Every Racer Has A Story.

Hopefully you all showed love to the mothers this past weekend while we took a break from racing. Now it is time to get back in action. I am hoping the return of Route 66 Raceway's National Event crushes this weekend and returns to a permanent spot on the NHRA schedule. D4 has a double this weekend in Ennis, TX at the Dallas Motorplex. I am heading to Chicago for the nationals and Ennis in October for their national event and JEGS All Star. 

Stock Eliminator Round 1 is underway so let's meet some of the drivers gearing up to race. The air is crisp and it looks to be a fast round with a challenging dial-in situation.  

Jamie Schoenly's 1972 Ford Maverick Grabber was purchased brand new by his late father Randy in 1972 and became an all out drag car in the early 80s. A wonderful tribute, the car is fresh off a 4 year hiatus and blasted its quickest ETs and highest wheelies this past weekend at Cecil County Dragway. 

If this car doesn't win a Best Appearing award this year something just may be wrong! Now shame on me for snagging this interview at the most inopportune time. 440ci with a G-force 4-speed only further increases its coolness factor and we can't wait to see how it progresses throughout the year.  

Longtime stick shift racer Brad Zaskowski tells us about his new Holley EFI controlled 376ci engine combo in the 1987 Camaro body that fits GT Super Stock/E. We put the camera in his car for round 1 of class eliminations so you can listen to the revs as Brad rips gears. Also, don't miss one of the longest Super Stock burnouts I've ever seen!  

Car show today, drag strip tomorrow. Casey Miles competes in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series with his original Baldwin Chevrolet that he purchased off a buddy back in 1971! If you miss him running down the quarter mile you can still catch him at the local cruise nights with working mufflers, windshield wipers, and radio!  

What do you do after you quit racing, put the kids through college, sell the house with the garage, and move to the golf course? Buy a race car of course! And check out this sharp ex Eric Bardekoff car that Darin Grossi picked up. Now tuned by Steve Wann, the car lays down nice times, drives straight, and like all stockers, sounds wonderful. 

Beebeep! Check out this killer 1969 Road Runner 440 six-pack car owned by Chuck Stubeck since 1970 when it had 12,000 original miles on it! The retired Hollywood, CA police officer has raced the robust vinyl-top machine in NHRA Super Stock SS/FA class for the last 25+ years, running low 9 second times at almost 140mph!  

If you want to see what I mean by #thecarshow look no further! NHRA Stock & Super Stock is the greatest car show on Earth. Take a look at Angelo DiCarlo's 1966 327 powered Candy Apple red Corvette. It is fast, it is gorgeous, and it pulls nice wheelies.  

Let's have a chat with local Californian and longtime Super Stock racer, Fred Moreno! The car has been competing in NHRA since the 70s so check out the combination and old school aesthetics with just a slight touch of new school technology! Is that the stock shifter? No transbrake button? Cragars? 

This is the first of the 50 produced lightweight 1964 Plymouth Savoys that was available to the public and it is competing in NHRA Super Stock! Where else would you find a classic gem such as this still doing what it was originally intended to do? Darcy Clarke, who hails from Alberta, Canada, shows off his ingenuity, engine and fabrication skills with this 9 second masterpiece.  

When professional automotive painters build their own race cars you know the outcome is going to be aesthetically pleasing to say the least. The West Virginia based father and son team of Bucky and Travis Hess is no different and definitely knows how to insert performance into the mix as well! I caught up with Travis at Maple Grove Raceway's longstanding Pennsylvania Dutch Classic to learn more about the car. 

Full-time correctional educator and part time painter, Paul Sutherland has turned his Super Stock wheel standing '66 Chevy II wagon into arguably the most eye-catching hot rod in all of drag racing. Wait until you see the paintjob up close! Powered with a legal 327ci/275hp motor that NHRA rates at 307hp, the 3200+lb wagon turns out low 10 second times.  

In late 1966, Chevrolet released the muscle car that would change the world and set the standard for years to come. A young 25 year-old racer looking for a competitive edge in the NHRA class racing world was about to purchase a big block Chevelle before spotting the new race-ready 302 cubic inch four-speed machine. The gamble paid off resulting in the car and team going down in history. 

How about a numbers matching 1967 Z/28 Camaro Rally Sport that isn't being stored in a climate controlled building, but rather, being blasted down the quarter mile in record times? The Maryland native knows his classic Chevy and can spot a phony from a mile away, just ask Barrett-Jackson. Despite appreciating the car's history and value, he still wants to have fun, setting records while jamming those gears in the mandatory 4-speed combination that the Z/28 Camaro package was produced.

Holy moly, a Ford lover's dream! This gorgeous Thunderbolt is driven by one of the pioneers of the big block FE motor who himself has designed some of the integral parts allowed on the car.