So why a Pinto, of all things, for a performance-based style of racing? Bieschke has driven other, more suitable (for racing) makes and models of vehicles — Mustangs and Thunderbirds, namely — but nevertheless finds joy in his outside-the-box machine.

“It’s just different…like the driver. The car just draws attention, and so many people come and look at it,” Bieschke says, adding that, “it’s been a while since I’ve driven it, but I remember it going pretty straight for the wheelbase that it is.”

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The wheelbase, it’s worth noting, is factory, at 96-inches, and Bieschke admits the weight balance is a slanted to the rear, in part due to the extra steel of the wagon (the car is entirely steel, save for the fiberglass nose).