Chad Fergen’s 1959 Corvette is the kind of car that makes Corvette purists cringe and he’s okay with that. His Corvette has spent the majority of its life making passes at the drag strip, but don’t let its race car appearance fool you. This classic Corvette still has plenty of street car DNA in it and the combo under the hood isn’t as radical as it looks.

The Corvette was turned into a race car back in 1967 and spent part of its life being raced in full gasser trim. Chad purchased the car and put plates back on it in 2000, from there it was taken on the Power Tour and attended other cruise-in type of events. When Chad’s son started crewing on NHRA nitro cars, the Corvette made its return back to the track for some class racing.

Currently, the Corvette is powered by a 454 cubic-inch street engine that’s wearing an eBay special 8-71 supercharger. The final result is a brutally simple combination that runs deep into the nine-second zone with minimal effort. Chad actually hasn’t really stretched the Corvette’s legs yet to see what it can do.

“My son Cole started crewing on a nitro team so I decided to give Super Street a try. I changed the transmission over to a powerglide with a brake to make it competitive. At the first event, I flatfooted the car without the transbrake and went 9.40 with ease. The car is super easy to drive and always draws a crowd,” Chad explains.

Chad has always been a big Corvette fan, so being able to build a car like this and spend time with his son is a dream come true. This Corvette has a special place in Chad’s heart and he plans on making more memories behind the wheel for years to come.