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Accidents happen in life no matter how hard we try to prevent them. In the drag racing world, the mere idea of an on-track disaster conjures up images of twisted wreckage and broken dreams. But there can be a positive outcomes from something happening by accident, and doors can be opened and opportunities can arise. Oklahoma native and auto repair shop owner, Justin Martin, had an unfortunate mishap in one Nova at the track that led to him finding another by accident, and he has transformed this car into a radial tire rocket.
Taking on a life that revolves around cars and racing was a no-brainer for Justin, as it feeds into everything he loves. Being around anything mechanical is a true passion for him, and it drives his daily life. “I have always liked taking things apart to see how they worked, and then reassembling them while trying to make them work better, too,” Justin says.
The burning passion for speed started young for Justin. It didn’t matter what he had — the goal was to make everything he owned quicker and faster, a gift that came from his family, according to Justin. “I’ve always had a competitive spirit and raced anything that I could ride, drive, or push. Starting out when I was a kid, I raced BMX and progressed on from there. My family always worked on cars and raced them. When I was young, I always loved the sound of the engines and the smell of the tire smoke at the track,” he said.
How Justin got into racing is actually an interesting journey that began as a transportation necessity.
“When I was in high school, my buddies had some pretty nasty street cars they raced on and off the track. I liked those cars, but didn’t want one for myself just because of the work and money it took to keep them running. When I went off to college, I couldn’t afford a newer car, so I bought a 1969 Nova. I used it for my daily driver because it was cheap, and that’s what I could afford,” Justin explains.
Leaving anything stock isn’t in Justin’s nature, so it was only a matter of time before his daily driver in college began to get some heavy-duty performance upgrades. “After I had the Nova for a while, I decided to start trying to make it faster. I put a roll cage in it and a good rear end to start with. Then I started to work on the engine, all while driving it to work and school every day,” Justin says of the Nova’s new life.
Going fast with small tires was getting big in the late 90s and early 2000s, and I definitely wanted to be a part of it. – Justin Martin
“I really could relate to those street-type cars at the top 10 events at Memphis. I still liked the Top Fuel racing, but that just wasn’t really the same as watching those street cars with smaller tires and lots of nitrous going as fast. It blew me away that they did all that while cruising the streets. Going fast with small tires was getting big in the late ’90s and early 2000s, and I definitely wanted to be a part of it,” Justin says.
Matt Parker Auto Body laid down the stunning PPG Lamborghini Orange paint Justin's Nova wears.
The problem with trying to emulate this type of racing with your daily driver is the cost, and since Justin was a fresh out of college trying to start a career, that was an issue. To help spur on his Nova build to run with the wildly fast street cars out there, Justin purchased a truck to drive daily so he could take his Nova to the next level. “The car got a complete Calvert rear suspension, a new engine, and fresh nitrous kit so we could let her rip at the track. Back then, mid five-second 1/8-mile times were considered really fast, and we were creeping up on that level,” Justin explains.
Justin was on the cusp of his goal of having a crazy fast street-style car until fate stepped in. He had an on-track incident racing his beloved Nova where the damage was so significant that it was beyond his ability to repair it. At that point, the choice was made — the next car would be a purpose-built race machine from the start to help him reach his goals.
I bought the car because it was exactly what I was looking for at the time. It was a good foundation for my plan, and I just love the classic muscle cars. – Justin Martin
Buying the car wasn’t an easy task for Justin. The owner wasn’t too keen on his intentions at first. Justin said, “I told him I was looking to build a drag car out of it, and he really didn’t like that idea. I had showed him pictures of my previous racecar, and then he came around to selling me the car real quick.”
Strobel Race Cars added an interior that's dripping with carbon fiber.
After acquiring his new car, Justin immediately went to work making this car exactly what he wanted it to be from the start. His first stop was to good friend Kevin Strobel’s shop, Strobel Race Cars, to get a 25.5 certified chassis installed in the Nova. After that, Justin added a big-block Chevy that huffed a healthy dose of nitrous and propelled the car to a best elapsed time of 4.99 in the 1/8-mile. Eventually, a ProCharger combination sipping on alcohol made its way into Justin’s Nova, but even that later proved to not be enough, and it was time for a complete overhaul of the boosted beast.
Big cubic inches, and big turbos help Justin’s Nova run low four-second laps at the track.
Under the hood, Justin added a 4.500-inch bore, 557 cubic inch big-block Chevy from Harrell Engine & Dyno (HED). The internals of this monster-sized rat motor are classified, but rest assured, they’re top shelf parts that can take any abuse that Justin wants to throw at them. Topping off the motor is a pair of aluminum 18-degree Dart Big Chief heads that have been worked over by HED, and feature a Jesel valvetrain.
Feeding air into the motor is a Brodix intake manifold, along with a rather large 105 mm Accufab throttle body. Justin’s Nova receives a steady diet of VP Racing Fuels Q16 from its Waterman Little Berta fuel pump and Billet Atomizer fuel injectors, while the Weldon fuel pressure regulator keeps everything in check. An MSD Grid, coil, and wires work with the Jesel distributor to provide spark to the engine. Justin tunes the EFI system himself with the FAST XFI ECU and software.
The turbo system for Justin’s Nova starts with a custom set of Strobel Race Cars stainless steel headers. Boost comes from a pair of 88 mm Garrett Pro Mod GTX 5518R turbos that are controlled by a ProCharger blow off valve and JGS wastegates, while a custom intercooler keeps all that air nice and cold as it enters the HED-built powerplant. This combination produces over 3,200 horsepower and has pushed the Limited Drag Radial Nova to a best 1/8-mile elapsed time of 4.22 with a booming 186 mph speed.
To round out the driveline, Justin went with an M&M Transmission-prepared two speed TH400 that works with a converter from Camron’s Torque Converter Services. The power is transferred back to the Fab-9 rear end that’s filled with Richmond gears, along with Strange Engineering axles and spool via a 3.750-inch carbon fiber driveshaft.
Strobel Race Cars used some of the best suspension parts on the market to help make Justin’s Nova have a killer stance and stick to the track like glue. TRZ Motosports control arms are used along with Afco shocks that have been modified by Menscer Motorsports to put all the power to the track surface. A full set of Afco springs reside at all four corners of the car to assist with dampening duties.
Keeping the Nova rolling is a set of Weld Racing spindle mounted wheels on the front, and Cartel double beadlock wheels on the rear that are wrapped in Mickey Thompson Pro Radials. Bringing Justin to a stop after each low four-second pass are Strange Engineering drag racing brakes.
Justin says he’s happy with how the Nova turned out, because it’s the culmination of his love for muscle cars, and his need to just go fast. “I bought the car because it was exactly what I was looking for at the time. It was a good foundation for my plan, and I just love the classic muscle cars. In drag racing, most people want the most aerodynamic edge they can get with the late model cars, but to be honest, I have no desire to own one of those types of cars,” Justin says.
Sometimes, when accidents happen, people allow it to become a negative experience and define them. Justin Martin took a racing setback that ruined one car, and found a way to create something positive from it. His LDR Nova shows that you can’t keep a diehard racer off the track, because they’ll find a way to make it happen, one way or another.
