If you look up the word “domination” in the dictionary this week, you’re likely to find reference to ProTorque converters at Hot Rod Magazine Drag Week. You see, Joe Rivera and his team at ProTorque helped to power not only the overall champion and winner of the Unlimited category, but their converters could actually be found in each and every one of the leading Unlimited class cars, helping to set a few world records along the way.
Jeff Lutz, in the debut of his new 1957 Chevrolet that’s a near-exact twin to his original Drag Week-contending tri-five, captured the crown for the first time with an impressive 6.84-second average elapsed time. Right on his heels was fellow ProTorque customer Doug Cline, who made a little bit of history with his Camaro by becoming the first competitor with an all-steel vehicle to record six-second runs on all five days of competition.
Another Drag Week veteran and Pro Torque-equipped racer, Joe Barry, powered his gorgeous 1956 Chevy to third place overall, posting a career-best 6.98 elapsed in the process, with a 7.14 overall average for the week. Five-time champion Larry Larson, behind the wheel of his stunning new Chevrolet S-10 pickup, chose ProTorque to help power his potentially record-breaking new machine — and he did just that at the close of Drag Week, rolling to a new street legal drag racing world record pass of 6.16-seconds.
Reigning Drag Week champion Tom Bailey, in his “Sick Seconds” Camaro, made Drag Week history himself before bowing out to mechanical woes on day two, following up his record average elapsed time one year ago with the quickest official pass ever at Drag Week with a 6.54 on the opening day in Tulsa.
But it wasn’t just the Unlimited class where ProTorque converters wrecked havoc. Eric Yost, in his rusty-themed Camaro, captured Super Street Power Adder honors, clicking off a best of 8.09 from his single-turbocharged mount backed by a Revolution series converter during the five days of competition.
For more on ProTorque converters and the racers who rely on them, visit them on the web at protorque.com.