The newest version Outlaw Josey Wales is riding towards the no time racing world and it’s packing 959 cubic inches of Buck Racing Engines power. Marques Hatton is set to pilot Josey Wales 2.0, the Frankie Gurano-owned 2013 Corvette that has a rich history in the radial racing world.
The original 1969 Josey Wales Camaro was very successful with Hatton behind the wheel, but the team had reached the limits of the chassis. A move to big cubic-inch nitrous racing was on the team’s radar and some decisions needed to be made. If you’re going to make a big jump like that, you need to have the right car, so Hatton and the team started looking for another ride.
The Corvette that Hatton had his eye on and that the team eventually purchased, once held the radial tire world record. Josey Wales 2.0 used to wear a black suit and was campaigned by the Bad9er Racing team. Yes, this is the same car that Jason Michalak drove on that epic “3s in the freeze” run during the Outlaw Street Car Reunion.
“Things just worked out for us getting this car. Lee Atkins approached us about buying the Camaro while we were still running it and having a lot of success. This happened right as we were looking to grow our program. I had my eye on the Corvette and knew it was being run down in Florida for about a year. I contacted the Corvette’s owner to see if he’d entertain selling the car and he said yes. So, the timing was perfect. We sold the Camaro and got the Corvette, it was a great move for everyone,” Hatton explains.
The Corvette went to Innovative Racecraft for a few updates before Hatton and the team got to work. On top of the 959 cubic-inches of Buck engine, you’ll find a Switzer Dynamics intake and nitrous system. A slew of parts from Nitrous Outlet feeds the engine all of the giggle juice that it can handle each pass. The FuelTech ECU that controls Josey Whales is tuned by none other than Phil Shuler. Behind the engine is a transmission from M&M Transmission and Neal Chance Racing torque converter. The electronics are brought to life by a lightweight Braille battery.
Under the car, you’ll find a fresh set of Menscer Motorsports shocks that are dialed in for the Corvette’s nitrous combination. The new candy color paint was sprayed by Will Collins at Carolina Truck Body Shop.
Hatton and the Josey Whales 2.0 team are currently working on shaking the Corvette down and getting it ready for battle. The plan is to no time and grudge race the car at Carolina N/T events, Big Jake races, and other no time events this year. After running with the big dogs in the no time world, Hatton said the team will move to Donald Long’s Radial Outlaw series and compete in the Pro 275 class.
There’s something really cool about seeing a record-setting car make a comeback with a high-profile team. Josey Wales 2.0 is going to be a real problem for teams in the no time world after Hatton and his crew get the car lined out.