Intersection Replicas Forums

I've had a few customers who grew up after the wedge car era and are curious about what sideboards were, and what they did.

I thought rather then answer the questions individually, i'd add a post here that i can refer them to.

If you've ever been driving on the freeway and put your hand out the window flat against the wind, you've noticed how much pressure presses against it.. even at only 60 miles per hour.. sometimes it's even hard just to keep your hand in the same place.

Well, that's what sideboards do.. only on a much grander scale.

Now imagine if your hand was as big as a 4'x8' sheet of plexiglass, and instead of doing 60 miles per hour, you're doing 120. The amount of pressure pushing against the plexiglass would be immense.

Outlaw Wedges used this feature to help them get around the corners much faster then the cars before they were invented.

The sideboards on the cars allowed them to turn and "lean" on the air pressure created by the sideboards. I use the term "lean", because the air pressure was like having upwards of 1000lbs pushing on the back of the car, keeping it from spinning out.

Sideboard cars were dangerous though, because the cornering speeds were so high. You'd be cornering just fine, and suddenly a sideboard could break loose, and you'd go flying into the outside wall...

Basically, to corner faster in the 80's, you just added a bigger sideboard.. it meant more pressure you could lean on, and more cornering speed.

They banned sideboards pretty much nationally by 1986. Cars were getting too fast, and too dangerous.

Dirt Late Models slowed down for a while after that.. Then they hit on the idea of using suspension and rear-steer to get the cars to corner faster, and the speeds started to pick back up again.

Dirt Late Models of today are faster then most of the 80's era wedge cars, though they still hold track records at tracks throughout the country.

If you ever get a chance to watch a 'Run What Ya' Brung' race, I say don't miss the chance! You'll be amazed at how fast the cars corner with sideboards on them. When you combine the modern suspension systems with the aerodynamic cushion created by sideboards, the speeds are pretty insane.

Anyway, I hope this explains it.. if anyone has anything to add, please feel free!

Michael S. Crowley
Intersection Masterpiece Replicas