[1]
Larry Larson plans on driving his amazing 1966 Chevy II to the NHRA Summer Nationals in Topeka, Kansas this weekend. That’s right, I said driving to the event. And it’s not just down the road, but around 90 miles away. That’s amazing in itself that a car capable of running in the 6’s could drive that far. Upon arrival, he’ll actually be competing in Competition Eliminator with the Chevy II. He has registered for the event and has the credentials to run it.
Larson will be competing in the Competition Eliminator AA/AT class for turbocharged V-8 vehicles. The minimum weight in the class is 1,500 lbs. but it’s a weight to cubic inch class, set at 5.9 lbs. per cubic inch. That would mean Larson’s Mike Moran-built 565 cubic inch twin 88mm turbo combination would have to weigh 3,334 lbs. The current index in AA/AT is 7.04. In Comp Eliminator, the goal is to run faster than your index, with the quickest cars around .50 to .60 under their indexes. The first car to the finish line wins, and if you run more than .60 under your index you are penalized for the next round and so on. Like bracket racing, the car with the slower index will leave first and then the chase is on.
This Nova has been crowned the fastest street car in America by winning three consecutive Drag Week titles. It’s been driven over 1,200 miles through the good weather and bad, and when they get to the drag strip, this car goes out there and lays down a 6.90’s pass at over 200 mph. There’s a cool video of the car making a six-second pass at Las Vegas and then driving down the the interstate to the real strip in downtown Vegas.
Thus far, the car has been 6.93 at 211 mph. Like so many others, we’re looking forward to seeing this real street car compete with all those real race cars this weekend in Topeka.