Super Stock racers are always looking for ways to get the best advantage for the particular class that they’re racing in. Lloyd Wofford is a long-time Mopar racer who teamed up with James Caro to field a 1979 Plymouth Volare that has a rich NHRA racing history. Wofford’s Volare is powered by a unique engine that makes it a real player in the NHRA Super Stock wars.
If you’re going to race a Plymouth Volare, you’re obviously a pretty big Mopar fan. Wofford is known for campaigning various Mopar vehicles over the years in different NHRA classes. Caro was a perfect fit for Wofford’s team thanks to his family’s attachment to NHRA class racing and the Mopar brand.
“Racing has always been a part of our lifestyle. I race with my son Jacob who helps out a lot with this car, and the one driven by Lloyd Wofford. My dad was racing when I was born, so I grew up around it. In 1970, my dad purchased a 1965 A990 Super Stock HEMI Dodge to go NHRA class racing. I’ve never bracket raced in my life, we’ve always run Stock, Super Stock, or Comp Eliminator,” Caro says.
The Volare that Caro runs has been a race car all its life and originally belonged to Tom Kasch, who raced it with the Mopar Direct Connection livery on the rear fenders. When Caro started racing the car, it fits into the SS/JA class before it received its current mill. Under the hood of the Volare, you’ll find a naturally aspirated 360 cubic-inch Mopar mill that’s based on the engines used in the Dodge Drag Pak cars. This package is very potent and typically runs deep in the 9.70 range, nearly a whole second under the FGT/J class the Volare competes in.
The engine package makes sense as it’s the same one that Wofford runs in the Dodge Challenger he races. This allows the team to carry spare parts that work on both cars. It also makes it easier for Caro to tune both cars since they use identical engines. Caro and his son build the engines themselves at their shop in Louisiana.
“It’s a cool car that’s easy to race. This car goes fast for its class and it’s super consistent, so it hits all the important things you need a Super Stocker to do. Heads-up class racing is one of the best things about having a car like this. I grew up doing it and it beats having to bracket race the car all the time…there’s nothing like being able to run this car all out to see what it can do,” Caro explains.
Wofford and Caro have found a way to mix old-school and new-school technology in one vehicle. It’s really cool to see such a distinctive car running in Super Stock with an engine package that most racers wouldn’t think of using in a classic car.