Ohio has always been a Chevy-heavy state, and Norwalk Raceway Park is one of the fastest and most racer-friendly tracks in the Midwest, so when we were picking out our 2006 travel dates last December, this one stood out from the rest like an elephant in the living room. We stacked the deck in your favor (providing you like fast street-driven Chevys), and these Ohio guys didn't disappoint.
Take our lead shot of this '69 Camaro for instance. Retired Marine Sergeant Tommy Johnson bought this Camaro in California back in 1978 for $1,400--and immediately started sawing on it. "My buddies thought I was crazy when I started cuttin' it up," says Johnson (Avon Lake, Ohio). It now runs 9.30s at better than 146 mph, thanks to a 540-inch Bruce Miehls-built big-block backed by a Powerglide.
Johnson runs his '69 Camaro in Super Chevy's "Bracket Two" class, designed for foot-brake launches and no electronics. Think of it as the top street car class. The top bracket class is "Mr. Gasket Bracket One," which is for the Pro racer. Trans brakes, throttle stops and delay boxes are allowed, and lightning-quick reaction times with photo-finish decisions are the norm. On the street side, Super Chevy offers the DOT class, designed for street-legal cars with plates, insurance, street gear and DOT tires. Like the other classes, it too is a bracket handicap, but these are 100 percent street cars--obviously our favorite.When we arrived, we were pleasantly greeted by the Super Chevy Show staff. We also got an unexpected surprise: We were asked to select the Top 10 Racecars of the meet. (Just goes to show you never know what's going to happen when PHR shows up...) We gladly accepted the honor, and the opportunity to prowl the Norwalk pit with a golf cart full of slick award plaques. (Check out the Top 10 list in your results section.)
Besides the Sportsman bracket classes, everybody enjoyed the professional Nitro Coupe class, the jet dragsters and wheel standers. The car show, manufacturer's midway, and swap meet were also big attractions that we didn't dare miss. If you're a Chevy fan, a Super Chevy Show is a great way to kill a summer weekend. Look for PHR to visit the Super Chevy Show next at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago-Joliet August 11 -13. We'll be picking more Top 10 Racecars and looking for features. See you there...
In the pits, we bumped into...
In the pits, we bumped into Ashley Adams (left, Mansfield, Ohio) and Katrina Moss (Amherst, Ohio). They're posing in front of Brian Fleenor's winning '68 Chevelle. Katrina was running her own '55 Chevy shoebox in Bracket Two--it looks like James Taylor's '55 in the cult hot rod movie "Two-Lane Blacktop."
Kirk Martell does his best...
Kirk Martell does his best imitation of a Saturn V rocket as he launches his Turbo-400-equipped '87 Monte Carlo. Martell (Sandusky, Ohio) credits a 10.2:1 GMPP 509-cid crate-motor short-block for the deed, which sports Dart oval-port aluminum heads. This run produced a 10.48/129 on motor with pump gas. Naturally, we gave him a Top 10 award.
On the other side of the track,...
On the other side of the track, the Tremec Car Show was in full swing. Showgoers were particularly impressed with the '65 Corvair of David Hermans (Parkersburg, W.V.). And while it's not really our fare at PHR, we too admired the small-block nestled in the rear seat. Take that Mr. Ralph Nader...
Here's an exercise in contrast:...
Here's an exercise in contrast: The block on the left is correct for a numbers-matching 427-powered '67 Corvette. It will cost the unlucky collector $3,000. The larger, more practical 454 block on the right had a $300 asking price.
We found two things of extreme...
We found two things of extreme interest in the swap meet area: Kimberly Jahnke of Buffalo, N.Y., and a sturdy Norco body lift for the down-to-earth price of $800.
The father-and-son team of...
The father-and-son team of Cliff and Jeff Fargo run this '81 Pontiac Lemans Safari wagon in the Bracket Two foot-brake class. Fortunately, Super Chevy Show promoters allow any GM-powered car to drag race, and this wagon was sweet. The Fargos have been racing it since 1991, making regular upgrades to it. A 502-inch BBC has pushed it to a best ET of 10.71/124--and that's running on 91-octane pump gas.
It takes a brass set for a...
It takes a brass set for a Ford guy to come to a Super Chevy Show--and show his colors. We give this unknown fan kudos for that. Like him, we too were a bit miffed at the $6,500 asking price for this swiss-cheese '69 Camaro. It had more holes than a Krispy Kreme outlet store.
We gave another Top 10 Award...
We gave another Top 10 Award to Rob LaRocco (Elyria, Ohio) and his '70 Nova. Rob's got around $17K invested in it including the car, which runs low 10s on motor. It's got a 505-inch big-block with 13.5:1 compression and a Turbo 400.
We have a soft spot in our...
We have a soft spot in our heart for Second Generation Camaros, so our radar lit up like NORAD during Warsaw Pact War Games when Randy Franks' '74 Z/28 came to the line. Franks' 496-cid big-block has the snot to knock down 10.70s and relies on a Holley 750 with a Team G intake. Without a sniff of nitrous in sight, 1.47 60-ft times are possible with a stock-type suspension. You know we whipped out another Top 10 Award for Randy...
We fell in love with Eddie...
We fell in love with Eddie Corcino's copper '71 Nova, and so will you when you see the feature in an upcoming issue. Eddie built his 10-second street machine for $10,000, including the car and paint. It runs on air and a home-built 396 with home-ported oval-port iron heads. We couldn't give him a Top 10 plaque fast enough!
Check out Eddie Corcino's...
Check out Eddie Corcino's homemade air pan with the PHR decal. It seals off the carb from the hot engine compartment and feeds the motor with high-pressure air from the base of the windshield. "I picked up a tenth doing it," says Eddie.
Women are often the motivators...
Women are often the motivators of good men, and we suspect that to be the case with Dina Martell (left, Sandusky) and April Allman (Columbus). These young lasses are partnered with Darren and Kirk Martell (respectively), so keep away.
Meet the Martell brothers...
Meet the Martell brothers from Sandusky, Ohio--Kirk (L) and Darren (R). We showed you Kirk's Monte earlier, so here's the poop on Darren's '68 Camaro: It's got a ZZ4 crate motor with an RPM Airgap intake, and it's run a best of 12.32/108. We had hoped to shoot both cars as a feature at the Columbus MSD True Street Challenge, but neither showed up as promised. (C'mon guys, you gave up a chance at a PHR car feature for what, to go on Power Tour?)
The Hardcore Motorsports booth...
The Hardcore Motorsports booth in the manufacturer's midway has been a lot more popular this year, especially since it's been manned by Danielle Bowers (left) and Trayc Horner. As they polished their supercharged LS1, they explained to us that Hardcore Motorsports was the first to build an LS1 that ran in the 7s. For more pix and video, check out www.weracehardcore.com, where you can find Danielle, Trayc, and all the Hardcore girls online.