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The Haltech World Cup Finals: Import vs Domestic (WCF) is easily the most diverse drag race in the world — there really isn’t another event where you’ll see everything from screw-blown Hemi’s to gnarly rotary engines lining up to race side-by-side. We made the trip to Maryland International Raceway for the 25th edition of the WCF and singled out our 10 favorite vehicles to share with those of you at home.Without further ado, and in no particular order…
Rich Weeks’ 1990 Volkswagen Corrado
You don’t see many Volkswagen Corrados on the streets these days, let alone at the drag strip, so that’s what makes Ron Weeks’ 1990 model Corrado so cool. This VW is powered by a built 12-valve VR6 engine that’s backed by a four-speed Kalamar Motorsports dogbox transmission with a Boninfante clutch. Weeks has run a personal best of 8.92 at 167 mph with his VW…that’s impressive for a front-wheel drive machine.
“I bought this car from a friend that planned on street racing it, but he changed his mind and wanted to do something different. This car is pretty interesting to drive since it’s front-wheel-drive. and makes so much power. The thing I enjoy about this car the most is how ugly it is. People either love it or they hate it, and that makes it fun for me,” Weeks says.
Brad Gary’s 1995 Eagle Talon
The Diamond-Star Motors (DSM) vehicles that were released by Plymouth, Eagle, and Mitsubishi changed how tuner cars were viewed in the United States. These vehicles were all-wheel-drive, made gobs of horsepower, and were known to put unsuspecting V8s in their place on the streets. That reputation is what drew Brad Gary to purchase his 1995 Eagle Talon. Gary’s car is exceptionally clean, and the 4G63 engine that’s tuned by TPG tuning makes over 1,400 horsepower when paired with its Precision Turbo & Engine 8385 turbo.
“I’ve always loved going fast and that’s why I purchased this car over 25 years ago. There’s just something about these DSM cars that makes them unique. When I was growing up, these cars were on top of the game and they are modern classics in my opinion. The car has been 7.90 at over 188 mph, and I hope to go faster with it soon,” Gary explains.
Tom Oliveria’s 1969 Pontiac GTO
Classic muscle cars look amazing in full race trim, and you won’t find a better example of this than Tom Oliveria’s 1969 GTO. This Goat looks like it would fit in at any Saturday morning car show thanks to its amazing paint job and steel body panels. Oliveria races his GTO with the Warriors series in the Northeast part of the United States on a regular basis.
“I used to race a Chevelle with a Pontiac engine until I found this car in 2008. It has a 505 cubic-inch Pontiac engine under the hood with Visner heads and an F3-136 ProCharger. I’ve always liked GTOs and have been building this one ever since I got it. It’s fun to race a car like this since you really don’t see many of them at the track,” Oliveria states.
Logan Yelton’s 1993 Dodge Ram
It’s not uncommon to see trucks at the drag strip, but it is rare to see a 1993 Dodge Ram making laps down the track, let alone one that’s powered by a 12-valve Cummins diesel engine. Logan Yelton brought his big black Dodge to the WCF with the goal of cracking into the 8-second zone. While he didn’t get that 8-second time slip, he did grab our attention with his ultra-cool ride.
“I’ve always been around racing and this was the truck that I drove to high school. I built the Dodge to run the 5.90 index class at all the big diesel events around the country. The truck is powered by a Scheid Diesel-built Cummins engine, and I built the 48RE transmission at my shop Logan Built,” Yelton says.
Norris Prayoonto’s 2020 Toyota Supra
Norris Prayoonto is one of the most influential people in the world of import drag racing. He’s set records, won championships, and built some of the fastest import cars in the world. It’s no surprise that when he decided to build a new generation Supra it would be fast, and his 2020 Supra is one sharp-looking car.
“We bought this car as a new platform to mess with and it kept getting faster. It was supposed to be street car, but turned into a racecar when we started getting serious with it. We like challenges and it’s our goal to make anything we build number one. Currently, this is the world’s fastest GR Supra with an elapsed time of 8.53 at 162 mph,” Prayoonto says.
Keith Ohanesian’s 1987 Buick Turbo T
The 1987 Buick Turbo T that Keith Ohanesian brings to the track is full of fun surprises. This G-body isn’t powered by a boosted LS engine or the stock six-cylinder, instead, it has a nasty Dart-based 400-cubic inch small block Chevy in between its fenders. The engine receives boost from a Precision 94mm turbo, is backed by a Trans-Specialties Powerglide, and PTC torque converter.
“I’ve always been a fan of Buick’s…I have owned several over the years. This car has been around for a while, and it’s so cool to own a piece of racing history. Right now. it’s the quickest and fastest true pump gas vehicle in the world — the car has been 4.88 at 149 on pump 93 octane fuel,” Ohanesian says.
John Snyder’s 1965 GTO
John Synder’s 1965 GTO that usually competes in the Ultra Street class still uses plenty of Pontiac parts. Under the hood, you’ll find a traditional 535 cubic-inch engine that’s feasting a little bit of nitrous thanks to a kit from Nitrous Outlet. Snyder started racing his GTO on radials a few years ago and enjoys the challenge.
“I actually purchased this car from a friend that I raced against in the NSCA over 12 years ago. The car has been an ongoing project, and I’m always trying to find new ways to make it go faster. Coming to the WCF each year is fun because it gives me a chance to run the car out the back and really let it eat,” Synder states.
Dave Consentinos’ 1992 Toyota Supra
The A70 generation Supra doesn’t get as much attention as the newer ones, but that didn’t stop Dave Consentinos from using a 1992 model as the base for his racecar. Consentinos was introduced to racing by his father, who raced Stock Eliminator back in the 1970s. A classic Plymouth might have been Consentinos’ first car, but the Supra stole his automotive heart.
“I’ve actually owned this car since I was in high school and have been working on it since then. I can still drive it on the street, and it’s been 7.70 at 181 mph in street car trim. I built the entire car myself, and the competition of drag racing really makes it fun for me,” Consentinos says.
Jose Tores’ 1982 Toyota Starlet
The WCF provides an opportunity for people to see race cars they just don’t normally see at the track. Unless you live in a region where fast import racing happens on a regular basis, you’ve probably never seen a Toyota Starlet make a rip, and you’re missing out. Joes Tores’ 1982 Starlet is powered by a nasty two-rotor 13B engine that’s backed by a clutchless Liberty five-speed transmission. The engine makes just over 1,100 horsepower, and the car weighs 2,220 pounds with the driver, so that makes for a wild horsepower-to-weight ratio.
“This car was a famous racecar down in Puerto Rico, and when the opportunity came up to purchase it I made the deal. The car was in pretty rough shape when we got it, so it was rebuilt from front to back to make it faster and safer. Driving this car is just insane…you’re on the wheelie bar pretty much the entire run while you’re grabbing gears. The chassis setup is so important to it goes straight,” Tores states.
Rick Crawford’s 2009 G8 GT
The Pontiac brand might be gone, but people like Rick Crawford are keeping it alive with cars like his 2009 G8 GT. While most G8s live a fairly normal life as a high-powered sedan, Crawford has taken his to a whole different level. Crawford’s G8 features a built 5.3-liter LS that’s topped off with a radical LSA blower that he modified himself. An upgraded factory transmission and billet Circle D torque converter take care of putting the power to the ground.
“It’s taken a few years to get the car to the point you see it at now. When the car was naturally aspirated it ran 9.90s, but I decided to go in a different direction. I had built a similar engine combination for a customer and wanted to see what it would do in this car with the modifications it already had. The first time it clicked off an 8-second pass I was blown away…now it’s running 8.40s at 146 weighing 3,520-pounds,” Crawford says.
If you want to see even more cool cars from Haltech World Cup Finals: Import vs Domestic make sure you check out our event recap right here. You can also see some cool videos from the event on our YouTube channel here.
