With the dawn of a new season upon us, we offer our picks to win the Full Throttle and Get Screened America Pro Mod titles this season. There’s nothing scientific behind our choices, but simply our thoughts on which racers have what it takes to get the job done in 2012.
Recently, the good folks at AFCO Racing Products and Dynatech invited us to tour their manufacturing facilities to get a behind-the-scenes look at – and share with our readers – something that most will never get to see.
Scott Birdsall, the chief fabricator behind Chuckles Garage in Santa Rose, Calif. set off in 2009 to construct a period-perfect Gasser from the ground-up, beginning with a 1962 Ford Falcon that would adhere as much as possible to the 1965 NHRA rulebook.
Dynatech has been making waves with their new 2011 Mustang headers that have been picking up over 20 horsepower to the rear wheels. Also, AFCO’s GT500 heat exchanger is one of the biggest units you can fit on your 2007+ GT500 and boasts a 350% increase in cooling area over the stock exchanger.
Interview: Kevin Fiscus And Josh Klugger On Their 2012 Partnership
by
Rob Cossack
on
January 27, 2012
With the escalating costs of being competitive in the Drag Radial ranks it’s no surprise these two decided to team up for the new season. They have already tested into the 4.40′s at over 180 MPH this week at Bradenton after shaking it down closer to home at SGMP and are ready for this weekends US Street Nationals
Holley long ago established itself as a maker of popular carburetors, but they’ve also developed a number of great LS engine products. We interviewed the President of Holley, Tom Tomlinson, regarding their vast product offerings for the LS-series of engines and what future LS products Holley has up its sleeves.
We’ve seen lots of Fox-body Mustang swaps – but one with a Toyota motor? That’s new. It’s not just any Toyota motor though, its a modified Supra 2JZ engine putting over 750 horsepower to the ground. Now that’s our kind of hybrid!
The guys over at Calhoun Racing are putting together a new combo for the new season. With the help of GForce Motorsports, this once Outlaw True Ten Association Ultimate Street and Texas True Ten 5 Extreme Street champion machine is being transformed into a hopeful Outlaw Drag Radial contender.
Video: Jet-Hot Coats The Way For Carbon Kustoms And Project Cochise
by
Salvatore Alaimo
on
January 16, 2012
Al Melchoir is the owner of Carbon Kustoms, a second generation Firebird specialty shop out of Ontario, Canada with a U. S. location in Keller, Texas. The Carbon Kustoms business was born from Melchoir’s own automotive inspiration, and with Jet-Hot Coatings, has allowed for the most bad ass Firebired we’ve seen!
With the NHRA’s much-awaited preseason testing in Florida just days away, several of the top nitro teams are unveiling new looks and new sponsors as the start of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle season in Pomona draws near.
Known as the “silent Hawaiian” for his quiet demeanor, Danny Ongais let his driving talents on the race track do the talking for him, earning a reputation as one of the most talented and versatile drivers in all of auto racing.
Video: Joe “Coffeeman” Decario’s ProCharger-Equipped GT Runs 9.87
by
Andrew Wolf
on
January 13, 2012
Recently, South Florida resident Joe “Coffee Man” Decaria got in on the action, powering his 2011 Ford Mustang GT to a quick 9.87 elapsed time at 139 miles per hour, utilizing a D1SC blower from ProCharger.
Former Garlits Crew Chief Tom “T.C.” Lemons Passes Away At Age 74
by
Andrew Wolf
on
January 12, 2012
Few in the sport have attained legend status for their contributions outside of a race car, but Tom “T.C.” Lemons was one of those rare individuals.
Lemons, 74, was found dead on Wednesday at his home on the grounds of the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Fla. that he helped create.
Less than two months after a devastating accident in Las Vegas that destroyed his 1969 Firebird Drag Radial machine, Washington native Eric Petersen is set to return with his supercharged big block between the fenders of a virtually brand new 1952 Chevrolet Pro Modified machine for PSCA and NPSA competition.
Video: Tim Lynch’s Street Car is a 1,300 HP Twin Turbo Z06
by
Clifton Klaverweiden
on
January 11, 2012
What would you expect Tim Lynch to use as a daily driver? I mean, given the nature of the beastly twin-turbo C6 Corvette that he has dominated Outlaw 10.5 Eliminator with, you might expect his normal car would be significantly tamer than his “work car.” But, actually they are surprisingly similar…
Courtney Force, the youngest of 15-time champion John Force’s four daughters and who has spent the last four seasons learning both the on and off-track aspects of professional drag racing, will make her professional driving debut next month in Pomona in a Ford Mustang Funny Car sponsored by Traxxas.
With the unveiling of the COPO Camaro Concept at the SEMA Show, the seemingly improbable holy trinity of factory race cars is all but complete. But in order to do these cars any justice, they deserve their own big stage to compete heads-up, my brand versus yours, just like they did 45 years ago.
Some 40 years after Volkswagen legend Joe Horvath’s original Scorpion dragster was lost forever, he and the Scorpion name are set to make a return to the quarter mile with a pair of Californians in two very unique new race cars to compete in NHRA Competition Eliminator – a class that simply reeks of uniqueness.
Video: Add This To Our Wish List: GZ Motorsports’ Racing Vacuum Pump
by
Bobby Kimbrough
on
January 6, 2012
At last year’s PRI tradeshow in Orlando, Florida, we happened to catch GZ Motorsports’ racing vacuum pump on display. After talking with company founder Greg Zucco, we’ve given a lot of thought about the VP series Vacuum pumps.
Chris Alston Jr.’s Wicked-Quick ’64 Chevy Nova Outlaw 10.5 Machine
by
Andrew Wolf
on
December 27, 2011
When your family has over thirty-five years in the racing chassis and components industry, you’re sure to take an approach that your customers can relate to. And that’s exactly what Chris Alston Jr., the heir to the Chris Alston’s Chassisworks business, has done with his wicked-quick Outlaw 10.5 Chevy Nova.
Mark Gearhart: We Need a Uniform Set of Rules in Heads Up Racing
by
Mark Gearhart
on
December 27, 2011
The problem is that a lot of these racing sanctions have relationships like Iran and Iraq, when they need to be working together. The doorslammer racing world needs standardized rules for these big categories that everyone uses.
At the 2011 PRI show, Powermaster rolled out a bunch of new hardware for late-model V8 cars, covering applications for both Blue Oval and Bowtie aficionados.
PRI 2011: Champion Spark Plugs Continues to Bring New Technology
by
Bobby Kimbrough
on
December 26, 2011
At the 2011 PRI trade show, we checked in with Richard Keller of Champion Spark Plugs to find out how Champion deals with ever changing technology in automotive engines and fuels to provide a spark plug that lasts and is a good value.
Our good friends at MSD Ignition recently filmed and released a tour of their two facilities located down in El Paso, Texas, providing a look many will never get the opportunity to witness firsthand of just how and where all of their industry-leading ignition system products come from.
Fueling your daily driver, street/strip ride or full-tilt race car is no joke. How many times have you seen a fellow competitor or heard of someone you knew of, who’s motor ran dry, ultimately melting their mill down.
Whether you race on the strip, oval, or simply just restore cars for a living, having a differential for your application is critical for your success. When we stopped by the folks at Eaton Performance booth at PRI 2011 they reminded us how crucial choosing the correct differential is.
PRI 2011: Stainless Steel Brakes Adds Front Drag Brakes, Billet Hub
by
Mark Gearhart
on
December 23, 2011
It’s all about lightweight now-a-days. Not only are people concerned about saving weight on their race cars, but also street cars as well. Stainless Steel Brakes has introduced a new line of Competition front brakes (to compliment their race rear brake kits) designed for performance race and street vehicles.
When Jon Bowles pulls up to the starting line, it may appear as though he and his black ’92 Mustang are the definition of sneaky and stealthy, but when the 347 cubic-inch, 88 mm-turbocharged engine is spooled and the hammer is dropped, all eyes are on them. We talk with Jon about his Mustang campaign.
PRI 2011: Superflow’s New Mobile Touch Screen Tablet For Dyno Users
by
John Gibson
on
December 22, 2011
One of the most frustrating things when a engine is on the dyno has to be leaving all of the data and controls behind to walk back into the dyno-room to make an adjustment. Now with Superflow’s latest data acquisition system you can carry the wireless dyno controls and information with you.
While robots will inevitably rise up against us, overthrow and enslave us to toil in their chromium mines and vacuum their houses, in the meantime they turn out some darn good speed parts, and Scorpion Racing Products is making the most of the time we have left by using them to manufacture quality US-made parts.
People often look at Crane Cams as strictly a camshaft company, but many forget that Crane has been an innovator in digital ignition systems. We stopped by their booth at PRI 2011 and learned more about their points replacement systems. Watch the video here.
PRI 2011: Kooks Custom Headers Adds 5.4 and 6.2L Raptor Applications
by
Mark Gearhart
on
December 22, 2011
If you are looking for more horsepower for getting around, or just want to hear that ‘big block’ purr, then you should take a look at Kook’s Custom Headers. Offered in 1-3/4 or 1-7/8ths inch primaries and for the 5.4 and 6.2-liter engines, Kooks boasts up to a 40 horsepower gain to the rear wheels.
PRI 2011: Bell Racing’s Old School Helmet Design With Modern Touches
by
John Gibson
on
December 21, 2011
For 2012, Bell Racing Helmets is debuting a new line of vintage helmets that will feature popular helmets from each era of racing, but with modern technology and modern construction. We stopped by Bell Racing’s booth at the 2011 PRI show to check them out.
PRI 2011: Quickfuel Technology Showcases Affordable Slayer Carbs
by
John Gibson
on
December 21, 2011
With so many choices on the market it can be extremely confusing on how to choose the correct carburetor. One carburetor that caught our attention at the 2011 PRI show was Quickfuel Technology’s new affordable Slayer Carburetor Series.
PRI 2011: Bilstein Unveils New Drag Shocks, Universal Rally Struts
by
Andrew Wolf
on
December 21, 2011
Here at PRI, Bilstein has launched a number of new products aimed at different markets, including their Drag line of shocks with a street/strip attitude for the Fox body Mustang and F-body Camaro, along with new Universal Motorsports Struts for road racing, oval track, and rally racing applications.
PRI 2011: Innovate Motorsports Sees What’s Happening When You Don’t
by
Kevin Shaw
on
December 21, 2011
Innovate Motorsports’ new MTX Dual Function Gauges are four gauges: three are dual function, consisting of oil pressure/oil Temp, water temp/voltage, and a boost/shift light. The fourth gauge is a exhaust gas temp gauge, which doesn’t require a secondary function.
Lincoln Electric is well known for their welders and the ability to join metal, with the release of their new Tomahawk line of Plasma cutters, they may become better known for the ability to cut metal precisely at any location. We checked out the Tomahawk Plasma cutters at this year’s PRI tradeshow.
The braintrust of K1 and Wiseco has resulted in a series of products that have been designed specifically to benefit the other, and to maximize each part’s inner potential.
We stopped by McLeod Industries booth at PRI 2011 to check out their complete driveline solution. They also showed off their new clutch that is ready for 2500HP+ applications. Watch the video here.
Flashback Friday: “TV” Tommy Ivo’s Legendary Four-Engined “Showboat”
by
Andrew Wolf
on
December 16, 2011
In 1961, famed actor and drag racing legend “TV” Tommy Ivo rolled out a creation that would become one of, if not the greatest exhibition vehicle of all time. With four Buick V8 engines strapped to the framerails, Ivo’s all-wheel drive dragster was a true marvel.
It’s amazing how many people you can meet being involved with a hobby. Automotive gatherings are obviously a mecca of hot rodders, gear heads, and casual enthusiasts just wanting to mingle. It’s a great place to make friends and unfortunately… sometimes enemies.
Don Walsh Jr. Will Return in 2012 With ’11 Mustang in NHRA Pro Mod
by
Jason Reiss
on
December 15, 2011
Dragzine was able to scoop an interview with Walsh just hours after he made the decision to partner up with some of the top names in doorslammer drag racing today with a deal to drive a state-of-the-art Pro Mod in NHRA competition. Inside is a brief interview with Walsh about his return.
Among the many high-end race component manufactures available to us during the PRI 2011 Show was Aerospace Components. Aerospace’s newest parts consisted of their F-Body brake kit for ’93-04 F-Bodies and their transmission cable bracket including the bellcrank feature.
PRI 2011: Dynojet Owners Give Us Opinions On Dynojet’s Chassis Dynos
by
John Gibson
on
December 13, 2011
Deciding whether or not to invest in a chassis dyno can be a tough decision. At the 2011 PRI tradeshow we had the opportunity to speak with a variety of race shops, engine builders, and race teams and get their opinion of Dynojet chassis dynamometers. Watch the video here.
PRI 2011: DynoJet Chassis Dynos at SCT Performance’s Open House
by
Bobby Kimbrough
on
December 12, 2011
We got a chance to see how DynoJet Research and SCT Performance’s partnership works to benefit automotive enthusiasts. Read more about it here.
When we walked into the 2011 PRI tradeshow each morning we were greeted with the #28 Ford from Roush Yates Performance warming up on a Dynojet chassis dyno. After seeing and hearing the #28, we just had to stop by the Roush Yates booth to get the lowdown on not only the Ford but also the Dynojet Chassis Dyno.
Sitting behind a fence of velvet ropes and brass poles, the war horses of a bygone era were on display at this year’s 2011 PRI Show in Orlando, Florida. Not that of horse hide or bone, but of acid-dipped steel and aluminum cylinder heads and intake manifolds.
PRI 2011: Crane Cams Shows Us Their Complete Digital Ignition Line
by
John Gibson
on
December 12, 2011
When we stopped by the Crane Cams booth at PRI 2011 we were reminded just how far digital CD ignitions have come in the short time that Crane has been producing them.
PRI 2011: SCT Performance Knows How To Make Things Move… Literally
by
Bobby Kimbrough
on
December 9, 2011
SCT Performance relocated their facility in August of this year. At the PRI tradeshow, the company invited everyone at the trade show to visit their new location with an open house. Our crew went and checked out SCT’s new crib.
Within the motorsports industry race teams have been choosing Crane Cams optical distributors for quite sometime. But what people often forget is that Crane also has this technology available in a street/performance application.
