Network
Brent Wheeler, a seasoned network engineer by trade, and a Mopar enthusiast by passion, has built his prized 1966 Dodge Coronet into a Nostalgia Super Stock warrior. Wheeler, now 49, grew up surrounded by racing, with his father, Andrew Wheeler, igniting his interest in Mopars from an early age. Today, Brent is carrying on the family legacy with his Coronet, and living out his love for drag racing.
“I grew up around it and my father. He wanted to go racing again in the mid-1990s and we started going to Friday night test and tunes with a Charger, and it spiraled from there,” he says. “I worked at a Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership while in school.”
The Wheeler Racing Legacy
What makes Brent Wheeler’s 1966 Dodge Coronet truly special isn’t just the sum of its parts—it’s the story behind the build. Wheeler had been racing another 1966 Coronet in the class since 1996, when this one came available in March of this year. His friend, Ron Tiller, decided to step away from racing. Having known the car for years, Brent saw the opportunity to grab the car he had been familiar with, and acquired it as a roller, building it up into its present form. In doing so, he could keep his original Coronet in the family and set it up for his daughters to drive.
“My oldest daughter is in college now and has raced in the NMCA Dodge Direct Connection Shootout,” Wheeler says. “My 14-year-old daughter has also been racing the same Ram in NHRA and NMCA Jr. Street, and was really pushing for what car she could race in the next few years. They’ve both got the bug. When this new car presented itself, it made the decision easy. She and her sister can drive my silver ’66 and I will continue in the new car. I made the decision mid-season this year to make the leap and get this car in service.”
Brent also maintains the 1967 Dodge Coronet wagon that his father races, making this a three-generation affair.
With plans for his daughters to eventually take over his other 1966 Coronet, Brent’s commitment to the next generation of racers is clear. For him, it’s not just about winning races—it’s about passing down the love for Mopar and the thrill of the tight racing that exists in the Nostalgia Super Stock class.
“I grew up around racing, dirt tracks, and drag strips,” Brent says with a smile. “My father was a Mopar man, so that’s where I was naturally drawn. Now, seeing my daughters take the same path is incredibly rewarding.”
Brent’s car sports an 8.50-cert chromoly cage, with color-matching blue carpet, blue door panels, and a factory dash, with a pair of Kirkey seats keeping Wheeler secure. On its exterior, Wheeler added a fiberglass hood and bumpers. The window regulators were removed for weight savings, and he rigged up a nostalgia-style seatbelt to put the window up and down. Alpha Art applied the blue and red accent paintwork on the car.
For Wheeler, his Coronets are a bridge between generations, connecting the past, present, and future of his family’s Mopar fanaticism and drag racing legacy.
“I always liked the Stock, Super Stock, and later Pro Nostalgia and Nostalgia Super Stock style of door cars. I am a real competitive person and this scratches the itch. More than anything, I am drawn to the effort and work to find more in these cars. I guess it is what grounds me,” Brent says.
The Indy-Powered Big-Block
The engine powering Wheeler’s 1966 Coronet is a 540 cubic inch Indy Cylinder Head mill assembled around an aluminum wedge block. Key to this transformation is a 4.3750-inch bore paired with a 4.500-inch stroke, courtesy of an Eagle crankshaft. The bottom end is fortified with Diamond flat-top forged pistons and Eagle 7.100-inch rods, all held together by ARP 2000 rod bolts. The engine runs at a stout 12:1 compression ratio, delivering a balance between power and longevity.
“I knew the foundation of the build had to be rock solid,” Wheeler explains. “I worked with Bill Boomhower in Walhalla, South Carolina, to make sure every detail was dialed in.”
Boomhower handled the custom work on the Indy cylinder heads, utilizing big-block Chevrolet intake valves and master porting work to optimize flow. The heads are paired with a Comp Cams solid roller camshaft, ground to 284/288 degrees duration at .050-inch lift and a peak gross lift of .682/.682. This gives the engine a potent, but manageable valvetrain, which is key to the car’s performance.
“We went with a milder grind,” Wheeler says. “It makes decent power without being too brutal on the valvetrain, and that’s exactly what I was after.”
Fuel delivery comes through a pair of Edelbrock 800 cfm carburetors mounted on an Indy Modman intake manifold. Despite their legacy as Nostalgia Super Stock staple, these carburetors have more than proven their worth on the track.
Nostalgia Meets Modern Precision
Wheeler’s approach to building his Coronet was to respect the past and embrace modern-day racing technology. His ignition system is an MSD setup, featuring the MSD 7AL2 box, MSD HVC2 coil, and MSD Pro Billet distributor, ensuring consistent spark and reliability.
The exhaust setup features TTI step headers, custom-made for raised port cylinder heads, flowing from 2-inch primaries to 2-1/8-inch tubes, eventually funneling into 3.5-inch collectors. The sound is pure Mopar—a deep, guttural big-block roar.
“I’ve raced plenty of Mopars over the years, but there’s something about the sound and feel of this engine,” Brent reflects. “It’s a beast, but it’s refined. That’s the sweet spot.”
The Driveline
Behind that powerplant is a Mopar 727 Torqueflite transmission, built by Tim Gibson in Walhalla, South Carolina. The transmission is packed with all the necessary upgrades for footbrake racing, including a drum, sprag, and a lightened sunshell. Brent also opted for an ATI 8-inch converter with a B&M SFI flexplate for durability and high-RPM launches.
“The transmission is built to handle serious abuse,” Wheeler remarks. “It’s got all the good stuff inside—a full roller support and a lot of stall speed. It launches hard, and that’s what I need to stay competitive.”
Paired with an aluminum PST driveshaft and billet yoke, the transmission sends power to a Moser Dana 60 rearend, fitted with Richmond Pro 4.10 gears and 35-spline axles. The drivetrain is optimized for deadly consistency, whether Wheeler is racing in Nostalgia Super Stock, index classes, or bracket racing.
The Chassis and Suspension
While the Coronet retains much of its factory styling, Brent didn’t leave the chassis and suspension to chance. The front suspension features AFCO custom-valved double adjustable shocks paired with lightweight race torsion bars. In the rear, QA1 double adjustable coilover shocks and 150-pound springs handle the weight transfer during launches. The chassis is further stiffened with integrated subframe connectors and a 4-link rear suspension to plant the power.
“I wanted the car to be stable, predictable, and consistent,” Wheeler says. “That’s what the suspension and chassis work is all about. You can have all the power in the world, but if you can’t get it to the ground, it’s useless.”
Wheeler’s wheel and tire choice is equally performance-driven, as the car rides on Billet Specialties Street Lite wheels, with 15×3.5-inch fronts and 15×10-inch rears. The front tires are M/T 28-inch ET fronts, while the rear sport Hoosier 31×10.5 radial slicks.
Finding the Edge in Nostalgia Super Stock
Wheeler has clocked a 9.42-second best in the 1/4-mile at over 141 mph (his class runs on a 9.50 index), but says he is still fine-tuning the car, confident that it has more to offer.
“There’s a lot left in it,” Wheeler says. “I’ve been working out the bugs, but I know it’s capable of more. That’s what drives me—finding that edge and pushing the car to its full potential.”
“I have a great wife and daughters behind me, that support me and are involved with me in this racing endeavor. I need to thank our friend and mentor Bill Boomhower for always being there for us—we would not be successful and racing at this level without Bill.”
“I know younger folks are not involved in cars and racing as much as they were in the past, but I would encourage folks to get out there and take their kids to a race. Check out all the classes. I like them all, and I really found my fit in the nostalgia classes. Making it happen without all the new technology is a challenge and a lot of fun, and that is coming from someone who has worked in the technology industry for 28 years, ” Brent adds in closing.
In an age where racing is dominated by cutting-edge technology, Brent Wheeler has chosen to embrace the challenge of nostalgia racing—pushing the limits of his beloved 1966 Coronet with a mix of ingenuity and determination.
