Tex Enterprises shifter. Powell also devised a special bellhousing to mate the GM-style transmission to the Mopar block. He took a Lakewood blank "can," which is 6 and 5/16 inches deep (the depth necessary to accommodate the transmission's input shaft) and machined it to mate with the Chrysler block.

In 1989, aerodynamics has become as important as horsepower in the quest for maximum speed. To assure that the LeBaron didn't have any "dirty laundry" flapping in the breeze, race car aerodynamics wizard Louis Duncan of Automotive Aerodynamics in Norman, Oklahoma, was called upon to work his magic. Race car specifications are tightly defined with respect to vehicle height and width, spoiler and air dam dimensions, windshield and rear window size and angle. However, within the framework of the specifications, it is still possible to refine a car's shape. The challenge is to sculpt the bodywork to provide the desired amount of downforce with minimal air drag.

Working within the confines of ARCA rules, Duncan designed a front end shape that retained the stock LeBaron appearance yet was aerodynamically more efficient. His final nose design was transformed into a flexible fiberglass reality by Tex Enterprises.

Although Churchill's LeBaron is currently a one-of-a-kind car, that status should change in the near future. In sponsoring the car, the goal of Mopar Performance is to spotlight its line of race parts for the 355 cubic inch oval track engine. Beyond that, the LeBaron also serves as a test bed for the refinement of existing parts and the development of new ones.

Currently, a fully machined block with semi-finished bores, a 3.46-inch-stroke forged crankshaft, W-2 cast-iron and W-5 aluminum cylinder heads, aluminum intake manifold, electronic ignition and dry sump oil pan-all specifically designed for oval track racing-are available through the Mopar Performance catalog.

Judging by the caliber of the equipment and the qualifications of the personnel involved in the LeBaron project, Mopar Performance is deadly serious about bringing the Chrysler name back to big-time stock car racing. And at long last, Mopar fans have something to cheer about.

What happened to Chrysler's ARCA efforts?

The LeBaron continued to be raced successfully in ARCA, and Mopar cars remained through the 1998 season. Mopar driver Roy Payne won rookie of the year and finished in the top ten for points. Bob Keselowski's LeBaron was second in points one year. Roger Blackstock won a number of races in an Avenger.

Source allpar.com

redriderbob