JANUARY 2022 RPM MAG - PREVIEW

2

january 2022 | RPM Magazine

RPM Magazine is a REGISTERED TRADEMARK of Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. RPM Magazine is a worldwide motorsports publication distributed online.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.............................................................. CHRIS BIRO editor@rpmmag.com V.P. MARKETING/CUSTOMER RELATIONS.................. TRISH BIRO trish@rpmmag.com EVENT MEDIA.................................................. events@rpmmag.com EVENT SUBSCRIPTIONS COORDINATOR........... SHERRIE WEBER sherrie@rpmmag.com ART DIRECTOR............................................................

JIM McHARG

Photographic Contributions: MARK goDragRacing.org, GEORGE PICH, MATT WOODS, MATT TROMBLEY, LOUIS FRONKIER, BLAKE FARNAN, JERRY GARRISON, NEIL ZIMBALDI, EDDIE MALONEY, WES TAYLOR, STEVEN TAYLOR, DAVID GATES, and ANDREW RADIOTIS Editorial Contributions: CHUCK SCOTT, MARK goDragRacing.org, TIM BIRO, STAN SMITH, JT, GEORGE PICH, JAY MISENER, EDDIE MALONEY, WES TAYLOR, and SCOTT FORBES Technical Writing Contribution: CHUCK SCOTT, SHANE TECKLENBURG, TIM BIRO and JAY MISENER

For advertising information contact TRISH BIRO...........................519.752.3705....... trish@rpmmag.com

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

To subscribe to RPM go to www.rpmmag.com or email Trish Biro at trish@rpmmag.com, or call 519752-3705.

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, muscle cars, 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.

RPM Magazine has been a world leader in motorsports publishing for 22 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.

www.rpmmag.com

|

january 2022

3

Chris Biro Is It 2022 already?

Then CONGRATULATIONS, you made it!

Re-running my Congratulations! Editor’s Rant has now become tradition in RPM in the first issue of every year.

2022 promises more than ever, if we could just get raw materials to make parts and get the ships carrying them into port! It makes me really wonder how we have become so blindly dependent on other continents with substantially lower material and labor costs…there’s one main reason, money! Money makes the world go ’round, and there’s nothing wrong with making money, that’s what business does, but when the need to offer products cheaper and cheaper comes into play (partly because of our buying habits), the way they are made can profoundly change. Now here we are, stuck between a rock and hard place, hopefully 2022 will see us emerge with a better plan to prevent this from happening again. Now more than ever my January Rant may strike a little closer to home.

Congratulations! to all of our 40+ year old readers, you made it!

Before you read on, just to be clear, I am all for progress, innovation, advances in safety, science, better health and moving forward, however, some things– read “some” things, just might make more sense the way we used to do them. The point is, learning how to deal with responsibility and challenges as well as success and failure at a young age can go a long way in life as years pass. With that being said, I hope you enjoy this with the spirit in which it was written.

Congratulations to all of our 40+ year old readers.

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, white bread and tuna from a can. Then, after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no childproofed medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking! Mom didn’t have to go to work to help dad make ends meet, she worked only if she wanted to.

We would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags, and riding in the back of a pick-up on a warm spring day was always a special treat, not a crime. If someone cut us off while driving we’d flip them the bird, and they would return the favor, without getting out a bat, knife or gun at the next light.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. Take-out food was limited to hot dogs, fish and chips and pizza. You didn’t line up at the drive-thru for your morning coffee, but got up earlier and made it yourself.

Even though all the stores closed at 6:00pm and didn’t open on Sundays, somehow we didn’t starve to death.

We shared one soft drink with four friends from one bottle and no one actually died from this. We could collect bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy a whole bag of penny candy, sports cards, bubble gum and some fire crackers.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in them, but we weren’t overweight because... we were always outside playing! We’d leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us, yet we were somehow O.K.

4

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes, which consisted of a wooden stick on a screw that scraped the ground to slow us down! We’d hop-up our bikes with banana seats and long forks and didn’t need some slick dude on a TV reality show of the month to tell us how to do it.

We built tree houses and played in river beds with Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars. We did not have any video games at all, and when we did finally get them it was for occasional entertainment with the whole family. No on-demand TV or 200 channels on satellite, no DVD movies, no surround sound, no personal computers, no internet, internet message boards and forums or social media, no cell phones or other hand-held devices and no texting... we did have friends though, and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits. We were given pellet guns, jack knives and slingshots for our 10th birthdays. We played with toy guns that looked like real guns, only because it was cool, not because we wanted to be a gangsta. And every young boy wanted to be a policeman or fireman!

At 13 we learned to drive the family car at the empty mall parking lot on Sunday. Christmas was Christmas not Xmas, no really it was! We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled out for them.

Football, baseball and hockey had tryouts and not everyone made the team. And those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!

Getting on the team was a privilege based on ability and merit, and not due to special rules, threats, fear or guilt... There were very few football, hockey or soccer moms and dads who cared more about their kids becoming the next superstar over just letting them play and have fun. I know this all sounds strange, but it’s true!

If a company we bought something from made a mistake, we gave them the benefit of the doubt and simply called them about it. And they either fixed it or they didn’t, and they would live with the word of mouth (good or bad) after we gave them a shot at fixing it. We did not go on social media (because there was none) and smear the company’s name first.

We did not talk back to our parents or we’d get spanked, and knowing that kept us in line… most of the time. Our teachers used to belt us with rulers or leather straps, and knowing that kept us in line… most of the time. Grade school bullies didn’t have guns. The idea of a mom or dad bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 70 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all!

And YOU are one of them! Congratulations! You were allowed to grow up as kids, before the lawyers, governments and big business regulated our lives “for our own good”. You may want to let your kids read this so they will know how brave their parents truly are.

Once again, have a fantastic 2022!

Chris Biro, Editor In Chief

january 2022 | RPM Magazine

AED Competition ................. 77

Misener Motorsports ........... 12

AFR:

Moser Engineering ........41,71

Air Flow Research ..... 5,39,81 AJE Racing.........................102

Neal Chance Converters....... 76

American Racing Headers ... 68

Northern Radiator ............... 82

Aurora Bearing .................... 83

Parts Pro/Total Truck Centers 69

AVAK/Ridgegate Tools ......... 58 Baer Brakes ...................35,94

PBM Products...................... 78

BES Racing Engines ............. 17

Piston Racing Engines ......... 42

Billet Specialties .................. 42

Profiler ................................ 72

Bill Mitchell Products ....30,56 BoulandMotorsUSA.com ...104

PRW-USA ............................ 17

Burns Stainless .................... 18

Race Part Solutions .......59,88

C & S Specialties .................. 25

Racetronix ........................... 85

Callies Performance Prod..... 17 Calvert Racing Suspensions . 32

Rage Wraps ......................... 71

Canton Racing Products ...... 26

RAM Clutches ...................... 45

Clearshot Customs............... 94

RCD ..................................... 77

Deez Performance ............... 42 Design Engineering ............. 54

RM Racing Lubricants .......... 34

ECAM .................................. 79

Ross Racing Pistons ......... 7,89

Energy Suspension .............. 78

RPM Magazine .......36,40,68

Erson Cams.......................... 31 GoDragRacing.org ............... 42

RPM Magazine Subscribe! ... 20

Granatelli Motorsports ........ 52

SM Racecars ......................102

GRP Connecting Rods .......... 56

Summit

Harland Sharp ..................... 59 Hitman Hotrods................... 72 Hughes Performance.............. 7

Racing Equip. ... 61,104,109 Taylor Cable Products .......... 57

Ian Hill Racing ...............10,91

T & D Machine ..................... 68

Icon Forged Pistons ...........103

The Supercharger Store ....... 81

Induction Solutions ............. 37 Jesel .................................... 70

Thermo-Tec ......................... 16

Joe Van O............................. 72

Ti64 ..................................... 71

JW Racing Transmissions ........ 5

Tom’s Upholstery ................. 54

Kinsler Fuel Injection.....13,73 LenTech Automatics ......14,80

Total Seal Rings .................103

Liberty’s Gears..................... 80

Trailer Alarms.com ............104

Lokar Performance .............. 79

Trick Flow ...................15,103

Lutz Race Cars ..................... 16 Magnaflow.......................... 94

Tuned By Shane T ................ 79

MagnaFuel .......................... 19

Ultimate Headers ................ 25

MAHLE Aftermarket ............ 53

VFN Fiberglass Inc. .............. 21

Manton Pushrods ................ 48 Mark Williams ...................102

Vortech ............................... 73

Maxima Racing Oils ................ 2

Weinle Motorsports ............ 38

Metal Products .................... 77

World Domination – RPM ... 24

Meziere Enterprises ............. 95

World Products.................... 61

ENFORCER-HALF

JW-PERFORMANCE

www.rpmmag.com

|

january 2022

5

January

2022

Often Imitated, Never Duplicated—For 23 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!

Legendary Rod Saboury’s latest ’63 Corvette is over the top cool!

..............................................................................

64

Wonderbread ................................................................... 8 This deadly boosted Mod Motor Mustang is no soft squishy bag of bread!

II Fly ...................................................................................... 28

After getting in and out of drag racing more times than he can count, this wild nitrous Chevy II is exactly what Josh Forbes has always wanted.

The Natural ...................................................... 46 Joe Muro’s smoke gray naturally aspirated 2nd Gen Camaro is a rare but vicious animal

Lucky ColeKidSammartino ............................................................ 92 got his first project car at 10 years old, and is still running it today!

Read COMPLETE ISSUES OF RPM MAG online at www.rpmmag.com 6

january 2022 | RPM Magazine

+

CUSTOM IN STOCK PISTONS ROSS RACING PISTONS HALF

TRUSTED BY THE FASTEST RACERS, ELITE ENGINE BUILDERS AND HIGHEST HORSEPOWER MACHINES ON THE PLANET, FOR OVER 40 YEARS!

WWW.ROSSPISTONS.COM | 310.536.0100 SALES@ROSSPISTONS.COM ONLINE

FACEBOOK.COM/ROSSPISTONS @ROSSPISTONS

HUGHES PERFORMANCE HALF

www.rpmmag.com

|

january 2022

7

8

january 2022 | RPM Magazine

Story: George Pich Photos: David Gates

9

THE STREETS ARE WHERE IT STARTED...

L

ong before there were racetracks of any kind, let alone drag strips, if you had a beef with someone about who was quicker or faster you cranked-up (literally) your ride and hit a side road to settle it. Initially, automobiles were owned out of necessity, then status, but once horsepower became part of the equation it wasn’t long before street racing became part of American car culture.

10

january 2022 | RPM Magazine

Keith Rhea got his experience and paid his dues on the streets, but eventually made his way to organized track racing. It was 2008 and Rhea had the usual Fox Body that he engaged in street action with, but once he became bored with the Mustang he stepped into a 2000 Ford Lightning, and that is where he developed an interest in turbocharging, installing twins on it in 2015. The Lightning was sold the next year to a buyer in Houston and on the same trip Keith made a stop in San Antonio to pick up some-

l body tub, d Cobra retains its origina Keith Rhea’s Wonderbrea ve been ors, deck lid and hood ha do on rb Ca s. or flo d an s quarter lass front clip. added along with a fiberg

www.rpmmag.com

|

january 2022

11

thing he had always wanted, a 2004 Cobra.

It was more of “race car” this time through, with a 10-point cage, 3.4L Whipple blower and a Powerglide trans. The Cobra saw street duty for a year or so after which he started running NMRA along with any radial tire event he could get to. Keith happened to be tuning the Cobra on the dyno one day when the ’Glide’s stock case split, and that

12

was as good a reason as any to get more serious about the car, and turbos were definitely on his wish list.

A completely new power combination was in store for the Cobra, which is when Keith happened upon something a bit unusual, he explained; “When I was changing the engine, the flexplate had ‘WB BMF’ on it. I texted the previous owner to ask what it meant

january 2022 | RPM Magazine

r Racing a twin turbo Wonde Power comes from rg billet od motor. A Winbe M 4L 5.

00 T5 G d ilt LLC-bu rods, Trend pins an um in um al er ill M ll gs make crankshaft, Bi s with Total Seal rin on st pi om st cu o ong Wisec ed GT500 heads al rt Po y. bl m se as g ifold with up the rotatin Racing intake man ’s an og H om st cu with a gs off. rottle body top thin Wilson Hi-Boost th

13

and he said the car’s name is ‘Wonderbread’.

“

I promised him I would keep the name and it’s what the car is known as today. I actually even based my business name on it.”

The Wonderbread Cobra was about to get freshened!

The factory 2004 Mustang Cobra shell retains its factory floors, roof, and quarters. Car14

january 2022 | RPM Magazine

bon doors, deck lid and hood were added along with a fiberglass Cobra front clip, and the paint was resprayed in the factory Oxford White, otherwise the name wouldn’t suit the car – you can’t make an orange car look like a loaf of white bread!

The car’s 25.1 chassis was originally built by Cage Rage Fabrication and updated by Morning Glory Motorsports.

A Team Z Outlaw K-member works with Fox Body-length tubular control arms, Fox body drop spindles, Menscer Mo-

15