Chris Birdsong hauls his dirt modified with a 1969 Dodge Charger — and his dirt modified matches the tow vehicle. The Mopar aficionado bought the Charger with hopes that it could serve a variety of purposes.
“I wanted an all-around-purpose vehicle, [with it] being [a] good daily driver, autocross [vehicle], road race [car], [drift car,] and a tow rig,” Birdsong, of Las Vegas, Nevada, said. “I searched and searched and found a turquoise ’69 Charger sitting in a junkyard in Utah. [It has] a 489-cid stroker [engine], EFI, six-speed transmission, full-performance suspension and brakes, and assist air ride in back for towing. The [600-hp] engine is streetable and it tows well.”
Birdsong wanted to wrap his IMCA modified to match his tow vehicle.
“That tow vehicle is a ratty car,” said Birdsong. “So, I wanted a wrap that had that rusty patina. I wanted a modified that you couldn’t tell if it was really dirty or dinged or not.”
Charlie Wahl, of Off The Wahl Designs, created the wrap from photos of the tow vehicle.
“We didn’t know how good the wrap would look until we laid it out on the car,” Birdsong said. “It was an instant hit.”
Chris Birdsong made the switch to dirt modifieds in 2020. He traded a 1970 Dodge Charger RT for it. Previously, he had raced pavement late models on The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Birdsong works full-time for his own business that builds Mopar “sleeper” street cars. You can find his work on the YouTube channel Junkerup.
Unfortunately, his modified doesn’t use Mopar power. Instead, it has a crate engine from Chevrolet Performance.
“I have to constantly explain to Mopar fans that the modified has to have a [Chevrolet Performance] crate [engine] to be competitive — it’s just the way the rules are,” said Birdsong. “The important thing is that I am having fun with Mopars and modifieds.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
