Larry Wright wasn’t looking to buy a car; in 1992, the man was in his early 20s and sold his baseball cards to buy a motorcycle. When that deal fell through, he took on his cousin Todd’s neighbor’s “basket case” 1966 Plymouth Satellite project instead and turned it into a naturally aspirated National Super Stock contender that turns heads every time it rolls into the staging lanes.
Now 56 and working as a union sprinkler fitter in Washington Court House, Ohio, Wright grew up alongside his uncle, Leonard Smith, who was just ten years older than him. Together, the men got into muscle cars and Mopars, and occasionally raced for fun. Wright’s first ride was a 1970 Dodge Coronet RT, and he started going to the track in 2004, although he didn’t get to go very often.
Initially assembled as a street-driven cruiser, the car gradually became quicker, more refined, and more race-focused as experience and opportunity allowed. “I’ve had my hands on every part of this build over the years,” Wright said. “I did most of the work myself with help from family and friends when I needed it.”
Wright is still racing his Plymouth Satellite, which he refers to simply as “The P,” more than three decades later. Pieced together one part at a time, it’s the result of years spent collecting components, solving problems, leaning on friends and family, and refusing to let life’s biggest challenges bring the progress to a stop.
“In 2015, my wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis,” Wright shared, whose granddaughter was born that same year, and the bright blessing helped the family get through the tough times. “And I was diagnosed with cancer in 2021.”
The couple fought their individual battles together, and the setbacks only strengthened their marriage. Through it all, too, the Satellite remained part of their story, providing motivation and something positive to work toward during difficult times. “My wife has put up with this hobby for a long time,” Wright added. “She has always supported what I love doing, and my parents have always been there to help me. You don’t do something like this by yourself.”
Today, Wright campaigns his Satellite in Nostalgia Super Stock competition with a naturally aspirated combination under the hood and regularly runs low-10s in the quarter mile at more than 130 mph.
Under the Plymouth’s factory steel hood sits a Mopar low-deck engine that’s been bumped up to accommodate 512 cubic inches by using 4.375” bore Diamond pistons, 6.535” Crower connecting rods, and a lightweight 4.250” stroke crankshaft from 440 Source. Hooker race headers flank each bank of cylinders, and fuel is supplied via Holley pumps.
That fuel mixes with air and flows through dual 750 cfm Edelbrock carburetors and into a set of Indy Cylinder Head CNC-ported 440-1 Max Wedge aluminum cylinder heads that have been fitted with K-Motion valve springs, Indy stainless steel valves, and Harland Sharp rocker arms. “It’s all motor and makes about 700 horsepower, although it’s never been on a dyno,” clarified Wright. “Thanks to Chris and Charli Wheatcraft, and the gang at Indy, for awesome products and support.”
Backing the Mopar powerplant is a Chrysler TorqueFlite 727 transmission that has never let Wright down. Built by Carl Delong at Fat Bastards Hot Rod Garage, the automatic is paired with an 8” PTC converter with a 5,100 rpm stall speed.
“Greg Sanford, may he rest in peace, assembled the Dana rear end with 4.56 gears,” Wright noted, grateful for all the things his late friend taught him and helped him with. “And I’ve got a driveshaft from NAPA’s Driveline Shop with lightweight Spicer U-joints, too.”
Although the chassis still predominantly uses the factory front suspension architecture, it’s been slightly upgraded with Calvert Racing shocks. Out back, Calvert also supplied the famed CalTracs traction bars, shocks, and split mono leaf springs.
The home-built roll cage, too, also helps with overall rigidity—as well as safety, since the hefty car weighs in at roughly 3,800 pounds including driver and fuel—and assists with the Plymouth’s consistently solid starts from the starting line. “It’s run a best 60-foot of 1.38 seconds, but that’s not really accurate since it was on the rear tires,” laughed the driver, who loves the way “P” launches. Being able to stop is equally as important, though, and Wright replaced the old front drum brakes with a set of Wilwood 6-piston stoppers.
One of Wright’s favorite features of his coupe has nothing to do with the Plymouth’s performance or parts package. “I love the paint. It’s 30 years old and was done by Jeff Miles—although the engine bay, cowl, and tops of the fenders were redone in 2024 by Troy Vanscoy—but still always gets attention,” he said.
Visually, the Satellite stays remarkably faithful to its roots. The stock body lines remain intact, enhanced by its vivid red finish and graphics package. Other than a set of modern, racy WELD Magnum wheels that have been outfitted with Moroso Drag Special tires in the front and Mickey Thompson slicks in the rear, the Mopar muscle machine appears mostly as it was when it drove off the lot in 1966.
Inside, the factory interior also remains largely as it was from the factory, preserving the unmistakable feel of a mid-1960s B-body and perfectly honoring the appearance and authenticity that are integral to the National Super Stock category.
Although he’s only secured a handful of NSS wins and runners-up over the years, Wright’s most memorable moment was “sweeping Saturday and Sunday at the Mopar Nationals in 2019.” Over the weekend of August 9-11, he won the large class run-offs on Saturday, then took top honors in the Indy Cylinder Head Nostalgia eliminations on Sunday with a 10.51 at 123.66 mph pass over Tim Kost and his 1965 Plymouth Belvedere in the opposing lane. The achievement was especially meaningful not just because Wright doesn’t get to race very often, but because his wife was there with him that weekend.
Wright raced at the 45th Annual Mopar Nationals over the weekend of July 31- August 2, 2026, at the National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Ohio, too. “We won the 10.00 to 10.75 class on Friday, but were only able to run one round on Saturday before the rain came,” said Wright. “The NSS class decided to split the purse and race another day.”
More recently, Wright hauled over to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, for the mid-September annual MoPowerMania event, but his Satellite kept wanting to go sky-high and send itself into orbit.
“It kept wanting to do too much of a wheel stand,” he explained. And every time he thought he got it tamed within reason, the car would throw him a curveball with another massive wheelie. “I got to the quarter-finals but had a hard launch and a red light. If I hadn’t shifted, it would have been on the bumper. The car usually does wheel stands and trips the 60’ beams with its rear tires, but this was a little too much!”
Wright isn’t interested in chasing social media fame or trying to reinvent the sport by breaking boundaries. Instead, he’s happy to just enjoy a car that’s become part of his family’s history and helped him to overcome unthinkable hardships.
There’s something undeniably cool about watching a carbureted Mopar leave hard, carry the front tires, and fly through the traps without relying on power adders to make a statement. With its decade of careful craftsmanship, Wright’s 1966 Plymouth Satellite is a refreshing reminder that naturally aspirated, nostalgic muscle still commands respect.
CAR: 1966 Plymouth Satellite
ENGINE: Mopar 512 ci Low Deck
HEADS: Indy Cylinder Head Aluminum 440-1 325 CNC Max Wedge
CRANK: 440 Source 4.250” Stroke Lightweight
RODS: Crower 6.535”
PISTONS: Diamond 4.375”
VALVETRAIN: K-Motion Springs, Indy Stainless Steel Valves, Harland Sharp Rockers
POWER ADDER: N/A
CARBURETORS: Dual Edelbrock 750 cfm
FUEL SYSTEM: Holley Fuel Pumps
TRANSMISSION: Chrysler TorqueFlite 727 built by Carl DeLong at Fat Bastards Hot Rod Garage
CONVERTER: PTC 8” 5,100 Stall
DRIVESHAFT: NAPA Driveline Shop
REAR END: 456 Dana built by the late Greg Sanfor
SUSPENSION: Stock with Calvert Racing Shocks (front), Calvert CalTracs Traction Bars with Split Monoleafs and Calvert Shocks (rear)
BRAKES: Wilwood 6-piston discs (front), factory drums (rear)
WHEELS: Weld Magnum
TIRES: Moroso Drag Special (front), Mickey Thompson Slicks (rear)
HORSEPOWER: 700
TORQUE: unknown
BEST 60’: 1.38 seconds
QUICKEST ET: 10.14 seconds (1/4 mile)
FASTEST MPH: 131 mph (1/4 mile)
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