RPM Magazine - April 2020

MEET THE RPM TEAM

RPM Magazine is a REGISTERED TRADEMARK of Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. RPM Magazine is a worldwide motorsports publication distributed in 34 countries and can be found on popular newsstands in the USA, Canada and select newsstands in the UK. If you cannot find a copy near you please call 519-752-3705 or email circulation@rpmmag.com To subscribe to RPM go to www.rpmmag.com or email Trish Biro at trish@ rpmmag.com, or call 519-752-3705.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF..............................................................CHRIS BIRO editor@rpmmag.com V.P. MARKETING/CUSTOMER RELATIONS..................TRISH BIRO trish@rpmmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR....................................................TOBY BROOKS toby.brooks@rpmmag.com EVENT MEDIA..................................................events@rpmmag.com EVENT SUBSCRIPTIONS COORDINATOR...........SHERRIE WEBER sherrie@rpmmag.com SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR.................................TOBY BROOKS toby.brooks@rpmmag.com Photographic Contributions: TIM LEWIS, MARK goDragRacing.org, GEORGE PICH, TOBY BROOKS, MATT WOODS, TABITHA SIZEMORE, MATT TROMBLEY, LOUIS FRONKIER, WILL McDOUGLE, BART CEPEK, PATRICK “RED” WILLIAMS, BLAKE FARNAM, JERRY GARRISON, NEIL ZOMBALDI, and STEVEN TAYLOR. Editorial Contributions: TIM LEWIS, CHUCK SCOTT, MARK goDragRacing.org, TOBY BROOKS, TABITHA SIZEMORE, JAMES WILLIAMS, TIM BIRO, STAN SMITH, JT, GEORGE PICH, JAY MISENER. Technical Writing Contribution: CHUCK SCOTT, SHANE TECKLENBURG, TOBY BROOKS, and TIM BIRO.

ADVERTISING SALES For advertising information contact

TRISH BIRO...........................519.752.3705.......trish@rpmmag.com Art & Graphics Director: Toby Brooks Special Events Manager: Chris Biro events@rpmmag.com Special Events Sales: Trish Biro: 519-752-3705 trish@rpmmag.com Subscriptions/Address Changes: Circulation circulation@rpmmag.com General Inquiries: 519.752.3705 info@rpmmag.com

The focus of RPM is to bring a diverse mix of high performance street and race automobiles to life within its pages including race cars, musclecars, hot rods and street legal machines with an emphasis on the “EXTREME,” including fast doorslammer and outlaw forms of drag racing. Not familiar with these types of cars? They are considered to be the top-shelf of the industry and are on the edge with regard to design, performance, and power!

RPM Magazine does not sell its mailing list or share any of the confidential information regarding its subscribers.

WANT YOUR CAR IN RPM? RPM Magazine has been a world leader in motorsports

publishing for 21 years and has support locations in Ontario, Canada, Alabama, Texas, and Virginia, along with contributing writers and photojournalists worldwide.

If you have a story that may fit within the focus and scope of RPM Magazine’s coverage, please email our Editor In Chief at editor@rpmmag.com. Submission of an article does not guarantee that it will be published.

Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. (RPM) / RPM Magazine IS NOT responsible for errors or omissions in ANY advertisement or article.

Advertisements may be rearranged or altered at the sole discretion of RPM to allow the ad to fit in the space purchased by the advertiser.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ANY ADVERTISING WHICH WE CONSIDER TO CONTAIN MISLEADING, OFFENSIVE OR FALSE INFORMATION. REPRODUCTION OF ANY INFORMATION HEREIN IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT.

Publication Return/Address Change Information USA RPM MAGAZINE (USPS Periodical #023474) is published monthly 12 times per year by USA Publisher’s Agent, 10387 Main Street, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Periodicals postage rate is paid at Fairfax, VA and additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Send address changes to: RPM Magazine P.O. Box 24020 Brantford, Ontario CAN N3R 7X3 CANADA PUBLICATIONS MAIL INFO AGREEMENT NO. 40045044 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CDN ADDRESSES TO RPM MAGAZINE P.O. BOX 24020 BRANTFORD, ONTARIO N3R 7X3 OVERSEAS RPM MAGAZINE P.O. BOX 24020 BRANTFORD, ONTARIO, CAN. N3R 7X3

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editor’s

Rant

by

Chris Biro

RPM MAG announces...

NEW ONLINE PHOTO SUBMISSIONS

Y

ou may have noticed that RPM MAG has been working hard these past few months to completely revamp our website, www. rpmmag.com, to be more interactive and include more of the news and interactive content you told us that you wanted.

Enhancements include several new easy-to-use interactive features that can be accessed from any computer, smart phone, or other handheld device, and a boatload of even more cool things to see and do on www.rpmmag.com are coming down the pipes.

This month I want to officially announce our new photo submission feature at www.rpmmag.com; RPM HotSpot.

If you spot something crazy-cool in any type of high-horsepower street or strip automotive setting, now YOU can submit your own photos right at www.rpmmag.com.

Simply visit www.rpmmag.com and click on the “RPM HotSpot” in the menu and go from there.

Not only will your photos end up published on rpmmag.com, but they might very well end up in print in RPM MAGAZINE (shhh, don’t tell anyone but we are hoping to add a “Reader’s Pics” section soon!).

Better yet, if you’ve got the right stuff that sends RPM staff and readers to the redline, then you could even become the NEXT ACE SHOOTER for RPM MAG! That’s right you could be chosen as an RPM MAG contributing photographer and get paid for feature photos!

On top of the new RPM HotSpot photo submission feature, we have also added the following: • Every RPM feature article since 2013 is being reformatted and added to it’s own easy-to-access page.

This will continue with articles being added weekly!

• BINGE READ our top features!

Each RPM MAG project car (past and present) is being formatted into a single clickable package so you can crack open a cold one, sit back, and read about our real-world projects, complete with the good, bad, and the ugly of building a car.

We’ve started with the aPocalypSe Horse which can be accessed on the top main menu bar.

• Video content is being added on a regular basis which will include EXCLUSIVE series, RPM MAG personalities, one-off videos, and much more. Watch for this feature to evolve quickly in 2020 to be the go-to place for high horsepower on-the-edge videos for hardcore enthusiasts worldwide.

• More industry press releases have been and will continue to hit rpmmag.com BEFORE anywhere else in the world! So visit often to find out what’s new and hot in the world of drag racing and wild street cars.

• More tech articles featured in RPM will also now be available on the site and we’re working towards hosting other new tech content exclusive to www.rpmmag.com • We’re even developing special pages such as our new Track Link page to be a one-stop for quick access to industry-related places, activities, parts, and anything else we can think of adding.

Millions of people worldwide are visiting RPM online and you should too! Join us at www.rpmmag.com

COMING NEXT MONTH:

More Cool Exclusives.

Exclusives...........................................................

A wicked Blown Pro Street/Strip Chevy II, 7-second 1st Gen Camaro, a blown Hemi ’68 Dart that could possibly be one of the first-ever pro street cars

THIS AND MORE IN THE NEXT RPM!

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RPM Magazine

ADVERTISER INDEX ACC Performance................... 23 Accufab Inc.......................... 110 AED Competition................... 69 Aeromotive........................... 34 AFCO..................................... 10 Air Flow Research (AFR)....................... 19,56,57 AJE Racing............................. 69 Alston Race Cars.................... 61 American Racing Headers..... 56 ATI Performance Products..... 35 Auburn Gear........................ 104 Aurora Bearing...................... 64 Autoglym.............................. 43 AVAK/Ridgegate Tools........... 40 Baer Brakes......................14, 34 Be Cool.................................. 33 BES Racing Engines............... 16 Bill Mitchell Products....... 32,71 Billet Specialties.................... 67 Blower Shop............................ 5 C&C MotorSports..................... 8 C&S Specialties...................... 67 Calvert Racing Suspensions... 17 Canton Racing Products........ 47 CFE Racing Products.............. 23 Chassis Engineering.........26, 70 Clearshot Customs................. 80 CNC Motorsports................... 73 Coan Engineering.................. 53 Competition Products......... 105 Crane Cams......................... 113 Crower.................................. 87 CVR Products......................... 25 DART..................................... 66 Design Engineering............... 42 Diamond Pistons................... 59 Drive Train Specialists (DTS)... 13 DRIVEN Racing Oil................. 50 Dynomite Dynamometer...... 46 Dynotech Engineering............. 8 ECAM.................................... 80 Energy Suspension................ 97 Erson Cams............................ 86 FST Carburetors/NPW............ 72 FUELAB................................. 24 goDragRacing.org................. 80 Goodson Tools....................... 56 Granatelli Motorsports.......... 96 GRP Connecting Rods............ 99 Harland Sharp....................... 38 Harwood............................... 52 Hitman Hotrods.................... 57 HoleShot Wheels................... 20 Holley.................................... 77 Howards Cams...................... 11 Hughes Performance............... 7 Ian Hill Racing....................... 51 Icon Forged Pistons............... 90 Induction Solutions............. 101 Indy Cylinder Head................ 79 Innovate Motorsports............ 62 JE Pistons.............................. 82 Jesel...................................... 14 Joe Van O............................... 57 JW Racing Transmissions....... 65 Karbelt.................................. 69

Kinsler Fuel Injection........13, 63 LenTech Automatics.........28, 74 Liberty’s Gears....................... 74 Lokar Perf. Products.............. 76 Lutz Race Cars....................... 80 Magnaflow............................ 90 MagnaFuel............................ 32 Magnuson Superchargers...... 81 MAHLE Clevite Inc................. 30 Manton Pushrods.................. 86 Mark Williams..................... 106 Meziere Precision Mfg........... 38 Mickey Thompson Tires......7, 46 Misener Motorsports............. 51 MSD Ignition......................2, 45 Neal Chance Converters.. 27,108 NGK Spark Plugs.................... 72 Northern Radiator................. 60 Parts Pro Perf Centers... 106,116 PBM Products........................ 12 PCR Priority......................... 111 Percy’s................................... 64 Performance Fasteners.......... 44 Perf. Plus Connection.......39, 98 Philadelphia Racing Products (PRP)...............................9, 88 Piston Racing Engines......... 106 Powermaster Performance.... 28 Precision Turbo...................... 68 ProCharger............................ 84 Profiler.................................. 63 Proform Parts...................18, 48 Pro Systems Carburetors........ 29 PRW-USA............................ 111 PTC.......................................... 9 Quick Fuel Technology........... 44 Race Part Solutions..........12, 21 Racecraft............................... 71 Racepak................................ 95 Racequip..........................49, 63 RAM Clutches........................ 78 RCD..................................... 111 Renegade Racing Fuels....... 102 RM Racing Lubricants............ 75 Ross Racing Pistons............5, 99 RPM Magazine Subscribe!.114 SG Metal Works..................... 74 Shafiroff Racing Engines.. 20,37 SM Racecars.......................... 91 Smackdown 4....................... 92 Strange Engineering............. 89 Summit Midwest Drags......... 41 Summit Racing Equip.91,98,115 T&D Machine......................... 75 TCI Automotive.................... 107 The Supercharger Store......... 75 Ti64....................................... 69 Tom’s Upholstery................... 39 Trick Flow.........................15, 91 Tuned By Shane T.................. 93 VP Racing Fuels..............22, 109 Wiseco.................................. 90 World Products..................... 58

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april2020 Often Imitated, Never Duplicated—For 21 STRAIGHT YEARS RPM Magazine has been the ORIGINAL Voice Of Wild Street Machines and Extreme Drag Cars WORLDWIDE! Don’t Settle For Less! We DELIVER Insane Fast Cars and Bring You NO POLITICS... JUST ACTION! Your ONLY “Real Time” “Real World” Car Mag...PERIOD!

THE

RIDES

Giddyup!..............................................................

54 This no-time mustang is set on full gallup!

‘Murcan Motors................................................72 Making Pro Street Great Again doesn’t have to be a cookie cutter operation

Nightrain........................................................................... 8 A sinister C-10 that can really haul the mail!

Ol’ School .................................................................. 88 The Chevy II is one part drag car...and one part time capsule.

Outta Control.............................................................24 Steve Wojcik always wanted a ’69 Camaro…but he never planned for things to get this crazy

EXCLUSIVES

RPM

Shop Talk...........................................................38 Just another day: Turning wrenches on some LS-powered buggies

Rebirth of Madness...............................100 What can you do when an accident strikes? If you’re Troy LaCrone, you rebuild.

The Stick Shifters.................................................44 This group of dedicated racers are bound by their love of the manual shifted transmission.

Front and Center...........................................108 Bob Thrash finishes our front clip and installs the steering

READ COMPLETE ISSUES OF RPM MAG ONLINE AT WWW.RPMMAG.COM 6

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RPM Magazine

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feature Truck

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L

ike most of you reading this magazine, Jesse Coburn has a long and sordid history when it comes to his love affair with the automobile.

“Growing up, as a kid I was always around cars with my

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dad,” the Basehor, Kansas resident reflected. “As long as I can remember, my dad Randy was always tinkering with his 1969 Mustang,” he added.

Along the way, Randy managed to pass the gene down to the son, with the pair hot rodding ev-

RPM Magazine

erything from lawn mowers to daily drivers and everything in between.

When it came time to start driving, Randy bought Jesse a well-travelled 1984 C-10 shortbed for $500 to serve as his first truck. With a kajillion miles and a now-trendy blue

story by

James Williams

photos by

Cameron Richardson

!

IL A M E H T L U A H LY L A E NR A SINISTER C-10 THAT CA

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RPM Magazine

BACK IN BLACK

It’s hard to beat the villainous looks of gloss black paint, and Coburn’s C-10 is no exception. With a slammed stance and Mickey Thompson tires, the Chevy just looks nasty! The “EPA Approved” exhaust dumps may or may not actually be legal.

patina’d paintjob, it was a project to say the least. True to form, the duo added headers and a trick high-flow induction system (read: they flipped the factory air cleaner lid upside down) and proceeded to crack off a quarter-mile ET in a range that roughly equaled Jesse’s age.

Sadly, an unexpected

mishap avoiding a deer resulted in a total loss for the first ol’ squarebody.

Undeterred, Jesse found yet another ’84 just days later and purchased it right away for $400. “The ‘new’ truck was in really bad shape— both bed sides were caved in, the roof was smashed in from

kids jumping on it—it needed a ton of work,” he said. Tasks included updated, replacement, or new panels pirated from whatever was useable from the totaled C-10 and elsewhere before laying down a black paintjob. “We actually painted the truck in a shop that had a wooden floor and wood

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feature Truck

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everything else. We decided on black and that’s what it has been ever since,” he added.

With the truck finally together in time for Jesse’s senior year of high school, things were trending in the right direction, with a best of 13.62 @ 98 mph. But it still wasn’t nearly fast enough for either Coburn.

The tandem proceeded to yank the mild 350 and sold it

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along with the transmission, rearend, and front suspension. Most simply, going fast usually revolves around two things: minimizing weight and maximizing power. The Coburns opted for both.

First up: the heft. A Scott’s Hot Rods bolt-on front crossmember was chosen and installed, along with matching Scott’s tubular control arms and a pair of Menscer

RPM Magazine

shocks. Big 14-inch discs with 6-piston calipers help slow the classic Chevy up front. A pair of 17x4.5 inch Alumastars with Mickey Thompson tires further accent the slammed stance while keeping the rotating mass to a minimum.

Other pound-saving measures included replacing the factory steel sheetmetal with GlassTech carbon replacement pieces to the hood, tailgate,

RACE READY

The truck features plenty of clues that it is way more than just a parts runner. From the wing to the cage, the rearmounted ’chute or the carbon fiber turbo inlets, it is ready to take on all comers.

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LIGHT FLIGHT

Squarebody Chevies aren’t known for being sveldt, but there’s plenty of carbon fiber to keep the heft down on this one. and front bumper along with a custom carbon bed cover and rear wing.

I guess you could say things were starting to get serious.

Out back, the suspension upgrades were less about weight and more about ensuring the drivetrain was up to par for the massive power the

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Coburns had in mind in the near future.

A fabricated 9-inch housing from Moser was filled with a Moser through-bolt center section and Moser 40-spline gun-drilled and star-flanged axles.

Matching Menscer double-adjustable shocks make suspension dial-in a breeze and Moser disc brakes help slow the beefy 15x12-inch wheels

RPM Magazine

and their 315x60-15 Mickey Thompson meats.

The chassis was fully filled and smoothed before being powder coated black. Meanwhile, a Larson 25.3 chromoly cage adds rigidity and safety and was powder coated metallic gray for contrast.

With the weight loss man-

Win Races.

PowerPort® 365 extreme performance race heads for big block Chevy are designed and built for you to win races. The high-strength castings flow a massive 424cfm @ .900" lift and can withstand enormous amounts of compression and RPM. Rectangular-shaped 365cc CNC Competition Ported runners, 119cc heart-shaped chambers, CNC bowl blended valve seat transitions, 24° intake valve angles with 4° side cants, and the highest quality valvetrain components help make PowerPort 365 heads the best choice for your car.

Use PowerPort 365 heads on your engine and turn your goal of winning into reality!

Dyno Results

PowerPort 365

Test Engine: 13.86:1 compression 572 c.i.d. with Trick Flow PowerPort® 365 cylinder heads (TFS-4141T804-C02), solid roller camshaft (285°/298° duration @ .050"; .900"/.828" lift; 114° lobe separation), 1.8/1.7 ratio shaft mount roller rocker arms, Trick Flow R-Series intake manifold (TFS-41400111), Holley Gen 3 Ultra Dominator 1,425 cfm carburetor, Trick Flow by Stainless Works headers (TFS-DBBC238250), Q16 racing fuel.

Your Recipe for Big Block Chevy Performance!

New heads are just one component of the horsepower recipe. To make it complete, you’re going to need some more ingredients.

Trick Flow by Wiseco PowerPort Forged Piston Sets These lightweight pistons are fully skirted and precision-machined from premium alloy to fit big block Chevy engines equipped with PowerPort 365 cylinder heads. Features include 3D profile dome milling, oversized valve reliefs, precision-fit wrist pins, and Spirolox retainers.

Track Max® Camshafts Give your big Chevy an even bigger power boost with a Track Max camshaft. They are dyno-proven to produce significant power increases over the entire RPM range, not just a particular RPM.

R-Series Intake Manifold Optimized for PowerPort 365 heads on 500-plus c.i.d. engines, the R-Series rectangular port intake uses a high-rise single plane design with high-flowing extended runners and raised plenum floors to significantly increase power and torque in the 3,500-8,000 RPM range. There are also bosses for nitrous nozzles and extra material for custom port work.

TrickFlow.com • 1-330-630-1555 2004RPCT

Some parts are not legal for sale or use on any pollution-controlled motor vehicles.

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JESSE COBURN’S 1984 CHEVY C10 PICKUP

Chassis Type & Mods: Full factory frame was smoothed, filled, and powder coated gloss black. Larry Larson 25.3 cage powder coated metallic gray.

Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: Scott’s Hot Rods bolt-on front crossmember with tubular control arms, Menscer double-adjustable shocks, and Wilwood 6-piston disc brakes with 14-inch slotted rotors. REAR: Calvert Racing split mono leafs with Caltrac bars. Menscer double-adjustable shocks with Moser dual piston calipers and cross-drilled rotors.

Body & Paint: Custom black and ghosted grey stripe by Trenton Clark and TKF Motorsports. GlassTech carbon fiber hood, bumper, bed cover, wing, and tailgate.

Custom chrome on bumper, grille, and charge pipes by Alternative Chrome Creations.

Engine: Patterson Racing-built 400 ci SBC. Dart Little M block with Callies Ultra Billet crank, Carillo H-beam billet rods, and Diamond Racing turbo pistons. AFR 245 NP aluminum heads with spread exhaust ports, heavy-duty stainless intake valves, and Inconel exhaust valves.

Induction & Fuel Delivery: Edelbrock Super Victor aluminum intake reworked

by Wilson Manifolds. Wilson billet elbow and 105 mm throttle body. Wilson 4-inch spacer. Aeromotive brushless spur gear pump and regulator pushing E-85. FuelTech EFI system.

Power Adder: Twin Precision Turbo 76/75 billet wheel ball bearing turbochargers installed by Larson Race Cars. Bed-mounted PT3000 air-to-water intercooler.

Precision 46mm waste gates and 60mm blow-off valve.

Electronics & Ignition: FuelTech FT600. RacePak Smartwire system. All wiring completed by KCMAXX Performance.

Exhaust: Larson Race Cars custom turbo exhaust with fender dumps.

Transmission & Driveline: M&M TH400 with first and second-gear leaves.

Internal and external dump valves. Pro Torque bolt-together converter. Gear Vendors overdrive (“For those date nights with the wife.”).

Differential: Moser fabricated 9-inch with Moser through-bolt center section, Mark Williams Pro gear 9.5-inch 3.89 gears, and Mark Williams 40-spline gundrilled and star-cut flanged axles.

Tires & Wheels: FRONT: 17x4.5-inch Weld Racing Alumastar wheels with 28x617 Mickey Thompson Sportsman SR front tires. REAR: 15x12-inch Weld Racing Alumastar wheels with 315x60-15 Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial Pro tires.

Performance (quarter-mile): 8.88 @ 153 mph best to date with more to spare since updates.

aged, it was time for some muscle. For that, the Coburns opted for a Patterson Racing Engines 400 ci small block Chevy with twin Precision turbos for power. A Dart Little M block was stuffed with a Callies crank, Carillo rods, and Diamond pistons.

ARP hardware was used throughout. A roller cam from Bullet Racing was spec’d out and partnered with keyed Jesel solid roller lifters. AFR 245 heads were selected for the

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RPM Magazine

turbo setup due to their spread exhaust port design so critical for heat dissipation.

Likewise, stainless intake and Inconel exhaust valves help keep pace with the turbo heat.

Induction for the mighty mouse consists of a pair of 76/75 mm Precision Turbo ball-bearing billet impeller units blowing through a bed-mounted airto-water intercooler.

The charge is then routed back up front

to a Wilson Manifolds billet 105 mm throttle body mounted to a billet elbow and a 4-inch spacer. An Edelbrock Super Victor aluminum intake was reworked

by Wilson with an extensive port job as well as welded-in injector bungs for the 225# injectors.

Fuel is supplied via a unique Larson dual pump setup using a custom fabricated cell with twin Aeromotive electric pumps. AN-10

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NICE MIX

The Chevy is certainly a capable competitor on the track, but it isn’t all business. Alternative chrome and factory trim complements the custom touches perfectly.

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RPM Magazine

BIG BOOST, LITTLE BLOCK

The 400-cube Patterson Racing-built small block Chevy runs a pair of Precision Turbos and a custom bed-mounted intercooler.

lines keep the fuel flowing freely, and the 15 gallon street side and 5 gallon race side of the cell is fully compatible with E-85 or other more exotic fuel choices.

Electronics consist of a FuelTech FT600 system to manage the EFI and a RacePak SmartWire system for all the other electrical needs.

Nearby KCMAXX

Performance handled all the wiring chores, and the truck still runs working headlights, taillights, markers, and turn signals.

Backing the engine is a fully for-

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tified TH400 trans complete with a Reid case and bellhousing, all billet internals, first and second gear leave, and both internal and external fluid dumps. A bolt-to-

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NOICE.

gether converter keeps the launches hard and a Gear Vendors overdrive unit makes for more fuel efficient highway cruising.

Paint and body is straightforward and clean, with Trenton Clark of TKF Motorsports handling all

paint and prep. The sleek black paintjob is highlighted by a number of pieces treated to Alternative Chrome Creations unique spray-on chrome application, including the front bumper, grille shell, and charge tubes. Lastly, a custom carbon-look “NIGHTRAIN”

graphic makes its way back along the truck’s flanks.

Inside, the square body is mostly business, with a number of factory black pieces like door panels, dash, and trim augmented with custom black anodized billet trim and the

Every inch of this beast has been detailed and attended to, as indicated by the killer clean interior. The black-n-chrome theme from the exterior and engine bay spills over inside, with a host of factory pieces interspersed with custom touches like the chrome intercooler tubing.

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CERTIFIED. FRESH. The Mustang’s cockpit features a lightweight chromoly skeleton and lots of carbon fiber panels and bar protectors. A Racepak digital dash is the lone addition to the fiberglass replacement dashboard that lives behind the quick release Strange steering wheel.

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custom inset digital dash. A pair of lightweight carbon bucket seats, a Grant quick release wheel, and custom shifter round out the creature comforts, while an on-board fire suppression system and cage round out the safety gear.

The truck’s best pass so far has been an 8.88 at 153, but those

numbers are undoubtedly expected to change this summer. “Right now the truck is still new and we are working a lot of the little bugs out of it, but it is still a true street truck,” Jesse said.

“This has been a six year work in progress, and has had many highs and lows. But it is worth every bit of it! My dad

Randy and I work together and are looking towards the 2020 racing season with confidence!” he concluded.

And why not?

With a scary-fast Chevy like this, you know that the Nightrain is capable of delivering the Coburns all the way to the winners’ circle every weekend!

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feature CAR

story by

James Williams

photos by

Matt Trombley

RPM

B

uying a project car is always a bit of a crapshoot. Oftentimes, you never really know if the “facts” provided in an online ad are legit or not until it’s too late. And while the optimist in us

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all wants to believe every would-be salesman would never intentionally mislead, story after story of folks getting taken would lead you to believe that it happens fairly often.

Such was the case for Mountain Top, Pennsylvania’s Steve Wojcik

RPM Magazine

when he purchased what he thought was his dream car in 2012. “I bought the car and got it home only to find out that it wasn’t what it should have been,” he said. As it turns out, the “facts” as had been presented weren’t accurate, and the

O…BUT R A M A C 9 ’6 A D E T N A W S STEVE WOJCIK ALWAY AZY R C IS H T T E G O T S G IN H T HE NEVER PLANNED FOR

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dream would be sidelined.

For a while, at least.

“The ’69 Camaro was always a dream of mine, so I was really excited at first that I had found this car and that dream was finally a reality,” Wojcik said. Around racing since his teen years, much of his motorsports pursuits had come not from straight line but roundy-round action.

“I raced NASCAR modified for a couple of years, but I really had the itch to go drag racing,” he said.

Unfortunately, once the Camaro got home, it became increasingly apparent that a full build was in order if it was going to be the 8-second capable and still street legal performer Wojcik had in mind. First up was the chassis, where Kocher Chassis

and Restorations fabbed up a new chromoly skeleton while integrating the factory front clip in the process. With the factory mounting points retained fore, a matched set of tubular control arms were installed along with drop spindles and QA1 double adjustable shocks and springs. Disc brakes reside behind a pair of polished 17x3.5inch Alumastar 2.0 wheels.

Out back, a custom four-link hangs the fabricated 9-inch housing that is dampened and sprung via QA1 coilovers.

Beefy 15x15-inch Alumastar wheels caress the equally meaty 33x15-15 slicks. Matching disc binders handle braking chores aft. The clean Kocher fab work is further accented with a metallic gray hue, giving the car’s under-

Chassis Engineering’s Four-Link Supensions and Subframe Kits (Square & Round Tube Avilable)

• Mandrel bent 2” X 3” frame rails, .083” or .120” • 1-3/4” x .134” round tube rails • 1-3/4” or 1-5/8” x .083”chromoly rails • Adjustable lower shock mounts • Strange Engineering aluminum coil overs with springs • Four-link of your choice • 4130 chromoly rod ends • Upper shock cross member Starting from $1,637.16 Call for more details

• Drive shaft loop • Bolt-On diagonal link • Drive shaft loop • Bolt-On diagonal link

NOTE: Rear end housing not included in subframe kits. Fabricated 9” and Dana housings available. Available welded or unwelded.

Toll Free Ordering: 800-327-9402 Info & Tech: 561-863-2188

MADE IN THE USA. SINCE 1980

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feature CAR

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ALL THE RIGHT STUFF

As if a ’69 Camaro didn’t have the perfect lines already (at least to you GM folks)...Steve Wojcik’s has been further nice-ified with huge meats out back and a tunnel rammed big block under the hood that provides 8-second capability in the quarter.

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HOOKING UP

The big Hoosier meats out back ride on Weld wheels, while the fabricated differential is suspended via a custom 4-link and QA1 coilovers.

side, cockpit, and engine bay a sanitary appearance.

Kocher also handled the prep and paint work to give the car a fresh look. The rear wheel openings were stretched to make room for the big buns out back, but the rest of the body is unmolested.

Factory trim, emblems, and brightwork

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have been retained all the way around for a classic look. Only the cut fiberglass cowl hood deviates from the arguably flawless lines of the ’69 Camaro envelope. The gorgeous Sonic Blue basecoat/ clearcoat main color was accented with timeless white rally stripes, giving the car a unique mix

of pro street stance coupled with iconic muscle car style.

Speaking of muscle, Wojcik started with a tunnel-rammed and nitrous-assisted Rat mill built by Jensen Engine Tech.

The current configuration consists of a whisker under 500 cubes that is home to a Scat crank,

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feature CAR

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WORK THAT BODY

The killer deep blue basecoat and white rally stripes were laid down by the gang at Kocher Chassis and Restorations who also handled prep work. Other than the stretched wheel openings and fiberglass cowl induction hood, it’s standard GM awesomeness.

Eagle rods, and JE pistons. A top-secret grind COMP solid-roller cam orchestrates the valvetrain symphony, while some lightly reworked AFR aluminum heads

ensure free flow.

Jesel shaft-mount rockers ensure reliability and consistency.

Topping it off is an Edelbrock 2x4 tunnel ram that has been crowned

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with a pair of 750 cfm Holley four-barrel carbs and a polished aluminum scoop.

Additional power is available at the push of a button thanks to a modest dual plate

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STEVE & KARIN WOJCIK’S STREET/ STRIP 1969 CAMARO Chassis Type & Mods: Chromoly tube chassis by Kocher Chassis.

Stock front clip.

Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: Factory mounting points with tubular upper and lower control arms, 2-inch drop spindles, and QA1 springs and shocks. Wilwood disc brakes. REAR: Custom 4-link suspension with QA1 coilovers. S&W Race Cars wheelie bars. Wilwood disc brakes.

Body & Paint: Stretched rear wheel openings and fiberglass cowl induction hood. Super Sonic Blue basecoat/clearcoat with white rally stripes by Kocher Chassis and Restorations.

Engine: 498 ci big block Chevy built by Jensen Engine Technologies.

Scat crankshaft with Eagle rods and JE pistons. COMP solid roller camshaft. AFR 325 V2 aluminum heads with Jesel shaft-mount rockers.

Induction & Fuel Delivery: Edelbrock tunnel ram with dual 750 CFM Holley carbs. Polished aluminum scoop.

Power Adder: NOS twin plate nitrous system jetted for 150 hp shot total.

Electronics & Ignition: MSD ignition, Pro Billet distributor, and Moroso 8.8 mm plug wires.

Transmission & Driveline: TH400 with PTC high-stall converter.

Differential: S&W Race Cars fabricated 9-inch housing.

Tires & Wheels: FRONT: 17x3.5-inch Weld Racing Alumastar 2.0 wheels with Hoosier front tires. REAR: 15x15-inch Weld Racing Alumastar wheels with 33x15-15 Hoosier slicks.

Performance (quarter-mile): 8.82 @ 152 mph.

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feature CAR

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JUICY GOODNESS

The Jensen Engine Technologies-built 498 BBC has a 150-shot NOS nitrous system.

NOS nitrous system that has been jetted to squeeze out a safe extra 150 ponies should the need arise. Ignition chores are handled by an MSD box and Pro Billet distributor with Moroso plug wires.

Backing the stout big block is an equally fortified TH400 3-speed automatic transmission with a PTC converter.

The interior of the Chevy reveals Wojcik’s ultimate underlying goal: 8-second passes with some modicum of remaining street sensibilities. The car features factory-style door panels, headliner, and dash along with the custom Kocher cagework and dual Kirkey racing buckets draped in G-Force harnesses. A quick-release Grant GT wheel, Hurst billet pistol grip Quarter Stick, and a dashful of analog gauges round out most of the custom touches.

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feature CAR

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To date, the car has been able to blast to a best of 8.82 @ 152 mph in the quarter, already making it meet Wojcik’s dream of an 8-second street car a reality. But he’s far from

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satisfied.

It has been said that if power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Case in point: Wojcik is working to replace the 498 later this season. He’s knee-deep

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SO FRESH...

SO CLEAN

The cockpit of the Chevy is just as clean as the rest of the car. Race-inspired components and factory pieces coexist nicely for style and safety.

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feature CAR

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in an all-aluminum 565 build in hopes of shedding pounds, adding power, and propelling the mostly steel Chevy even deeper into the 8s.

“I couldn’t have done it alone,” Wojcik said.

Kocher and Jensen

were instrumental in chassis/body & paint and engine respectively. “Everything else was my doing along with the help of a few close friends,” he added.

So while it was undoubtedly frustrating to have

to basically start over from scratch, there’s no denying the fact that the end result is cleaner, meaner, faster, and safer than ever.

And in this case, getting outta control was just right!

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TALK

SHOP

JUSTANOTHER JT

story and photos by

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here is never a dull moment here on my little piece of Planet Gearhead. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to

RPM Magazine

wrench on some unusual, bizarre, and unique machines. I can also say the same for the people whom I’ve had the pleasure of working for. My most recent adventure in

DAY

wrenching turned out to be quite the unexpected challenge and is a story worth sharing.

Out of the blue the other day, my buddy Nathan sent me a picture

of four custom-fabricated “rock bouncing buggies” that he just got put in charge of selling. They were really awesome machines that had complete tubular chassis/cage,

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SHOP

1: Sometimes I swear my buddies have this beacon on their roof top and shine it my way. I certainly use the one I have mounted on my roof when I need help.

2: I don’t know about everyone else, but my bat signal is directly connected to the distress switch in my shop.

I downloaded an app for my phone which enables me to access it from anywhere in the world.

3

3: We all have questions from time to time with our projects. Finding the right answer could be both frustrating and challenging.

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4

4: No disrespect to a true handyman, but most of us are considered a handyman to our friends. However, a handyman and a specialist are two completely different creatures. When it comes to building or working on a high horsepower machine, I would leave it to a specialist.

5: This handy little device makes it a lot easier than thumbing through an oldschool Rolodex (which I still have, by the way). I have compiled a very diverse list of specialists and “answer people” over the years.

6 & 7: In addition to inventorying all of the parts on each machine, there were several crates of spare parts that needed to be gone through, as well.

2.5 ton military axles, hydraulic front and rear steering, massive monster truck tires, and lastly—the icing on the cake—they are LS powered! He had his resident mechanic look them over and try to get them running with no avail. He also asked him to inventory the parts on them to see what they were worth. Unfortunately, this didn’t work out very well, either.

I accepted Nathan’s distress signal and took a ride to see these machines up close and personal.

They were all identical builds and were missing the same parts. This led me to believe that for liability purposes they were professionally decommissioned so no one would be able to get into one and take an

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amazing joy ride. What was missing you may ask?

Well, there were no seats, safety harnesses, steering wheels, and none of them would start. The resident handyman must have felt threatened by my presence, because his first words to me were, “I spent a lot of time looking them over, and I can’t even get them to crank. They must have been tampered with so no one would start them.”

My first task was to inventory every part on them and take pictures so I could do some recon back at home to come up with a build price for Nathan.

During this inventory process, I was also learning how these things were built and how they worked. Let me tell you: there was no expense spared. There was

nothing but the finest parts and craftsmanship put into making these beasts, with the exception of the wiring (but that’s what I do).

Once I was certain I had made a thorough parts list, my next mission was to figure out how to get one running. I hooked a jump box to the battery and turned on both master safety switches. One was located in the rear near the battery, and the other was inside the cockpit. I then armed the switch panel and pushed on the starter toggle. Just as the handyman informed me, there was absolutely nothing coming to life. I opened up my bag of tools and took out my trusty test light.

Power was getting to the switch panel but not to the starter. After investigating

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Exclusives

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6

7

a bit further I noticed there was a neutral safety switch wired into the circuit. Prior attempts to start were made while the vehicle was in neutral, when in fact the switch was only wired to the park position.

Once that mystery was solved, on the next power-up the starter immediately came to life and turned over that LS for the first time in years (yes, I checked all of the fluids before attempting this!). Before advancing any further, I confirmed that all four buggies did indeed crank and made no apparent ugly noises.

So we have ignition but still no fire. I filled the first patient with some gas and tested to see if the fuel pump was getting power before and during cranking. As expected there was no power to it and the ECU. All four of the buggies had a wiring harness with a multi-pin female connector at the end of it inside the cockpit.

Was it some type of data port, or was it an anti-theft module that plugged in like a key?

I took a picture of the harness and messaged one of my buddies who

races monster trucks and he immediately replied, “that is a radio kill switch port.� These machines had the ability to get remotely shut off in case of an emergency with the buggy or driver. He even gave me the name of the manufacturer. It pays to keep your contact list full of experts!

We placed a call to the company and found out that they were a thousand dollars each!

I told Nathan there was no need to purchase them as I would be able to figure out how to bypass the harness and get power to where it needed to go. Long story short, the fuel pumps were all seized up from sitting but I am happy to report that every one of those buggies fired right up with the help of a can of ether.

Later that night I typed out the parts list complete with pricing. I gave a thorough analysis of each machine and what it needs to get running. I also gave my personal recommendation on what I would do and how to sell them.

Earlier in the day I sent a picture to a few people

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TALK

SHOP

not a specialist.

I am talking about an engine builder, a transmission builder, an autobody expert, a welder/ fabricator, a wiring specialist, and yes even a monster truck racer.

It’s a great feeling to know that after five decades, for most any problem I encounter on any given build, I have the number of someone who will have the solution. I am honored to be that someone for the people who have me in their contact list. They say it takes a village to raise a child.

I say it takes a village to build a world-class, fire-breathing, adrenaline-pumping, high-horsepower machine of any type. But that is way too many words to ever become a slogan for JT’s Custom Shop.

Until Next Time – Keep Wrenching!

that might be interested in purchasing one for themselves.

One of my contacts wanted all four and was willing to pay cash for them the next day.

Nathan was extremely impressed with my inventory presentation.

He informed me that he asked his mechanic to do the same and has not yet received anything from him. The very next day those machines sold and will not only make someone extremely happy but give them a thrill that few will ever experience. I say it often and to the point where it has become a platform of mine: when you find a true specialist in anything in life, you honor and respect them.

A handyman is indeed handy but by no means is a specialist. A mechanic is also a handy person to know but is

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8

10 8: The cockpit in these beasts were plain and simple. A little more attention to detail and labeling each component would have been extremely helpful and easy to do.

9: There was no expense spared when building these machines. Someone built them for some serious abuse.

9

10: The drivetrain was quite impressive. An LS3 made the power and sent it to a Powerglide and an SCS dropbox. 2.5 ton military axles with hydraulic steering turned those massive tires.

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Exclusives

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1

THESTICK story by

PJ

Nadeau

photos by

BillARMSTRONG Rich GUIDO, & Wes TAYLOR

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n every race community, there are groups that form and come to light. The Pro Stock and Pro Mod scene in the ’80s grew into Pro Street, while the current radial tire craze that started with the NSCA and NMCA has spawned multiple new classes of drag racing like no prep and the drag n’ drive community. However, within that world is a special group of dedicated men and women

RPM Magazine

SHIFTERS

who stand out because of their dedication to one thing, the manual shifted transmission: the Stick Shifters.

These racers are a different breed, often finding the most difficult solution to post big numbers while making their vehicle reliable and street worthy. The Stick Shifters have become a respected part of the drag n’ drive world, with most having heavy, big horsepower machines with challenges unique to their setups.

2

We spoke with some legends of the drag n’ drive stick shift world.

Frank Romano has a beautiful ’55 Chevrolet 210 with a big block and runs in the deep 9-second range. Rich “The Canadian Chuck Norris” Guido has a ’65 Pontiac GTO with a turbocharged 500+ cu in big block that also runs deep 9s. John Pucket has a supercharged Coyote-powered Mercury Capri that clipped off 8-second passes during Drag Week

competition. Rounding out the group is “Bang Shift” Billy Armstrong, whose twin turbo small block Ford-powered Fairlane has also managed to get the magical 8-second time slip. We also spoke with Wes Evans of Stick Shift Nation, a group that has pushed the limits of high horsepower street cars with a manual transmission.

All the guys agree that the most difficult task with any manual transmission is the

1, 2, & 3: Rich “The Canadian Chuck Norris” Guido and his 1965 GTO relies on a turbocharged 500+ c.i. powerplant to run nines all day long.

3 launch. Getting power to the ground with an automatic can be intense. With a manual transmission, it can be downright violent. Getting the car to launch and stay together has been a learning curve for most, and it is a difficult concept to master. There are so many variables involved in getting a high horsepower stick car off the line that nothing short of practice and experience will make it happen.

John finds that having an understanding of the level of track prep will change how he has to launch the car.

“With radial prep I have to launch at a lower RPM than slick

prep, where I can launch at 7000 rpm and let it fly.” Rich has struggled with finding the right combination of chassis, tire, and power level to get the car off the line. The big Pontiac is not only heavy but makes a lot of power. Getting it to launch and head down the track has been difficult, but Rich has made consistent gains every time it’s been down the track.

The question remains: why is launching with a clutch so difficult?

Unlike an automatic that has a torque converter to take some of the shock of the initial launch, a clutch is a direct connection

and will shock the tire and suspension very hard. Getting the right amount of slip, gear ratio, tire size, type and pressure combined with shock set-up is a challenge that is unique to every car. “Unfortunately finding a good combination that works usually means spending money on question marks,” says Frank Romano.

There are many different ways in which racers have tried to control the launch. One of the most common is a “slipper clutch.” This clutch automatically slips on the launch and will lock the disc after some time. They are adjustable but

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4 can take patience to master. There are mechanical methods like a clutch tamer, which is a mechanical device used to limit how fast the clutch can be released and slipped. Some just dump the clutch and go. Finding the sweet spot takes time and effort and most times broken parts, no matter what method they end up going with. “Over-do it and

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don’t redo it. Stout parts are the key,� said Richard Guido.

A common theme among the racers has been broken parts.

Nuked syncros, clutches, driveshafts, transmissions, differentials, axles and twisted wheel studs are the norm.

Transmission cases and gears were a common failure early on with the heavier and higher horsepower machines.

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6 4 & 5: “Bang Shift” Billy Armstrong and his twin-turbo small block Fairlane has dipped into the eights, too.

6: “Frank Romano’s 1955 Chevy 210 sports a big block and runs nines.

7: Tim Irwin rows the boat on his cool rare 1964 Plymouth Barracuda 340 4-speed.

7

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8 & 9: Not every Stick Shifter is a muscle car.

8 a stick shift, another question everyone wants to know is why? What’s the appeal of a stick shift?

“Eliminating a loose converter and getting an overdrive is a no brainer,” said Billy Armstrong.

“The sticks are more fun, and in drag racing more challenging,” he added.

All the racers we

Most racers have swapped to heavy duty units, with various changes to the internals from stock to face-plated gears to get the most consistent, reliable performance, and many of the street cars have overdrive for the highway trips.

With the many challenges presented when running

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9

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10 & 11: Wes Evans of Stick Shift Nation has been running his Fox body Mustang for years and loves the advantages the manual transmission provides over an automatic.

10 spoke with agreed that the challenge of getting a stick down the track is worth all the effort. “I run a stick because I love work and hate money!� joked Richard Guido.

When the cards are on the table though, one thing all

racers can agree on is the community mindset of many of the stick shifters.

All the guys work together to share experience, push the technology, and get these cars down the track. Wes Evans, founder of Stick Shift Nation, really

strives to build the stick shift community to be something unique in the drag race world.

Evans created the group to help grow the community and share tech articles, mechanical knowledge, and product recommendations. Collec-

11

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tively, the group has helped to push stick cars back into the foreground of drag racing. Evans, who has a nitrous assisted Ford-powered Fox body, has been running a stick for years and found many advantages in comparison to an automatic. “Once you’ve got the launch down, gearing really helps keep the engine in its power band,” he said.

Having 2, 3, or 4 gears to multiply torque is a huge advantage in getting in front and staying in front of the other guy.

Evans also points to how stick shift cars are always crowd pleasers. The violence off the line, the shifts down track, and the reactions of the drivers always makes a stick car exciting to watch. Listening to a car hit the shifts and stay in its powerband while the rear end dances down track is a beautiful thing.

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“There is a certain respect given to a person who races a three pedal stick car. People will be dumbfounded that it’s that fast and you are banging gears,” said John Puckett.

As Frank loves to say, “If you run an automatic and you don’t win, then you’re a bored loser. With a stick you can win consistently and drive home with a smile!”

On the street, things are different for those who choose a manual trans.

Many of the modern transmissions offer overdrive and even double overdrive allowing for simple lowRPM cruising down the highway. New designs and hydraulic systems allow for easy shifting and comfortable driving. Combine that with the feel of a stick and racking up the street miles are pretty fun—although a cup holder is a must!

RPM Magazine

“If you run an automatic and you don’t win, then you’re a bored loser. With a stick you can win consistently and drive home with a smile!” -John Puckett

Cover Car

RPM

S SET I G N A T S U EM M I T !

O P N U S I L H L T A G L

ON FUL

story by photos by

Toby BROOKS

Andrew RADIOTIS

Cover Car

RPM

GOOD EITHER WAY

This killer Porsche Red 1999 Mustang Cobra looks incredible standing still OR blasting down the track.

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T

errebonne, Quebec’s Luc Ricard has literally been racing since the day he got his license. “At the time, I had a 1979 Mustang that ran low 14s in the quarter, and I drove it to the track just as soon as I possibly could the day I turned

16,” he said. As it turns out, while that sleepy 302 Cold War-era pony was his first, it wouldn’t be his last.

Or anywhere near his fastest.

In 1996, Ricard purchased a 1985 GT ’Stang that usually ran 12.40s in the quarter in competition at both Montreal and Ca-

yuga Dragway Park.

However, like many of us, that urge to go ever faster kept gnawing at him, and he continued modifying the car for better performance, including nitrous and eventually a ProCharger. By 2014, the Fox body ran a best of 7.77 @ 180 mph in the quarter, winning a

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LUC RICARD’S 1999 FORD MUSTANG COBRA

Chassis Type & Mods: Custom tube chassis backhalf and 25.3 certified chromoly cage by Luc Ricard and Stephane Beauregard.

Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: Anthony Jones Engineering (AJE) front suspension with Afco double-adjustable shocks. Strange disc brakes. REAR: Competition Engineering 4-link suspension with wishbone and Afco doubleadjustable coilovers. Strange disc brakes.

Body & Paint: Fiberglass doors & removable front clip. Carbon fiber hood and back glass. Racecraft rear wing. 2014 Porsche Carrera Guards Red. Engine: 398 ci small block Ford. Dart block with Crower billet crank, GRP aluminum rods, and CP pistons. 55 mm Bullet turbo cam with Danny Bee belt drive. Yates SC1 heads with Jesel rockers and Bennett Racing valve covers.

Moroso 4-stage dry-sump oiling system with Canton pan and tank.

Induction & Fuel Delivery: Dart aluminum intake manifold with 700-pound Billet Atomizer 3 injectors, Wilson Manifolds billet elbow, and Wilson 105 mm throttle body.

Power Adder: 118 mm Precision Turbo with dual Precision wastegates and single ProCharger blow-off valve.

Electronics & Ignition: Holley Dominator EFI with 12.3-inch Holley digital dash. Holley coil-on-plug LS-style coils. Speedwire Systems main control board.

Exhaust: Custom turbo headers with hood dump fabricated by Turbo Cowboy (Stephane Beauregard).

Transmission & Driveline: TurboGlide Rossler transmission with 10-inch TCS converter, Hughes Performance dump valve, Reid case, and Precision air shifter.

Differential: Moser M9 chromoly 9-inch housing, 4.10 gears, 40-spine axles, Strange Ultra case third member.

Tires & Wheels: FRONT: 15x3.5-inch Weld Racing Magnum wheels with Hoosier front tires. REAR: Double beadlocked 15x15-inch Weld Racing Alumastar wheels with 295-60x15 Mickey Thompson ET Drag tires.

Performance (eighth-mile): n/t @ 164 mph.

Special Thanks: Poudrier Racing (Martin and Richard Poudrier, engine builders); Para Performance (François Paradis, Frederic Angers and François Angers, speedshop); Protex Canada (Bobby Fontaine) and Billet Proshop.

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Cover Car

RPM STOUT OUT BACK

The Mustang relies on a Competition Engineering 4-link and Afco adjustable shocks to suspend the Moser M9 fabricated housing.

Mickey Thompson ET Drag tires provide the hook.

number of events before deciding to change course again.

A 1999 Cobra Mustang was purchased and the ProCharged mill was planted between the shock towers, and by 2016 the combo was good for victories at prestigious events like Quebec Grudge Wars and Fast Ford competition.

Although Ricard runs the car primarily at grudge/notime events, it has been updated with a full 25.3-cert chromoly cage that he installed along with the help of pal Stephane Beauregard. A custom fabbed backhalf makes way for a Fab9 differential that sports a Strange center section, 40-spline axles,

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Cover Car

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and tall 4.10 gears.

The Competition Engineering 4-link works in conjunction with Afco double-adjustable coilovers for consistent hook provided thanks to double beadlocked wheels and Mickey

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Thompson 295 radials. Strange disc brakes apply the whoa when needed.

Up front, much of the stock configuration was retained but beefed up while also being lightened up thanks to an An-

thony Jones Engineering (AJE) front K-member that similarly employs Afco double-adjustable shocks.

Strange discs spin behind trick black ano & machined Magnum wheels.

Reducing the

ON TRACK

Ricard enjoys blasting the Cobra down the strip, but it takes a village to run this Mustang.

His team ensures everything is just right pass after pass.

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Cover Car

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ORGANIC PONY

There’s plenty of carbon in, on, and under this horse. In addition to the composite rear wing, the hood is carbon fiber and even the panel where the back glass used to be. It might look like tint, but it is actually a non-translucent lightweight piece! curb weight on the notoriously chubby SN-95 body is thanks to a number of composite pieces.

Replacement fiberglass doors and a removable front clip have been installed along with a carbon fiber hood and back “glass.”

A Racecraft wing rounds out the body mods (other than the single turbo inlet in the front fascia and the single exhaust outlet hole in the hood), but lightweight Optic Armor side glass serves to further slim the Ford down to fighting weight.

The monochrome Porsche Carrera Guards Red paint covers every square inch of the exterior for clean, sleek look without unnecessary fuss or frills.

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KINSLER NEW

Patent Pending

TOUGH

®

PUMP

Steady Flow at EXTREME RPM

Excellent Durability

Kinsler.com

248 362-1145 www.rpmmag.com

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Cover Car

RPM TURBOHMY!

Under the removable front clip, a 398 small block Ford has been fully built—not to mention detailed to perfection. With a massive 118 mm Precision turbo, it doesn’t need recess... because it don’t play!

To the uninitiated, the Ford might just look like a relatively stock Mustang with nice wheels and a wing out back, but the subtle clues tell the real story: a nasty turbocharged small block Ford lurks beneath the lightweight nose.

“In June 2018 I won the Limited 28s at Smackdown 2 and the Quebec Grudge Wars with an F2 ProCharger combo,” he said.

But for 2019, Ricard and the team decided to change up the program.

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The 398 ci Ford spins a Crower billet crank with GRP aluminum rods and CP pistons.

A 55 mm Bullet turbo-grind cam is rotated thanks to a Danny Bee belt drive. Up top, a pair of Yates SC1 aluminum heads have been equipped with Jesel rockers working beneath custom graphic’d valve covers.

Induction consists of a Dart aluminum intake that has been fit with an octet of flow-matched Billet Atomizer

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3 700-pound injectors.

A Wilson billet elbow and 105 mm billet throttle body swallow all the compressed atmosphere the big non-intercooled 118 mm Precision Turbo can throw at it. Aeromotive components handle all the fuel delivery while exhaust is thanks to a custom Stephane Beauregard header system with a

4-inch hood exit that throws crowd-pleasing heat, sound, and flame skyward on every launch.

Electronics consist of a full Holley Dominator EFI system with a spacious 12.3-inch digital dash. Holley LS-style coil-on-plug coils provide the spark, and a custom control board was used to wire the car up—including

the working headlights and taillights.

Behind the stout, high-winding Ford powerplant is a Rossler TurboGlide transmission. The Reid aluminum case and swapped bellhousing make the cross-bred combo work together seamlessly while other parts like a Hughes dump valve, TCS 10-inch converter, and Preci-

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Cover Car

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Canada’s Performance Source!

8 Chisholm Ct. Ajax, ON. Canada 905-619-6660 www.karbelt.com

DASHING, OL’ CHAP!

A huge 12.3-inch Holley digital dash has been mounted to the lightweight factory reproduction dash.

Besides providing all gauge functions, it provides a cool, high-tech touch to the interior. sion air shifter add further reliability and performance.

Inside, the spartan cockpit features a lightweight composite dash behind a quick release wheel and an assortment of aluminum and carbon panels. A single racing bucket is draped in an RJS harness nestled deep within the funny car-style cage for maximum safety and comfort.

Ricard and his crew have found success early and often with the new setup and are hungry for more in 2020. And while the 49-year-old 12-volt electronics specialist may have started racing from www.rpmmag.com

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Cover Car

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Chassis Engineering’s Outlaw “TRIPLE” Adjustable Ladder Bars The ultimate ladder bar for heavy, high horsepower race cars. 360 degree housing brackets w/integrated shock mounts. Lightweight Chromoly construction for strength.

Includes all rod ends, hardware and brackets.

3606 Outlaw adjustable ladder bar kit $569.95 pr 3606A Outlaw adjustable ladder bar weld-up kit $544.95 pr

Toll Free Ordering: 800-327-9402 Info & Tech: 561-863-2188

MADE IN THE USA. SINCE 1980

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RPM Magazine

THE TEAM’S ALL HERE

The Ricard Racing Team is a family affair. Left to right: Frederick Tamaro, Alison Lamothe, Luc Ricard, Marie-Claude Nepton (Luc’s wife), Nicolas Leclerc, Karollan Nepveu, Claude Leclerc, and Linda Lavoie.

LEFT: Luc Ricard behind the wheel of his ’99 Cobra Mustang.

the first day he could, he’s showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.

“I won the limited 28s class at Smackdown2 in Grand Bend and in June, I finished second in the Quebec Grudge Wars against Jake Blain,” he said. The car was running well in Cayuga for Smackdown3 in July and was one of the four remaining finalists before the race was ultimately called due to track and timing equipment is-

sues. “This year I’m doing all the Grudge War and Limited 28s class in Napierville, Cayuga, Grand Bend, Miramichi (NB) and Lancaster (NY),” he added.

Unfortunately for the competition, that 14-second 1979 Mustang is long gone. And while we don’t know exactly what this nasty 1999 Cobra will do— specifically—on the track timing system, one thing’s for sure: it’ll be quick!

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MAKING PRO STREET GREAT AGAIN DOESN’T HAVE

TO BE A COOKIE CUTTER OPERATION

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RPM Magazine

story by

A

photos by

Toby BROOKS

Louis FRONKIER

round the RPM offices, we come across a herd of cool cars pretty much every month.

Problem, is, in

trying to bring you the reader a nice cross-section of available styles, brands, power adders, and a host of other factors, sometimes it gets tough to include

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DON’T SEE THIS EVERY DAY

As rare as a ’65 AMC Rambler Classic might be these days, seeing one in full pro street trim—with AMC power, no less—is left-handed-purple-unicorn-level rare!

RPM Magazine

some cars that are otherwise completely worthy.

After all, no one wants to see a whole magazine full of LS-swapped and turbo’d Fox body Mustangs or a half-dozen small block ’69 Camaros. Well—maybe you do. But if you happen to love one and we run the other, you get irritable.

And we’d rather you be happy, friend.

That’s why when we come across cars like Thomas Fox’s pro street 1965 AMC Rambler Classic, we usually give them the backstage-pass-go-to-thefront-of-the-line treatment.

We pride ourselves on bringing you all the hotness

first, and when it is a unique body style with an equally unique power plant, we tend to move pretty quickly.

A longtime gearhead, North Granville, New York’s Thomas Fox has long gone against the grain. “I was looking to get out of sand drag racing and into regular drag racing,” he

said. With the number of sand drag tracks dwindling and the nearest venue a stout five hour haul away in Maine, it made sense.

“Lebonon Valley Dragway is only 1 1/2 hours away from home, so I decided to pull out my built AMC powerplant, sell the sand drag Jeep, and start looking for a

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suitable asphalt pounder.�

The iron AMC block and heads had been filled with darn near all the high-po parts one can find for the relatively obscure engine. A balanced factory steel crank and rods were

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partnered with octane-happy 14:1 Diamond pistons. A Crane roller cam works with matching Crane roller lifters and triple valve springs in the reworked heads that were drilled and the block tapped

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THIS & THAT

The AMX features lots of cool aftermarket parts & pieces like Rodlite wheels and a BDS scoop with a pair of chrome Predator carbs poking through the hood, but also ultra-rare factory pieces like the chrome bumpers, mirrors, and handles.

for extra head bolts.

Additional tricks like custom oil lines to feed the failure prone rear bearings and distributor gear were added.

Topping it off is an Edelbrock tunnel ram with a pair of

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rare chrome Predator gas box venturi-style carbs crowned with a Blower Shop Hilborn-style scoop. The engine features no power adders yet, but Cox has his eye on dual Torque Storm blowers in the near

RPM Magazine

future.

With the engine on the stand ready to go, it would be three long years before a Craigslist search turned up a car in Connecticut that would be worthy.

Or so he thought.

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THOMAS FOX’S PRO STREET 1965 AMC RAMBLER

Chassis Type & Mods: Chris Alston Chassisworks backhalf with custom subframe connectors, crossmembers, and drive shaft loop. Hand-fabricated wheel tubs.

Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: Lowering coil springs with Strange doubleadjustable drag shocks. Factory disc brakes. REAR: Chassisworks 4-link with diagonal link. Strange double-adjustable coilovers. Ford factory disc brakes.

Body & Paint: Body repaired and restored while attempting to retain as many factory pieces as possible. Rechromed bumpers and re-polished stainless trim. Hemi Orange basecoat/clearcoat with custom hue to create one-off color.

Engine: 401 ci AMC engine with balanced factory steel crank and rods and 14:1 Diamond pistons. Custom ground Crane roller cam with Crane roller lifters. Heads drilled and tapped for extra head bolts. Custom oil lines for rear bearings and distributor gear. Factory AMC head castings extensively ported and reworked. Crane triple valve springs and high-flow stainless steel valves.

Induction & Fuel Delivery: Edelbrock UR-18 tunnel ram with twin chrome Predator carburetors. Blower Shop polished aluminum scoop with K&N filters.

Power Adder: “None...yet.”

Electronics & Ignition: MSD 7AL-3 ignition. Mallory Unilite distributor and MSD Pro Power coil. Taylor 409 Pro Race plug wires. Two-step used with transbrake.

Exhaust: Doug’s ceramic coated headers with Borla XR1 race mufflers and full exhaust dumping just ahead of rear tires.

Transmission & Driveline: AMC Turbo 400 with B&M transbrake and reverse manual valve body. B&M Pro Rachet shifter. Coan 5,500 rpm stall converter.

Differential: Narrowed ford 9-inch housing with Strange Pro Series nodular iron case center section, 35-spline alloy axles, and full spool. 5.14 Pro Race gears. Denny’s Nitrous Series driveshaft with billet yokes and Spicer solid U-joints.

Tires & Wheels: FRONT: 15x3.5-inch Weld Racing Rodlite wheels with 28x7.50-15 Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro (street) or 28x4.50-15 Hoosier (strip) front tires.

REAR: 15x15-inch Weld Racing Rodlite wheels with 33x19.5-15 Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro tires (street) or 32x14.50-15 Hoosier (strip) tires.

Special Thanks: “Mom and Dad for all the help and support. Never could have built this car without them. Dad for always supporting me and always telling me ‘Do it right or don’t do it at all.’ Mark Hurley (my best friend) for help with every part of the car. Adam Matthews of Matthews Automotive for alignment work and wheel and tire mounting. Tim Cotrofeld of Automotive Restoration Services for chassis work and roll cage work. Joe Bishop of Slate Valley Automotive for quarter panel repair, body work and paint.

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“When I looked at the car for the first time, it had a very mild Chevy small block in it.

I tried to buy it without the engine, but the gentleman selling the car insisted he’d only sell it complete,” Cox recalled. Undeterred, Cox managed to talk a friend into buying the engine for $2000.

“I went to pick up the car and as we were loading it, the seller says ‘Would you still be willing to buy the car without engine?’ I told him it would depend on how much he’d be willing to knock off the price.

He said, ‘How about $4000?’” he laughed. Needless to say, the car was promptly rolled back in the garage and the mouse was yanked out in a hurry.

The plan was to drop the AMC mill in and go racing.

“Unfortunately, after getting

RARE RAMBLER

A 401 ci AMC engine now resides between the shock towers. The dual Predator carbs and tunnel ram add another dose of “ya don’t see that everyday.” Cox is planning to add a supercharger soon.

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RUB-A-TUB-TUB

A narrowed Ford 9-inch rides on Strange double-adjustable coilovers and a Chassisworks 4-link setup. The big Hoosier meats fit in the trunk area thanks to a pair of custom tubs.

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the car home, we found that the chassis and cage were not up to par, so we quickly switched from an engine install to a full-blown rebuild,� he said.

An Alston Chassisworks backhalf was installed with custom-fabricated subframe connectors and hand-fabbed tubs out back. A narrowed Ford 9-inch rear was equipped with a Strange Pro Series nodular iron case center section, 5.14 gears, 35-spline alloy axles, and a full spool. A custom 4-link works with Strange double-adjustable coilovers to help the all-steel classic hook up while riding smooth.

Up front, the altitude was adjusted via a pair of drop springs and another pair of Strange double-adjustable shocks in the stock mounting configuration. Factory discs

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help bring the street/ strip bruiser to a stop, and Cox even has two different sets of wheels and tires depending on the application. Rodlite wheels work with Mickey Thompson Sportsmans on the street and Hoosier skins on the track.

Body and paint chores were aimed at retaining as much of the classic look as possible. The factory bumpers were rechromed and all the factory stainless trim was retained after a thorough polishing.

The only body mod is the opening cut in an additional hood to make way for the scoop—but Cox retained the unmo-

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lested factory hood that he plans to reinstall once that twin supercharger system with EFI can make its way under it. The Chrysler Hemi Orange basecoat/ clearcoat is actually a custom mix for a one-off hue.

After paint, the engine was backed by an AMC trans that was fortified with a manual reverse valve body and upgraded with a B&M transbrake. A 5,500 rpm stall converter from Coan helps the notoriously temperamental dual fours on a tunnel ram behave a bit better

RPM Magazine

WHAT’S INSIDE COUNTS The Rambler sports a full cage and a pair of racing buckets along with a B&M shifter and a Grant steering wheel.

on the street and launch hard at the strip. With the driveline carefully lowered into position, all that remained was the interior before Cox was finally ready to cruise.

Aside from the full cage, the American’s cockpit was updated with twin race buckets with black tweed covers. A handful of aftermarket analog gauges help keep tabs on the important digits, and a Grant wheel and B&M shifter handle the driver inputs.

While Cox has spent a quarter-century sand dragging, he has still (as of press time, anyway) yet to make a pass down the hard-sur-

moserengineering.com

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face dragstrip in his new build. That’ll change soon. But in the meantime, the car has been a hit at the few shows he was able to take it to last fall including the Syracuse Nationals (where it took a Top 100 award amidst 8500 other cars) and the new OBX Rod

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and Custom Festival in North Carolina.

While he’s proud of those accomplishments, Cox has just one regret.

“My father loved going to the sand drag races.

He was excited when I decided to go drag racing. He raced a 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 with

a 390 back in the day,” Cox said. “We spent a lot of long nights in the garage building this car, but sadly he passed away in July of 2018. He never got a chance to see the car go down the track,” he concluded.

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I

n the modern age of twin turbos, intercoolers, and small-tire flyers capable of clicking off seven-second passes without breaking a sweat, it is sometimes easy to forget our roots. In the case of Schenectady, New York’s Rocco Rescelo, he need only go out to the garage to see and hear rolling, rumbling history in the form of his 1967 Chevy Nova. Built

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RPM Magazine

story by

James WILLIAMS

photos by

Mat t TROMBLEY

CAR...

G A R D T R A P E N O THE CHEVY II IS T TIME

AND ONE PAR

CAPSULE

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WILD & CRAZY PAINT

The multi-hued paint and graphics are the work of Gary Marr at Brush Trix Graphics. Although the car was built for drag duty, it has show car-like attention to detail like graphics through the door jamps and hand pinstriped details.

in the late 1990s, the car represents a different era in drag race competition, but the well-preserved build isn’t just some crusty museum piece.

An avid collector of all things Chevy, Rescelo started the Nova build in 1994 when he purchased a poorly-executed basket case. “The body was sitting on an S-10 frame that didn’t fit right at all,” he recalled. A call to his friends at MK Automotive and plans were underway to scrap

that nonsense in favor of a custom installed Art Morrison mild steel chassis with 2x3 box rails and an 8.50-cert cage.

An Art Morrison ladder bar setup with QA1 coilovers was used in the rear to hang a narrowed 12-bolt posi. The rearend features 4.30 gears, Strange axles, and aftermarket disc brakes to help slow the rotund Goodyear Eagle slicks mounted aboard iconic Draglite wheels.

Up front, the Morrison compo-

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nentry continued. Tubular upper and lower control arms and a rack and pinion steering setup replaced the wonky factory setup these cars are notorious for—not to mention the ill-fated S-10 debacle Rescelo had to scrap, too. Another pair of QA1 shocks smooth the bumps while matching discs and spindles reside behind 15x3.5-inch polished Welds with Mickey Thompson tires.

With the chassis complete, MK turned their

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ROCCO RESCELO’S 1967 CHEVY NOVA DRAG CAR

Chassis Type & Mods: Art Morrison chassis with 8.50-cert cage installed by MK Automotive.

Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: Tubular control arms with QA1 adjustable shocks.

Wilwood disc brakes. REAR: Art Morrison ladder bars with QA1 double-adjustable coilovers. Wilwood disc brakes.

Body & Paint: Pin-on fiberglass cowl induction hood. All other panels factory steel.

Factory glass and all factory lighting. Paint and graphics by Brush Trix Graphics/ Gary Marr.

Engine: 496 ci big block Chevy engine built by MK Automotive. Iron block with Callies crank and rods and Ross pistons. Roller cam and lifters. Big Brodie ported and polished heads by Valley Head Service.

Induction & Fuel Delivery: Twin Holley 850 cfm carbs with Hilborn-style aluminum scoop. Holley electric pump with Fram remote filter.

Power Adder: 8/71 BDS Roots-type supercharger.

Electronics & Ignition: MSD ignition. MSD two-step.

Transmission & Driveline: TH-400 by MK Automotive with reverse valve body and trans-brake. Stall converter.

Differential: Narrowed 12-bolt Chevy with 4.30 gears and Strange axles.

Tires & Wheels: FRONT: 15x3.5-inch Weld Racing Draglite wheels with 26x7.50-15 Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro front tires. REAR: 15x15-inch Weld Racing Draglite wheels with 32x14.50-15 Goodyear Eagle Dragway Special slicks.

Performance (quarter-mile): 9.30 @ 145 mph.

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RPM attention to the car’s drivetrain. Even in 2020, it’s hard to beat the power-per-dollar of a blown big block Chevy.

Such was even more true in the pre-LS late 1990s.

Starting with an iron GM block punched to a roomier 496 cubes, a Callies crank and rods and boost-friendly Ross pistons were selected and put into place. A custom-ground roller cam was installed and a pair of Big Brodie aluminum heads reworked by the iconic Valley Head Service (made famous by the likes of Carroll Shelby, Mickey Thompson, Don Pruhdomme, and Smoky Yunick) were torqued into place.

Topping it all off was another era-icon: the polished Blower Drive

Service 8/71 supercharger. In the heyday of pro street, you weren’t really resinous without a shiny Roots huffer poking through the hood, and Rescelo wanted his Nova to have the look—not to mention the raw power— that comes from a blown big block. A pair of 850 Holley carbs deliver the fuel, while a full MSD ignition strikes the fires.

Backing the classic powerplant is another staple of high performance: the GM Turbo 400 transmission. MK beefed and built a bulletproof version, employing a reverse valve body and transbrake along the way. A stall converter was used to ensure quick launches off the line.

The most noticeable modification isn’t under

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or in the Nova, though.

It is ON it. “The paint is the work of Gary Marr at Brush Trix in Rotterdam, New York. He painted the car 20 years ago and it is still holding up great today,” Roscello said. Body mods are minimal with the custom graphics doing

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most of the talking. Factory chrome and polish was retained on the bumper, grille, light bezels, and elsewhere, while an aftermarket cowl induction hood was used.

The gang at Brush Trix prepped and painted the car bright orange before going to town with a wild hand pinstriped flamemeets subtle body line style graph-

RPM Magazine

ic-meets lower quarter panel graphic job that carries through the door jambs. Using metalizers, some of the elements have a cool retro vibe while others feature sleek metallics.

The end result is as striking as it is memorable.

The car’s interior definitely retains the retro race car feel, where the aforementioned cage work

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wraps around a pair of fiberglass racing buckets with Racequip harnesses. A Cheetah SCS shifter and Grant GT wheel handle the driver inputs, while a custom dash panel houses aftermarket instruments. The car retains the factory door panels, carpeting, and headliner, while swing-out door bars make entry and exit a bit easier for occupants.

In the 20+ years since the car was finished, Rescelo has raced, shown, and street raced the Nova from time to

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time. Although it was built for the dragstrip, Rocco found that he loved racing the car on the street much better. The car is now driven by his son RJ who took the car to its best run on the track of 9.30 @ 147mph. During RJ’s NHRA license run, he put the car on the rear bumper which led to the installation wheelie bars.

The car has been raced at several local no-prep events including Long Island and Rochester, New York. While it is certainly a beautiful piece of

RPM Magazine

THROUGH THE HOOD

The BDS-huffed rat motor was built by MK Automotive and specs out at 496 cubes. A pair of 850 Holleys supply the fuel.

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SEATING FOR TWO

A pair of JAZ fiberglass racing buckets have been equipped with Racequip harnesses. The full cage features swing-out sidebars.

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WARMED UP

The boosted big block has no trouble providing the oomph to strike the fat rear meats at a simple blip of the throttle.

drag racing history to behold, the Rescelos aren’t done making memories in the classic beast any time soon. The team recently took the car to Berkley Springs, West Virginia where RJ raced at an event for the Street Outlaws: Memphis show. He jumped at the chance to call out Precious and her car Ziptie—a matchup that will

be featured on an upcoming episode.

“It took four years to build this car, but it was well worth it,” the elder Rescelo said.

“I’d like to thank everyone who helped me put it together and especially my son RJ who now drives it and my beautiful wife who puts up with us doing what we love,” he added.

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REBIRTHof

S S E N MAD

TRIKES? S T N E ID C C A N A N E WH WHAT CAN YOU DO LACRONE, YOU

IF YOU’RE TROY

story by

TOBY

Brooks

story and photos by

Troy LaCRONE

T

his is a hard one to write, friends. Less than a week before press time, I got word that my friend Troy LaCrone had been involved in a testing accident. Thankfully, although Troy had emerged shaken and sore, he was otherwise okay. It certainly could have been much worse.

That was the good news.

The bad news was that his gorgeous 1968 Camaro that had graced the cover of our March 2018 issue and went on to be awarded our 2018 Top Gun of the Year didn’t fare so well. First, a few

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PART 1: THE

pics started popping up on social media. Then video of the car rolling and landing shiny side down emerged. By the day after the accident, I saw for myself: one of the most beautiful street/ strip cars I had ever seen had been wadded up and awaited a ride on a flatbed to determine its fate.

Was it totaled? Could it be rebuilt? What about Drag Week? Troy had piloted the car to a second place finish in the Pro Street Power Adder class in 2018 and was hoping to capture the crown this summer. As the pictures kept coming in, it became increasingly likely

REBUILD.

UNTHINKABLE

that the car was done.

I chatted with Troy two days after the accident and he had decided to build an all-out Unlimited version of a 1968 Camaro in tribute to his fallen mostly steel Chevy.

However, after sleeping on it another night and talking it over with his team, they decided to rebuild the car.

It won’t be easy. But it’s family.

Troy battled grave illness a few years ago, and the first-gen Camaro you see here gave him purpose and helped fuel him toward long-term recovery. You don’t just throw that away. The sentimental value was too

great. “Blue Madness” (as the team has taken to calling the car) would ride again.

Then it dawned on me: although nearly totaling a racecar is something NONE of us would want, surely there are lessons to be learned for our readers. I contacted Troy again and asked if he’d like us to chronicle the rebuild in our pages.

He gladly agreed.

What is to follow are Troy’s words. In the coming months, we plan to bring you the highs and the lows of the Herculean effort it will take to rebuild, repair, and resurrect the Madness.

Read on to check it out.

1 & 2: Anyone who races has nightmares of this sight: your prized ride upside down on the track. LaCrone escaped without serious injury, but his 1968 Camaro—our March 2018 cover car and 2018 Top Gun—was not so lucky.

1

2

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5

TROY RECALLS THE WILD RIDE

Since the RPM feature, we’ve continued to make improvements to the car. Our goals remain lofty: get the car to run a 6-second quarter mile consistently while at the same time, making sure it is capable of driving 1,000 miles pulling a trailer. It must also look great at a car show and sound as rowdy as possible.

We drive and cruise the car a lot. It will idle in traffic for hours on a 100 degree day and never get above 180.

Our other goals with the car have been to be a force in outlaw-style racing. We have beaten names like Memphis Street Outlaw racers JJ Da Boss and Lee Roberts to name a couple that many people will know. Our team was testing for an upcoming JJ Arm Drop Race when things went wrong.

On 02/22/20, we traveled to a local test spot to get some plug readings with the nitrous before heading to Alabama for the Arm Drop race. Off the trailer on an unprepped and cold asphalt street

6: Notice the sixth item on my laminated pre-run checklist: keep my right hand near the shifter to manage the wheelstand.

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4

6

3, 4, & 5: Pass #2 started with a massive launch that put the car on the chute mount almost right away. I attempted to downshift then pedal the car, which is a strategy that has served me well in nearly three decades of racing. However, this time it didn’t work. It got loose onto the right rear tire, sending it airborne toward the sand.

8

10

7 7: Once the car came down, it landed hard and the left front wheel broke as it dug in deep in the soft sand on the road’s shoulder. That sent it hard to the right, which initiated the roll. At this point, I was just along for the ride.

8, 9, & 10: After the hard right, the car headed back to the asphalt before beginning to roll. After four full flips and another half-roll just for good measure, it came to rest on the roof. Thankfully all the car’s safety equipment worked flawlessly and although I was shaken up, I was able to unstrap my safety harnesses and crawl out without any troubles.

9

11: Here’s how Blue Madness came to rest. While I was happy to have escaped without serious injury, it was heartbreaking to see my car utterly destroyed and resting upside down on the surface of the test strip.

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surface, it made a beautiful perfectly straight pass. The car hung the wheels in the air nearly a foot for the first 100 feet.

We were thrilled. The previous weekend at the same spot we had too much wheel speed. The car wasn’t getting on the tire well enough and it had a bounce. We added ballast to the rear and slowed the transfer some to take the bounce out. Our first pass proved that we nailed the setup.

As we and a couple of other cars were testing, the road was getting better because some rubber was being laid down. For pass #2, we proceeded to increase to nitrous power by 150 hp.

In concert with that, we lowered the starting line percent on the progressive controller. It seemed like a good plan.

We quickly learned it wasn’t.

The car left very hard. It had good wheel speed but also had enough traction to head right for the rear bumper.

It came up far and it came up quickly.

This was not my first rodeo, and my “go to” move when this happens is push the car into 2nd gear. That has always calmed it down and it had always landed without slamming or damaging anything. Immediately and with

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no delay I pushed on the shifter (my hand is always right by it the entire time just in case the need comes).

If anything, that made it worse and also caused the car to start building serious mph while riding on the parachute mount and bumper that was now dragging the ground. In fact, as it went into 2nd gear, all four wheels came off the ground. A light bulb moment struck me exactly at this time: I remembered the car has a new engine making significantly more power and a bunch more torque. Now what? Well, time to pedal it.

That means let off the gas and get back on the gas before the car slams to the ground. This was also a move I’ve done successfully countless times before. I let off, felt it start dropping, got back in it and it went straight back up.

That has never happened to me. Headwind, speed, and torque all played a role, I’m sure, but at this point the car started heading left off the track.

I lifted and it started coming down. Just before impact, it was riding on one rear wheel. The car was crossed up bad. The left front wheel broke off and dug into the sand on impact. The car fishtailed and shifted right, then

as it returned to the asphalt, it started rolling. The car rolled four and a half times, coming to rest on the roof. I unlatched the harness and started working my way out of the upside down car.

I escaped without injury. The Beilman Fabrication chassis held up supremely and protected me very well.

I was able to call my wife and tell her I was okay. Now, an 18 year old football player would likely be good in the days to follow, but, my old body was sore. I bulged a disc in my lower back and it let me know it wasn’t happy with my stunt driving.

THE AFTERMATH AND OUR TEAM

A decision had to be made: fix this car I love or start over. Ultimately, I made the final call to fix the car.

I often think I need my head examined for being so committed to our racing program. However, there is much more going on than just racing.

There is a family of people who have grown very close doing what we all love. We are what matters most and we will fix the car we love and continue enjoying it together.

12, 13, 14, & 15: The car was loaded on a flatbed and hauled to my shop.

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12 14 17

13

16 & 17: The Camaro was running without the wheelie bars. Instead, it dragged the chute mount.

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PUBLIC AND FAN SUPPORT

The response from the racing community has been absolutely remarkable. We appreciate so much that people enjoy what we do. My Facebook racer page, Troy LaCrone – Drag Racing, Drag Week – Grudge / Outlaw Events, was flooded with support and love. Please check it out and follow our escapades. Our sponsors (we normally just call them friends) never missed a beat. “Fix it and let’s roll,” they all said.

Marc Beilman of Beilman Fabrication in Wentzville, MO was at my house the next day going over the car. Chris Straub of Straub Technologies was gathering parts to re-assemble the engine after it ate some sand. Nowak Racing was working on a wiring plan and Tom Monehan of Monehan’s Autobody was already talking to his paint rep. We all knew of course, the Induction Solutions Nitrous system hit just a little too hard. Boy, that guy knows how to make horsepower. Ditto for CircleD on the torque converter. Everyone involved with the car has shown so much love. A special thanks to all of you!

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20 19

KIDS

We are in the process of doing something really special for kids that follow and love the car. We need to remember that they are the future.

More than 130 people responded to a social media post offering a piece of the car along with a great picture signed by me. Some will get actual large parts of the car signed by me.

We did not do this to make a dime: it is free and we even pay the shipping.

We pay it forward which promotes the most important thing we do… furthering this amazing obsession we all have and do so with class.

THE FUTURE

Plans are already underway to get Blue Madness back up together and back up to speed quickly. Stay tuned!

Performance Centers Throughout Eastern Canada

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106 april 2020 | RPM Magazine

21

18, 19, & 20: The carnage was everywhere.

Not a single panel on the car survived unscathed.

While it would make more sense to build a new car, the sentimental value of this one is just too great. We will rebuild.

21: The engine was pulled right away and will be shipped back to Straub Technologies for a thorough inspection/repair/rebuild.

22: Just a sampling of the destruction: a bent midplate, broken carbon fiber driveshaft, and a bent wishbone.

23: Chassis fabricator Mrc Beilman (left) came over to help me assess the damage.

24: An example of an autographed panel I cut out and signed for my daughter. We are sending out similar pieces at our own cost to kids across the country as a way of showing our thanks for supporting our race program. www.rpmmag.com

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april 2020

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RPM

1: A functioning hinged hood that latches and a completed front clip that can be removed by pulling four pins? Yes. At long last yes! Bob Thrash pulled it off in a way few people on planet Earth could. The end result is better than we even imagined.

FRONT AND

story by

TOBY

Brooks

>> Bob Thrash keeps working his magic and wraps up our front clip finally

CENTER

L

ast month we gave you a quick update on our Project aPocalypSe Horse Mustang, and we are thrilled to finally report that the custom one-off front clip is FINALLY complete.

108 april 2020 | RPM Magazine

With the project back on track, Bob was still working his metal magic when we were headed to press last month, so we really didn’t have a chance to show you the details then. With that said, now we’ve got time to take a look at the

particulars this month so you could see all the work and engineering that went into the final product.

The first order of business was the considerable metalwork to both stretch the nose five inches while also

1 converting the front fascia, headlights, and hood from the 20052009 style to the more modern 2013-2014 parts.

Thrash expertly stitched the three pieces per side together using ultra-low amperage TIG to protect the thin modern sheet-

2 2 & 3: The fiberglass hood needed some serious modification to fit the one-off nose properly, but Thrash handled that flawlessly, too. The gaps at the fender as well as back at the windshield turned out great.

3

4: Although the stretched hood was originally intended to be pinned on, we wanted to be able to be able to hinge it open instead. After a custom understructure was grafted on, a quick pin mount devised and originally installed

by Steve Yates and Keith O’Fallon was retained, the billet Ringbrothers hinges both look cool and work great.

4

www.rpmmag.com

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april 2020

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110 april 2020 | RPM Magazine

Projects

RPM

6 5 8

9

7 metal from warping, After painstakingly working the metal by hand with a hammer and dolly as well as the English wheel, the finished product looks factory-fresh even in raw steel with no body filler whatsoever. While Bob insists it will still need some light feathering with Bondo before primer, the seams look nearly perfect as-is to us.

With the fenders complete, Thrash then turned his attention to the fiberglass hood. A stretched pin-on part provided a good starting

5 & 6: Bob tied the Aerocatch hood pins into the headlight mounts in what he refers to as “the shortest hood pins in the world.�

7, 8 & 9: The hinged hood was marked and the sleek Aerocatch quick-release latches were installed.

This marked the first time the car had a working, hinged, latching hood in nearly six years.

10: With the hood installed and latched, we can finally see the lines of the car we envisioned.

10

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Projects

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11

12

13

11: The big Sunoco bulge in the hood gives the car a modern pro street/pro stock look, but the reality is that the twin supercharged big block Ford doesn’t really even need the added clearance. We destroyed two stock hoods with big holes to make room for a previous fabricated sheetmetal intake manifold. However, now that the new hood has plenty of room to avoid a hole, the low-profile Visner billet intake doesn’t need it. Go figure. We think it still looks cool.

12 & 13: The Peck Fabrication zoomie headers definitely lead to questions any time we post a picture anywhere. The front four tubes are true zoomies. The rearmost tube is slightly larger and is a mufflered outlet. A slide valve on each bank diverts the flow as desired: legal through the mufflers or rowdy through the open zoomies. point, but like most fiberglass parts, final fitment and modification are almost always required. In this case, the lightweight panel was treated to an aluminum understructure that allowed it to hinge. While pin-on hoods are fine for the track when you’ve got a crew around, they can be a pain for a street-driven car. A hinged hood was a necessity, so Steve

112 april 2020 | RPM Magazine

Yates and Keith O’Fallon put their heads together a while back to come up with a trick quick-pin mount.

The design allows the hood to either hinge OR quick release, making it a versatile and functional addition.

Bob then installed a pair of Aerocatch hood pins to secure the completed hood with a sleek, hightech race look.

After figuring out

where to put the pins to tie into the steel understructure, the hood was cut and the latches were installed.

Seeing the finished product operate flawlessly was enough to bring a smile to our faces.

The last order of business was to install a stainless Borgeson 3/4-inch DD steering shaft.

Using an assortment of universal joints, a single support, and a poly-

www.rpmmag.com

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april 2020

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14, 15, & 16: The Borgeson stainless steering components were used to finally install a functional steering wheel. It’s the simple things in life...

16

Subscribe to the channel at www.fuelmediachannel.com to keep up to date!

14

15 urethane vibration damper, Bob snaked the shaft around the chassis and headers to finally equip the car with a steering wheel that actually works.

We plan to go pick up the car in another week so that it can be wired and plumbed at Matheis Race Cars. If all goes according to plan, we should be firing the engine in another month or two. Check in next month to see our progress!

114 april 2020 | RPM Magazine

SOURCES Overkill Speed & Color 309.351.8167

Aerocatch www.aerocatch.com 714.842.2603

Borgeson Steering www.borgeson.com 806.482.8283

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