DeKon 1015

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DeKon Chassis 1015


Gene Felton #96 (DeKon c/n 1015) Buick Skyhawk IMSA AC - Daytona Finale 250 mi Daytona Beach, FL - November 26, 1977 (The little Buick that did.)	Gene Felton #96 (DeKon c/n 1015) Buick Skyhawk IMSA AC - Talladega Superspeedway 6-hr Lincoln, AL - April 2, 1978 (Photo courtesy of Gene Felton Restorations)	Gene Felton #96 (DeKon c/n 1015) Buick Skyhawk IMSA AC - Mid-Ohio Lexington, OH - August 7. 1978 (Photo by Mark Windecker)


Gene Felton #96 (DeKon c/n 1015) Buick Skyhawk IMSA AC - Mid-Ohio Lexington, OH - August 7. 1978 (Photo by Mark Windecker)	Gene Felton #96 (DeKon c/n 1015) Buick Skyhawk Winner of IMSA AC - Talladega Superspeedway 6-hr Lincoln, AL - April 2, 1978 (Photo courtesy of Gene Felton Restorations)	Gene Felton #96 (DeKon c/n 1015) Buick Skyhawk IMSA AC - Road Atlanta Braselton, GA - September 4, 1978 (Photo by Scott Sperka)

The Only DeKon Buick

Gene Felton of Roswell, Georgia and is an American champion racecar driver. From 1977 through 1980, he dominated and won the IMSA American Challenge championship series all four years. During this run, he accumulated 25 wins. In the 1980 season alone, he qualified on the pole for all nine races. Felton also won the manufacturer’s championships for both Buick and Chevrolet.

For his IMSA American Challenge and Radial Sedan effort, he drove the only Buick Skyhawk built by DeKon Engineering, LTD. GM's Buick Division commissioned Dekon to build a racing Skyhawk for Felton to test the new Buick V-6 engines being built by Smokey Yunick. Gene won several races at Daytona and Talladega but between engine failures and a bunch of chassis problems didn't have much success with the H-body. Still, the DeKon Buick faired well in the capable hands of this multi-talented driver.

Today, Gene Felton restores road course race-ready cars and other select race cars, and is owner of Gene Felton Restorations. He continues to race in historic stock car events and is a member of the Road Racing Driver's Club.

IMSA Race Results - Gene Felton

Buick Skyhawk H-body and Buick Skylark X-body cars.

Date	Track	Class	Driver(s)	Entrant	No.	Car	Result	OA	Status
Apr 17, 1977	Road Atlanta 100 mi	AC	Gene Felton		96	Skylark	dq	38th	engine
Jul 24, 1977	Hallett Motor Circuit	AC	Gene Felton		96	Skylark	1st	8th	running
Nov 27, 1977	Daytona Finale 250 mi	AC	Gene Felton		96	DeKon 1015 Skyhawk	1st	8th	running

Mar 18, 1978	Sebring 12 hr	AC	Felton/Gimondo	Unicure	96	Skylark	1st	9th	running
Apr 01, 1978	Talladega 6 hr	AC	Felton/Gimondo	Gene Felton	96	DeKon 1015 Skyhawk	3rd	36th	dnf
May 29, 1978	Lime Rock 100 mile	AC	Gene Felton		96	Skylark	6th	27th	dnf
Jul 02, 1978	6 h Daytona	RS	Felton / Craw	Gene Felton	96	DeKon 1015 Skyhawk		41st	dnf
Jul 04, 1978	Daytona Revere 250 mi	AC	Gene Felton		96	Skylark	1st	11th	running
Sep 03, 1978	6 h Road Atlanta	RS	Felton / Gregg	Gene Felton	96	DeKon 1015 Skyhawk	dnf	43rd	dnf
Sep 04, 1978	Road Atlanta 30 lap	AC	Gene Felton	Gene Felton	96	Skylark	4th	21st	running
Nov 26, 1978	Daytona Finale 250 mi	AC	Gene Felton	Perform. Assoc.	96	Skylark	2nd	27th	running

Apr 01, 1979	6 h Talladega	RS	Felton / Cox	Gene Felton	96	DeKon 1015 Skyhawk	-	9th
Jul 01, 1979	6 h Daytona	RS	Felton/Sheehy/Sereix	Gene Felton	96	DeKon 1015 Skyhawk	-	50th

Gene Felton's Racing Career

1967	Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) A Sedan Class South eastern regional champion.
1971	SCCA D Production Class Southeastern regional champion. Peachbowl Speedway Ministock champion. NASCAR Grand American series with three top-5 finishes.
1972	Won first professional race, IMSA Camel GT series Presidential 250 at Daytona with a big-block Camaro.
1976	Won IMSA Camel GT Daytona Paul Revere 250 with same big-block Camaro. Qualified and finished 16th at his first NASCAR Grand National race at Atlanta Motor Speedway Dixie 500.
1977-80	Won the IMSA American Challenge series all four years, with 25 wins. In 1980, qualified on the pole for all nine races.
1980	Three wins at Dixie Speedway, a 3/8 mile dirt track.
1981-82	Runner-up for consecutive years in IMSA American Challenge series.
1982	Runner-up in IMSA GTO class at Daytona 24 Hours.

1983	Three wins during 1983 IMSA Championship season.
1984	Won IMSA GTO class at Daytona 24 Hours. Also, won IMSA GTO class 12 Hours of Sebring.
1984	In October, Gene was critically injured during SCCA Trans-Am race at Riverside, California.
1985-86	IMSA American Challenge and GTO series events, with seven top-5 finishes and one win.
1992	Historic Sportcar Racing series, HSR Sprint Challenge champion. Since then, has continued to race historic stock car events with 91 wins, as of 2012.
2003	Nominated to International Motor Sports Hall of Fame.
2005	Inducted into Georgia Automobile Racing Hall of Fame.
1992 - today	Gene Felton restores road course race-ready cars with other select race cars. Continues to race in historic stock car events. Member of Road Racing Driver's Club.

International Motor Sports Association

American Challenge Series

The IMSA Kellygirl American Challenge (IMSA AC) series was a road racing series for American compact and sub-compact cars such as Nova, Grand-Am, Cutlass, Aspen, Maverick, Concord, etc. Pony cars were also welcomed (Camaro, Mustang). Both V6 and V8 engines could be found on the grid. Tires were racing slicks. Body flares were not allowed, although wheel-well opening flares were permitted, and original metal body panels had to be used.

From 1977 through 1980, Gene dominated and won the IMSA American Challenge championship series all four years. During this run, he accumulated 25 wins. In the 1980 season alone, he qualified on the pole for all nine races. Felton also won the manufacturer’s championships for both Buick and Chevrolet.

IMSA logo

IMSA American Challenge series

IMSA Radial Sedan series

Series sponsor before 1979

Series sponsor beginning 1979

General Motors H-Body Styles

1971-1980

Division	Model	Body Style
Buick	Skyhawk	HS07, HT07
Chevrolet	Monza	HM07, HR07
Oldsmobile	Starfire	HD07, HT07
Pontiac	Sunbird	HE07, HM07

The GM H07 platform was not a big threat in the IMSA American Challenge series, but it achieved fair good results. The General Motors H platform or H-body is the designation used for the 1971–1980 model year and their line of rear wheel drive compact cars in their divisions. The '07' designation is the "body style" for GM's 2-door hatchback sport coupes built by Buick, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and Pontiac.