In 1997, a 13-year-old kid pedaled his bike out into a farm field in Illinois to see a car his buddy had told him about. Buried to the wheels in dirt and weeds was a 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS, rough but still recognizable. That kid, Ryan Wurst, brought it home with his father, Ron, to be a father-and-son project. Today, 28 years later, that same Chevelle is a 1,700-horsepower nitrous-huffing drag car capable of ripping 4.70s in the eighth-mile at nearly 150 mph. It’s also very personal to Ryan, not only did it grow up with him, but it endured his father’s passing and has been a symbol of what happens when you pour nearly three decades of time, money, and passion into one machine.

“I got this car when I was 13, and now I’m 41. Every extra dollar I could make went into it, and it’s changed a lot over the years,” Ryan says. “We’ve done everything from big tire racing in Modified Super Stock to now running small tire classes. It’s never been finished, it just keeps evolving with me.”

The Chevelle Malibu SS has certainly evolved over time. The current setup is a Jimmy Lopez-built 582-inch big-block with Diamond pistons, GRP rods, a Crower crank, and a Comp camshaft. Up top are CFE BMF 405 aluminum heads, massaged by Mike Duke, working with a Wilson throttle body, Edelbrock Super Victor 2 intake, and a full nitrous system from Steve Johnson at Induction Solutions. On the dyno, the Chevelle has made 1,708 horsepower. “The first time I hit the button, I couldn’t believe how hard it pulled. It’s a whole different car with the nitrous. That’s the kind of rush you chase every time you go to the track,” Ryan says.

Backing the motor is a Proformance-built TH400 with a Bradco converter, Wiles carbon-fiber driveshaft, and a fabricated 9-inch rearend stuffed with Strange gears and Moser axles. Menscer Motorsports shocks front and rear, along with ladder bars, TRZ control arms, and AFCO springs keep the car planted. Aerospace brakes bring it down from those 150 mph charges, while Weld rears wrapped in Mickey Thompson ET Street R tires do the dirty work. On the outside, it still looks like a largely stock Chevelle; it’s finished in Ruby Red, capped with a Glasstek hood and a Mike Miller spoiler. But under the flanks, it’s a serious, purpose-built race car with a 25.5-cert cage, Stroud safety gear, and wiring by longtime friend Houston Gentry.

Ryan’s connection to racing goes beyond just this Chevelle. His father spent the 1980s and ’90s working on Pro Mod cars, including Steve Johnson’s team, which is now Induction Solutions. “I was the pest kid always hanging around the pits or their house,” Ryan recalls with a laugh. “Steve was literally our neighbor, so when I heard a car start or saw the rig parked out front, I was on my bike and heading that way. I couldn’t get enough of it.” That environment imprinted the sport deep into his DNA. The Chevelle became the way to keep that fire alive and share it with his brother, Cory, who today helps with tuning, fabrication, and maintenance.

The family element is woven throughout the car’s story. “My dad’s not with us anymore, so there’s a lot of sentimental value in this car. It was my first race car, and I put it together with him. The first time it was finished, we went around the block together, and I scared the hell out of him. Now I get to race it with my brother, and I couldn’t do this without him,” Ryan explains. That bond, along with the memory of that maiden drive, makes the car not a pile of parts, but a lasting reminder and tribute to the man who helped start it all.

Ryan is quick to acknowledge that racing is never a solo effort. He credits the shops and individuals who’ve had a hand in the Malibu’s transformation: Jimmy Lopez for the horsepower, Steve Johnson and Induction Solutions for the nitrous, Joe Oplawski at Hyperaktive for tuning support, Dave Klaput at Proformance Transmission, Menscer Motorsports, Mike Miller Performance, Tim Oros, and his girlfriend Jadyn Vella for the sacrifices she makes so he can race. “Everyone knows this sport takes time, money, and effort, and I couldn’t do it without all of them,” he says. “It’s not just me turning wrenches or hitting the tree. It’s a team, and I’m lucky to have a great one.”

When asked what he likes most about the car today, Ryan doesn’t hesitate: “Honestly, I love how big it is and how stock it looks. People see this big, old Chevelle and don’t expect it to run like it does. That surprise factor, that sleeper vibe, is one of my favorite things about it.” At Ultra Street or local Wisconsin Outlaw Street events, his Malibu shows out, consistently putting down numbers that place it among the top contenders.

The Chevelle is not his only tie to family history, either. Ryan also owns a 1963 Nova that originally belonged to his father, later passed through a friend before he was able to reclaim it. “I’d like to turn that one into either a cool LS-powered street cruiser or maybe a 5.30 gangster car,” he shares. “But I already know how that escalation works.” It’s the kind of comment only someone with decades of project car experience could make, aware of how quickly modest plans can snowball into full-blown builds.

Even with all the modifications and the on-track accomplishments, the Chevelle is still very much about the journey. From a 13-year-old’s dream pulled out of a farm field to a full-fledged drag car, it’s represented family and pure dedication to the sport. “This car has been with me longer than anything else in my life. It’s part of me now. It started as a father-and-son project, and even though he’s not here anymore, I feel like I’m still carrying that on every time I roll it out of the trailer.”

Nearly three decades of work, money, friendships, and family have gone into this beautiful Chevelle Malibu SS, all made possible with the influence of his father and the kind of dedication that separates the weekend hobbyists from the lifers. And at the end of the day, it’s still the same Chevelle that Ryan dragged home as a kid with his dad. It’s just faster and louder now. What matters is that it still gives he and his brother something to chase together, whether they’re turning wrenches late at night or pulling into the beams on race day. After nearly 30 years, the car has become part of Ryan’s life story, and every pass down the strip adds another piece to it.