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Race fans enjoy watching the excitement of motorsports during the racing season which normally begins in February and ends in November. Do they have a vision of the crew and driver laying on a sandy beach in the islands or skiing down the slopes of the Rocky Mountains? Well, guess again! Race teams are busiest during these off racing months constructing new race cars, obtaining sponsors and planning a race strategy for the new season.

The Q Motorsports Race Team in Pinellas Park, Florida runs an exciting race program with the Parts Pro Trucks race Series. The series will begin in March at the Lanier National Speedway in Georgia. PARTS has twelve National Points races scheduled in 1999 throughout the Southeastern USA. All races are televised on Speedvision and FoxSports. A recent visit to the Q Motorsports race shop was an enlightening expierence. It is amazing the amount of work that takes place to have this three-truck team ready for the season opener.

James Glover is the Q Motorsports Team manager. He actually constructs the race trucks from scratch. One race truck takes six weeks to build with long days of 10-12 hours. Several part-time crew help Glover accomplish this project including Charlie Parker, a Deputy Sheriff from Pinellas County. Other helpers include John Zurenda, Scott Engles, Ed Mozader, and Scott Grigsby. Team Owner and race truck driver.. Attorney Leonard McCue, is the primary sponsor and financier of the race program.

Glover explains that the process begins by previewing the PARTS Pro Truck racing rules, as the rules dictate the guidelines on what is allowed in the construction of the race truck. The construction starts by selecting an intermediate stock production 1979-1986 car from the local recycler. From this car, the builder only uses the GM frame. All other parts of the car are discarded, and soon a local media blaster removes all of the old paint and grime from the frame. The frame is placed on a race car "jig". The jig holds the frame in place so Glover can cut and modify the frame.

A major alteration to the frame is the mounting of the roll cage. The roll cage is the most important safety device in a race truck, protecting the driver in the event of a crash. Glover and his assistants then mount the truck's fiberglass body which is ordered from an approved PARTS supplier, and is an exact duplicate of a 1999 Chevrolet S10 Pick up truck body.

The body is temporarily mounted and trimmed for size and all mounting points are checked on the frame. The body is removed and the welding of the various brackets along with the body mounting brackets begins. The trucks radiator and motor mounts are welded to the frame, and the frame is now ready for a "Powder Coat" Powder coating is a process similar to painting but is considered more durable. It protects the frame from rust and comes in various colors.

Actually, the race truck builder is quite proud of this "skeleton" as it reflects their engineering ability and attention to detail. The welding must also be neat as it will be judged by the most serious of critics:; other truck builders. Now this beautiful powder coated frame is ready for the rest of the truck's parts.