Going Fast In Style: Jack And Lisa Danaher’s 1955 Chevy Bel Air

Jack Danaher and his wife Lisa have campaigned a few different Supercharged Outlaws class cars in Australia and their newest ride is pretty wild. The 1955 Chevy Bel Air that Jack will be driving looks like a real-life Hot Wheels car and has the potential to run deep into the six-second zone.

Jack started racing cars when he was 16 years old and he hasn’t stopped. The cars that Jack has driven became more powerful as his skills progressed, and that’s what led him to the Supercharged Outlaws ranks.

“I have been racing in the Supercharged Outlaws class here in Australia for a number of years, starting with a blown dragster that ran in the 6.60s. We had quite a bit of success with the dragster, but I decided to import a doored car from America. The 2004 Chevy Corvette that I brought over here belonged to Mike Maggio and we ran 6.40s at 218 mph with it. We had a lot of fun with that car,” Jack says.

The 1955 Chevy Bel Air is a style icon in the automotive world, when you transform one into a race car it just oozes coolness. Jack scored the opportunity to purchase this particular car and since he’s always loved the 1955 Chevy Belair he jumped at the chance. The car has gone through a significant update process since Jack purchased it to get it ready for Supercharged Outlaws action and eventually a jump to Pro Mod racing in Australia.

Jack built a 451 cubic-Inch HEMI to power the Bel Air that uses a short deck TFX block, Callies crank, BME connecting rods, and custom pistons. BAE Brad 5 cylinder heads support the PSI screw blower and Deep Throat injector hat. Methanol is stuffed into the engine thanks to a Waterman Lil Bertha fuel pump. A three-speed LencoDrive transmission takes care of the power application, while an MSD Powergrid is in charge of controlling the engine.

Jack is very pleased with how the Bel Air turned out after all the updates he commissioned to be made. The car wouldn’t be where it is without a lot of help and Jack wanted to be sure those who have provided support are properly recognized.

“I really need to thank Jason Cunliff for all his advice and help with the engine. He’s been a great friend for many years. Kane Finn and Jeff Cutajar helped out a ton with the car. Matt Czerny from Vinyl Wraps and Graphics and Craig Burns from SCF racecars played a big part in the build. Without these guys, I wouldn’t have been able to get the car done.”

About the author

Brian Wagner

Spending his childhood at different race tracks around Ohio with his family’s 1967 Nova, Brian developed a true love for drag racing. Brian enjoys anything loud, fast, and fun.
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