Images by Rick Sherer

I think the track is Freemont, but Gene will have to fill us in.

At this point, I think Gene might have more laps in a #292 than Al did! 

Looks like the old 283 is still doing the job.  Lookin' good Gene!

Joe, do you miss her (the 292)?   Looking at these great shots of the 292, it looks like visibilty is not the best due to the tilted angle of the body.  Maybe Gene is taller than Al.  I remember this hot rod, with Al behind the wheel, beating alot of racers that had more $$$ in them than the 292 did.  Scott Ely

Gene has done a great job getting the car out where it can be seen, along with the sign boards showing the original #292 in action, and also a sign board showing the creation of the #292, from pictures layed out on a shell of a body, to the final version after Cos had a chance to bring 'er to life with his paintbrush. 

Gene has displayed and/or taken laps at many tracks and events at different states, and even took it for a ride down the beach at Daytona.  More folks have probably seen this version of the #292 than the original that only actually only around for two years 1972 & 1973, and only raced at East Windsor, Flemington, Bridgeport (at least once), and Pleasantville (at least once.)  I miss having it, but I don't think folks realize how much work it is storing, transporting, up keeping a vintage car in display/running condition, and I give a lot of credit to those who do it. 

I didn't have the time or enough committment to take the car to any more spots than I really did (Wall, New Egypt, Motorsports Show, Old Bridge Reunion, Hunterdon County Fair, Ken Brenn's Warren Township Car Show, Phillipsburg Mall (Thank you Jeff and Bryan Kuhl), Caramella's car show (Thank you Riegleman Towing), and Fleming's Pumpkin Run.) 

Kevin Eyres was always very helpful in letting me use the #X3 1973 Ford ramptruck that he had restored whenever I wanted to take it somewhere. (You should'a seen the looks I'd get with the #292 up on the back of the old ramptruck!)  Other's helped out to,getting it from place to place, and it was a lot of fun, but Gene has really gotten the car a lot of exposure than I would have been able to.

As for seeing out of it when behind the wheel, Gene's a lot taller than Al, and I guess I'm somewhere in the middle.  I could see out of it, and never gave it much thought I guess.  Al always seemed up on the wheel too, so that might have been part of it too.

Here's one of Al behind the wheel of the original and it looks like he had just enough room:

These were taken at Fremont Speedway last week during the Johnny Auxter Days vintage show. It is correct I can't see out of it, so I mostly sorta just putz aroud and stay of of trouble.

I think i saw that car at Fremont last week!!

Vintage racing would be in better shape if there more like Gene out there and I'm guilty of it.  Thank you Gene!

More info....  I stopped by Al's today and asked him if he had any issues seeing out of the original #292 coupe and he said he didn't.  He also said that in the original car ('72 & '73) he just used a regular chair from a kitchen set (legs removed) and mounted it as low as he could.... 

He did say that on the sedan he built in 1974 (modified), he had to cut part of the front of the roof away so he could see the flagger when he was coming through turns 3 & 4 getting ready for a start/restart.