RPM Magazine March 2023

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.............................................................. CHRIS BIRO EDITOR@RPMMAG.COM

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ART DIRECTOR ............................................................ JIM MCHARG

PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTRIBUTIONS: MARK GODRAGRACING. ORG, GEORGE PICH, MATT WOODS, LOUIS FRONKIER, BLAKE FARNAN, JERRY GARRISON, NEIL ZIMBALDI, EDDIE MALONEY, WES TAYLOR, STEVEN TAYLOR, DAVID GATES, AND ANDREW RADIOTIS

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: CHUCK SCOTT, MARK GODRAGRACING.ORG, TIM BIRO, STAN SMITH, GEORGE PICH, JAY MISENER, EDDIE MALONEY, WES TAYLOR, AND SCOTT FORBES

TECHNICAL WRITING CONTRIBUTION: CHUCK SCOTT, SHANE TECKLENBURG, TIM BIRO AND JAY MISENER

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To subscribe to RPM go to www.rpmmag.com or email Trish Biro at trish@rpmmag.com, or call 519752-3705.

The focus of RPM is to bring a diverse mix of high performance street and race automobiles to life within its pages including race cars, muscle cars, hot rods and street legal machines with an emphasis on the “EXTREME,” including fast doorslammer and outlaw forms of drag racing. Not familiar with these types of cars? They are considered to be the top-shelf of the industry and are on the edge with regard to design, performance, and power!

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RPM Magazine has been a world leader in motorsports publishing for 24 years and has support locations in Ontario, Canada, Alabama, Texas, and Virginia, along with contributing writers and photojournalists worldwide.

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Thank You!

As many readers know, over the past 24 years we have often worked to produce RPM MAG from a mobile office while on the road, and we have been doing just that the past few months. That said, we’d like to send a special thank you out to our Alabama friends, Tony & Sherrie Weber. Tony and Sherrie took to the road on behalf of RPM over 10 years ago and were an integral part of the RPM Team. They spent countless hours on the road repping RPM in the best possible manner and Tony and his son Logan were regular contributors. Sherrie continues to run an RPM satellite office in AL. to this day, and we have finally convinced Tony to get his camera pointed back at some killer cars for RPM! So expect to see his contributions in RPM MAG once again in 2023 and beyond.

We’d also like to thank our generous hosts along the way and those special people we have met and shared some time with as well, including; our friends

in Big Lagoon (Pensicola), Florida Michael and Lorry, Julian and Ang for a great day full of food and drink, our Harvest Hosts and Larry and Alexia from Iowa, Dieter, Lauren and their children from South Africa/Hong Kong/and soon to be residents of Georgia, and the crazy Aussie, Lee. For this very issue, we’d also like to send a thank you out to Wayne, the owner of Caesar Oaks RV Park in Carriere, Mississippi where we produced much of this magazine (great smoked pork shoulder by the way Wayne!). Wayne hooked us up with our neighbor at the park, Susan, who generously allowed us to use her Fibe internet service. Seems we got caught in a zone without a solid, stable signal for uploading and Wayne and Susan came to our rescue.

It’s amazing how we continue to meet such kind and helpful folks in our journey with RPM the past 24 years...and for this we are truly grateful.

The Crazy Horse Mustang of Domenic Friguglietti takes

Tater Vaughn showcases a wicked burnout in his ultra sleek Street/Strip 2017 Camaro SS

Blaine Huffman’s boosted big block Camaro

Michael Reick’s Truck makes a KILLER Pass at LVMS!

Street driven, raced hard and boasting in the area of 1,000 horsepower, whether its wheels on the ground or several feet in the air...

Story:George Pich

Photos:Blake Farnan

It’s cool to have a fast street or strip car, but having a dual purpose ride that can handle both tasks is an entirely different experience. Let’s face it, the whole street car drag race movement was based on, you guessed it, street cars! And Paul Gaspar wouldn’t have it any other way.

For Gaspar, there was only one choice…a Fox Body Mustang. “I grew up around Mustangs – my brother had one, my cousin had one and a couple of their buddies had them. I used to beg them to take me out all the time. My buddy and I would run to my cousin’s house every day after school and wash it and clean it for him before he got home from work in hopes he would take us for a cruise. After a couple of years of relentless begging, my brother finally sold me his. It was nothing special, an ‘88 Coupe, but it was like Christmas morning for me,” Paul explained.

A double threat, Paul Gaspar’s turbocharged Coyote powered Fox Coupe can cruise the street and race the strip, and he’s won events where he has to do both!

As with any quick factory equipped car, it usually doesn’t stay factory for very long, and within just a couple days, Paul was already devising an evil plan to make something good, better. Before long, the dragstrip was a regular place to find Gaspar making his way into the OSCA (Ontario Street Car Association) 10.00 Index class, but as you might guess, it wasn’t fast enough.

Knowing that he had reached the limit of the ’88, he sold his first love and found a race car; a ProCharged small block Ford powered Mustang that would end up being the first ProCharged True Street entry hitting the 8-second zone. “I ran that car in the True Street OSCA class and RPM shootouts and even took it all the way to Quebec and Mon treal for their QSCA events.”

Marriage and partnering in the Steeda Canada business meant the ProCharged car would have to go. Once the opportunity arose though, a 2009 Mustang GT came into Paul’s life and was quickly turbo’d and equipped for street use. After starting a family, Gaspar decided to focus on nurturing his business. “Customers needed to know how much I cared about helping them achieve their Mustang dreams. It wasn’t just a business for me. It was an opportunity to help people who felt as passionate about their car as I did, to really bring that passion to life.”

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Enter Project Twin Fox...

Paul spent the next 10 years growing Steeda Canada, but the itch to get back on the track could no longer be ignored, so he set out to find a Fox Body to build into his dream car. He came across a mint 1991 green Coupe with a hurt motor that had run in the OSCA. With every intention of just fixing the small block Ford and hitting the track, that plan changed when he got a call from a friend at wrecking yard about a 2015 pre-production Ford Mustang that came into the yard. “My light bulb went off. This was no longer about just fixing the motor and getting it back in the car, this was a much bigger project than that – I needed a Coyote swap in my life,” Paul added with a smile. Back when Paul started Twin Fox, there were not a lot of parts available for swapping a Coyote into a Fox, so he had his work cut out for him.

A leisurely cruise is no problem for the Mustang and is part of the reason Paul built the car. But there’s more than the Steeda logo lurking under that hood. Whether it’s hunting the highway hammer lanes, sedately cruising leafy suburbs or tearing up the drag strip. this sly Fox oozes stealth, muscle and outright sass .

Built by Fast Forward Race Engines, a stock Coyote Gen2 302CI block was filled with a stock Gen2 crankshaft swinging Callies rods and custom Manley pistons. Stock Gen2 heads were also hot rodded and a slick Plazmaman intake tops the piece.

Paul chose a single Bullseye 88mm turbo with custom CNC billet air to water front mount intercooler over the twin setup he had previously used.

He acquired the motor, trans and harnesses from the ’15 and went to work, starting a year-long journey into the unknown. Again, there were no swap computers and harnesses readily available back then, especially when running a 6R80 automatic Ford transmission. “After lots of researching, I reached out to Power By The Hour and partnered with the incredible team there who custom built me a harness and computer to make the 6R80 transmission work behind a ’15 Coyote engine. We then modified a K-member to accept the Coyote. Now we needed to make this car fast!”

Gaspar built a custom rear end to handle the abuse out back and added twin turbos to the package which dyno’d out over 1,000 rear wheel horsepower.

Not bad for a street car to drive around and hit a few local track events. But it only took a few events to realize this car was going too fast for the safety equipment it had. “Since we were adding more safety, we just couldn’t resist adding more power. I saw the opportunity to build the ultimate street car and set out to do that.”

Josh at FMI (Fabmac Industries) installed a Moore Race Chassis 25.3 cage and the project snowballed from there. The motor went to Joe at Fast Forward

Race Engines to get a complete turbo-spec build and while it was there Paul and his team worked on the turbo hot and cold sides using a dummy motor.

“Twin Fox” was soon to become “Single” as Paul chose to go with a single Bullseye 88mm turbo with a custom CNC billet air to water front mount intercooler over the twin setup. “During the day, I was back and forth between my shop and FMI trying to squeeze in any moments where I could work on the car, and then again in

Paul Gaspar’s True Street Mustang Coupe

■ Body & Paint:

Original factory all steel, including hood, Mustang LX.

■ Chassis Modifications:

This car is set up for 275/60/15 radial. Mini tubbed 25.3 roll cage.

■ Suspension:

Custom tubular K-member and A-arms up front with Menscer struts valved for radial racing and Steeda caster camber plates. In the rear it sports TRZ upper and lower control arms and anti roll bar. Lions Custom Motorsports upper and lower torque boxes. Menscer shocks.

■ Engine:

Fast Forward Race Engines built. Stock Coyote Gen2 302CI block. Stock Gen2 crankshaft, Callies rods, custom Manley pistons. ATI balancer. Stock Gen2 with Pac valve springs. Stock cams with VCT lockouts. Motor is fully studded – head studs, main studs, side studs. Cometic head gaskets. Moroso deep oil pan with boundary oil pump gear and sprocket. LI Tuning primary chains and OEM Ford secondary chains and guides. GT500 valve covers.

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Billet Plazmaman intake manifold with Holley 102mm throttle body. FMI Billet CNC A2W intercooler.

■ Power Adder:

Bullseye 88mm turbo. Tial wastegates/ProCharger blow off valves.

■ Transmission:

2 speed Powerglide by Rudy’s Performance.

■ Rear End:

Custom TZR 9-inch rear end. Strange 40 spline axles and spool. 3.73 gears.

■ Tires & Wheels:

V-Series black double beadlock rears 15x12 with V-Series 17x3 in the front.

Mickey Thompson ET Radial Pro 275/60/15 Drag Radial and ET front 26/4/17.

■ Interior:

Stock interior with 12.3 Holley dash and Holley Dominator ECU, Kirkey seats, Motion Raceworks steering column and steering wheel. Precision Performance Products shifter.

■ ET & MPH: Grudge car, no time.

■ Most Unique Feature(s)

“What I’ve been hearing from people wherever we take this car is that they can’t believe how clean and fast it is for a real street car. In my mind it’s a bit of a Wolf in a Sheep’s skin. On the outside it looks like a clean and simple street car but on the inside it is a beast. “

■ Motivation For The Build:

“When I first started this project no one was really doing Coyote swaps in Canada and it was a really exciting project that I wanted to take on. From there, it evolved into so much more than just a swap – really being able to achieve the goal of a fast, safe, street car has been fantastic.”

■ Build Timeframe:

1 year

■ Most Memorable Experience To Date:

“The big win at Quebec Grudge Wars really lives strong in my mind. It was my first season out with this car. Last race of the season in a 22+ car field and we ran our personal best. It was a fantastic feeling.”

■ Thanks To:

Josh Gunby, Kyle Lanigan and all the guys at Fabmac Industries for building me a safe and consistent chassis and all the fabrication work.

Matt, Max and Sylvain at Billet Pro Shop for their co stant support in tuning and with the suspension.

Ryan at Miltowne Collision for all the exterior paint work and Omar for the last minute touch ups.

Joe from Fast Forward Race engines for building me a killer motor.

Rudy from Rudy’s Performance for the killer 2-speed glide.

Travis Rosenbarger from Boundary Llc for the oil pump, gears and sprocket.

Brisk USA for supplying us with some killer spark plugs.

All the vendors along the way who helped make things a little easier. My brother Manny, who’s been by my side every step of the way with his full support including all the nights and weekends and trucking us back and forth to all the races. My crew chief.

And last but not least my amazing wife who lets me do what I love every day, and my incredible children who don’t hold it against me.

the evenings and on weekends – it took over my life if I’m being honest.”

The car was wired for a Holley Dominator ECU by fellow racer Ryan Sammut, the engine and trans were installed and the Coupe was ready just hours before their first race, which

was a 7 hour drive. “We literally finished the car, loaded up and hit the road. My brother and I drove Wednesday through the night, slept in the truck for a few hours outside of Billet Pro Shop waiting for Matt, Max and Sylvain who then spent the day with us setting up the sus-

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Being the owner of Steeda Canada, this car was built with the same parts Paul sells to his customers. The Mustang interior does not disappoint and is as clean and well detailed as the exterior. The FMI-installed Moore 25.3 cage was fit to allow for most of the factory equipment to be reinstalled, and it was, including the dash and trim panels. Twin race buckets were used along with a Precision race shifter for gear changes and a Holley dash sits in the original gauge cluster confines.

pension and putting a tune in the car – I can’t thank them enough, they were honestly amazing!”

Gaspar hit the track that Friday with his new set up and within 1 or 2 passes went his personal best 1/8 mile, “It was at that moment I started to feel like we really had something special on our hands, a top contender for the True Street class. I felt like I had achieved what I set out to do. I wanted a car that could go seriously fast, be safe, and still be able to drive on the street, and I had one.” Paul ended the 2022 season on a high note in True Street at the Quebec Grudge Wars finale with some of the fastest street cars In Canada.

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As you might have guessed, under the car is also as clean as the topside. After the mini tub work, a custom TZR 9-inch rear end with 40 spline axles, spool and 3.73 gears was installed and hung by a host of TRZ suspension parts. Up front, that custom K-member (which Paul had to build) to convert the car to accept the Coyote mill is accompanied by custom A-arms with Mencer struts valved for radial racing and Steeda caster camber plates.

He took home the win in a solid 22-car field and ran his personal best with the car to date (we can’t tell you what that personal best is though, as Paul runs the no-time and grudge scene.)

“It’s not just about the car, but my business as well,” Paul continued, “To this day I do what I

do to help others achieve their dreams for their car. I don’t sell people products they don’t need, and when their car is in my shop I treat it the same way I would want someone to treat my car. It is so important to me that people know that it’s not just lip service, it’s a fundamental belief.”

Paul could not be more satisfied with the outcome of the build, and a big win in a 22-car True Street field in Quebec last fall added to that satisfaction.

Story & Photos: Eddie Maloney

We all lead different paths in life and we all experience good and bad and seek out different ways to heal from the struggles we encounter. We have been telling stories for a very long time, and to be honest, some just hit harder than others. That being said, it is our honor to present US Army Combat Veteran Ryan Otenberger and his journey.

“I was born in Mannheim, Germany and raised in Columbus and Pickerington Ohio. I have been around performance and racing my entire life. My father had Novas, Chevelles and Camaros throughout his entire life and still does,” explained Otenberger.

Astory is based on someone else’s thoughts, ideas, and most importantly, what they feel in their heart about a certain experience.

My most memorable experience was taking my father for a ride. He hasn’t been in anything this fast before, and I got the satisfaction of scaring him. We have constantly been in competition with sports, military, cars, etc. I think I won this one!”

Ryan OtenbeRgeR

The apple did not fall far from the tree as far as cars goes, and by the tender age of 12 Ryan got his first job working at a muscle car and speed shop, restoring and building cars for resale. It was a cool gig and the owners would buy and sell while working on their own in-house race cars. As you might guess, by age 16 Ryan was chomping at the bit to have his own ride and slid himself into a 1982 Camaro with a small block/TH350 combination along with a hit of nitrous.

“I spent most of high school working to afford trips to the speed shop on Saturdays to spend nearly my entire paycheck on my car,” a pretty familiar memory for most of us. Ryan practically lived at the track or at local car meets, racing on the street in central Ohio, then, something would profoundly change his life direction. “During high school, 9/11 happened and I dropped my future dream of playing college football and racing to enlist in the US Army. Just before I graduated high school, I sold my Camaro, a few other hot rods, and most of what I had to depart for the Army. I spent almost the entire next 8-9 years deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as an 11B Infantryman with the 101st Airborne.”

The sleek Granite Crystal Pearl paint just works so well with the overall theme of the Nova. Despite 6 or more years sitting in a yard, the factory steel body was in very good shape so the panels were kept and a Sunoco style composite hood added.

Man On A Mission!

70 days start to finish. 28-days to build the chassis, 16-days for the body/paint, the rest was fitting, wiring and plumbing. Mission accomplished.

With serving his country first and foremost in his mind, Ryan still had an itch for horsepower burning inside him and while on leave from a deployment he found a 2000 SS Camaro and began building what became a 9 second 6-speed stick street car, but again Ryan’s plans would be drastically changed.

“During my last deployment in Sadr City - Baghdad Iraq, I was wounded by an IED and small arms fire (7.62 AK). I was medically evacuated for surgery in Balad Iraq, further in Germany and then Walter Reed. I returned to Ft. Campbell KY. to out process and be medically discharged from duty.

The small tire Nova has a wicked street look. With “stock looking” wheels and only a slight rake, there are not many giveaways as to what this car is capable of.

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The Nova Chassis was done by Jared Denbrook, from DTF Racecars. It features a full SFI 25.3 chromoly chassis with a nearly complete factory interior. There is combination of restored and unrestored parts inside the Nova, such as the factory column and steering wheel. Check out the center console, but look closely. While the FT dash is visible, the remaining “gauges” have been expertly inset into a factory style console bezel.

As a regular at AMS, Ryan would naturally get to know the staff and even met his now wife there while she was working the counter for her father part-time on Saturdays..

Now married, after a few years of working in Orlando and racing regularly, Otenberger accepted an offer from his father-in-law, Ron Dickerson, to help grow and manage his family American Motorsports business.

Ron started AMS with his own son Tim 22 years ago, but shortly after, Tim

passed away in a tragic car accident. “Today, we honor his memory in racing and our day-to-day work growing the business. Not only did I find myself in doing what I love (mom knows best), but I am able to help others live their dreams. Since my time home from Iraq and Afghanistan I struggled with PTSD, depression, anxiety, etc., but working at American Motorsports and being involved in racing is truly healing to me.”

Ryan spends a lot of time helping

customers on and off the track, and behind the scenes he began building one badass little 1970 Nova, aka “Steely Dan” for himself. “I decided it was time to build another car, and at the time I had been looking for another solid Nova. I had one that I raced when I met my wife, and it was actually on display at our wedding.” Ryan sold and flipped a few cars to fund this new project and eventually found what might just be the right Nova on Facebook.

Ryan’s Nova is equipped with a 16:1 compression, 575 cubic inch BBC with a solid hit of Nitrous to complement things. A Dart block was fitted with Dart Pro 2 heads and topped with a reworked Edelbrock intake and a monster 1800cfm Dominator style carb prepared in-house at AMS.

The car was nice enough to warrant a trip to go see it and when they arrived they found it sitting in a yard. The owner said it had been sitting for 6-7 years with no glass in the car, gutted, and no drivetrain or interior. It appeared as if it was treated well, and was solid with minimal rust, so a deal was struck.

The Nova was originally equipped with a 6-cylinder engine and 3-on-the-tree which was long gone. With Ryan so eager to get back in the seat, in just under 30 nights of solid work, they finished the 25.3 chassis, and from start to finish, meaning running and on the dyno, the Nova took just 70 days total! “This was only possible due to starting with a great foundation and solid dedication,” Otenberger added.

Paint and body for the slick Nova was completed by AMS in a Dodge Granite Crystal Pearl color. The body is mostly stock aside from the Sunoco style composite hood.

“Dog Dish”, “Moon Caps”, they go by many names and the caps are the deceiving part as the wheels are actually Weld Draglites with center cap adapters and original GM center caps, and the rears are even double beadlocked!

All factory trim on the car was either rebuilt or replaced and the “factory” wheels with dog dish hubcaps just add a whole new level of cool to the total package, not to mention scream “sleeper”, or do they? The wheels are ingeniously deceiving and actually far from factory. Aluminum Draglites were powder coated by Accurate Powder coating and Ryan sourced center cap adapters and original GM center caps to use with them. The rears are even double

beadlocks!

That SFI 25.3 certified chassis is good for 6.50 elapsed times and was done by Jared Denbrook, from DTF Racecars. TRZ control arms, rack conversion and billet steering arms were installed up front along with Innovative Racecraft Black Ops radial shocks with Menscer springs. Out back, Calvert split mono leafs and CalTrac bars were used with leaf sliders, CJRC front buckets and TRZ shock mounts with Black Ops radial-valved shocks.

Got Nitrous?

Ryan Otenberger’s Big Block Small Tire Nitrous 1970 Nova

■ Body & Paint:

Paint and body was done locally by AMS, the color is Granite Crystal Pearl, (Dodge color).

■ Chassis:

SFI 25.3 (6.50 cert). Chassis was done by Jared Denbrook, from DTF Racecars. “We killed ourselves and finished it in 28 nights after work.”

■ Suspension:

Front:

TRZ Control arms, TRZ rack conversion, TRZ billet steering arms, Innovative Racecraft Black Ops radial shocks with Menscer Motorsports springs.

Rear:

CalTrac split mono leaf and CalTrac bars, LPRacing leaf sliders, CJRC front buckets, TRZ shock mounts, Innovative Racecraft Black Ops radial valved shocks. Fueltech shock sensors both front and rear.

■ Engine:

16:1 compression 575 CI BBC. Dart block, 4.510 Bore Diamond Pistons, 4.500 stroke Callies Magnum XL crank coated and lightened by Winberg. Oliver connecting rods. Cam is custom ground and .923 lift @ .050. Dart PRO 2 heads ported with a 2.400 intake valve, 1.88 exhaust. Edelbrock intake manifold ported and cnc’d by Wilson Manifolds. Carburetor is an 1800 cfm billet Dominator, built in house by Travis Hopkins at AMS. It runs on Q-16 fuel.

Engine is managed by Fueltech CDI individual coils, a FT550 ECU, with an FTSpark 750mj ignition box.

■ Power Adder:

Nitrous - For class trim a Nitrous Pro Flow single direct port kit plumbed by John Rollins, when not in class trim a single direct port and a Nitrous Pro Flow billet plate system.

■ Transmission:

FTI level 5.5 Powerglide with 1.64 first gear ratio. FTI billet converter.

■ Rear End:

Fab 9 inch built in-house at AMS. Advance Driveline built billet center section, billet 10 bolt pinion support, billet spool, and 3.60 Pro gear. 40 spline axles drilled and flanged.

■ Brakes:

Wilwood both front and rear, TRZ master cylinder adapter.

■ Tires and Wheels:

Weld Draglites, powder coated by Accurate Powder coating. Center cap adapters, and original GM center caps. Double 20 bolt Beadlocks by MACFAB. 25.4 MT front runners, MT 26x8.5 Pro Radials (235mm)

■ Interior:

Full factory interior. Modified the factory center console to fit the FT550 ecu, FT O2 nano boxes, B&M shifter, and solenoid.

■ Unique Features:

Wheels, radio antenna nitrous purge, console, spare tire, tilt column, factory steering wheel.

■ Special Thanks:

• Rachael Otenberger - Wife

• Mike Otenberger - My dad, for putting me in this industry in the beginning

• Ron and Donna Dickerson - AMS

• Jared Denbrook – Chassis

• Tim Maines

• Felipe AndreisFueltech USA

• Luis de LeonFueltech USA

• Chuck Money

• Travis Hopkins - AMS

• Chance Allison

• Danny Jones - body/paint

• Jeff Mathis

• Fueltech USA

• TRZ Motorsports

• Innovative Racecraft

• Wilson Manifolds

• Full Spectrum Power

• Orlando Speedworld Dragway

Suspended from the capable leaf spring setup is an equally tough fabricated 9-inch housing built in-house at AMS and equipped with an Advance Driveline built billet center section, 40 spline drilled and flanged axles, a billet 10 bolt pinion support, billet spool and 3.60 Pro gear.

Motivation for Steely Dan comes in the form a sizeable 575-cube bib block Chevy with an ear-splitting 16:1 compres-

sion. And since nitrous loves compression (and cubic inches), you can figure out what the power adder of choice is for the Nova. A 4.500 stroke Callies Magnum XL crank was coated and lightened by Winberg and matched to a set of Oliver connecting rods pinned to forged nitrous-spec Diamond pistons. While the cam is custom ground, Ryan has no problem sharing that it sports a .923 lift @ .050.

A big block always looks right at home in a 3rd Gen Nova and the coil on plug setup brings a modern look and performance into the mix. Camshaft lift is a towering .923 lift @ .050.

Ported Dart PRO 2 heads were filled with a host of parts and studded in place and the Edelbrock intake was ported by Wilson Manifolds and topped with an 1800 cfm billet Dominator style carb, built in house by Travis Hopkins at AMS.

Backing the venerable big block is an FTI Level 5.5 Glide with 1.64 first gear and billet converter with a B&M billet shifter commanding the gear change.

The hit of nitrous is determined by the playing field – for class racing a Nitrous Pro Flow single direct port plumbed by John Rollins is used, but when things get a little more playful, a second kit in the form of a Nitrous Pro Flow billet plate system adds to the fun. And by the way, the nitrous system purge is in the radio antenna!

Inside the Nova you’ll find a selection of unrestored and restored original equipment including dash and door panels. Only the basics of race parts are visible but skillfully camouflaged around factory or “factory-looking” pieces.

Ryan’s has run low 5.0 1/8th times at over 138 miles per hour to date while shaking down the Nova. Even on the little 235 tire, Ryan states it has the capability of running deep into the 4.70 range.

The FuelTech digital dash is set low and center where the console meets the dash, and an array of FuelTech gauges are built into the console. The cage is most notable when you take a seat in either race bucket and you will also notice the fact that there is not a single aftermarket gauge or control on the dash. Even the factory steering column with wheel has been retained and hung by a billet collar.

Being early in the year, thus far, Ryan has made several test hits in Florida in preparation for the 2023 season, but plans are to run both timed class events and maybe hit some no-time grudge action with the second kit on. When he does get the tune in the Nova, there’s little doubt what it will be cable of, but aside from that, the most important thing for Ryan is being back in the game and healing at the same time, because for Ryan Otenberger, failure is not an option!

Story & Photos: Wes Taylor

Ron Mowen’s Fatman 3.0 Corvette is a triple threat, running 1/8th, 1/4 and 1/2 mile formats!

2007

Chevrolet Corvette Z06.

Ron is the owner and founder of Vengeance Racing, specializing in late model performance. He street raced for many years and met his wife of 20 years while doing just that. Now, he runs competitively and you can not only find him behind the wheel of his own cars but a few of his client’s as well.

Cars come and go throughout our lives for various reasons, but some hold a special meaning, like Ron Mowen’s “Fatman 3.0”

Ron ran his naturally aspirat ed fourth-gen Camaro back in the day in the LSX Challenge Series all-motor class and won it with an 8.20 @ 170mph. He would go on to later hold the fastest C7 Corvette World Re cord with 7.32 @ 197 mph pi loting Michael Shout’s twin tur bo car, and would also be the first to pilot a Corvette over 200 in the standing ½-mile.

The ZO6 of the C6 generation is unique because it came with a monster 427 aluminum small block under the hood mated to a Tremec 6060 6-speed trans mission. The version was of fered from 2006-2013 and did have various color options, with one of the less common choices being Atomic Orange; only 673 went into production.

Although the car was originally Atomic Orange, when Ron bought it, since all his other vehicles were white it had to be white, but not before Chuck Greer and his team performed their bodywork magic creating a onepiece front end with stock panels and a VFN Sunoco hood, installed a carbon roof and decklid and Super Vettes rear quarters to widen the body.

Harland Sharp

HARLAND SHARP

...and hooks with over 3,000 wheel horsepower thanks in part to the 4-link coilover rear and tube front created by JSC Racing Fabrication.

The car sits low and mean...

The owner of this particular Atomic Orange Corvette wanted a street-friendly high horsepower build, and Vengeance delivered, installing a twin-turbo 457 producing 1500whp, with looks to kill. Unfortunately, shortly after the build, the original owner had to part ways with the car and it was sold to another customer and good friend of Mowen’s, Randy Hunter. Randy enjoyed the car on the street for a while but wanted to race it in some half-mile events and, not being comfortable with a car at this level, he put Ron behind the wheel.

Inside,theVettedoesnotdisappoint...

The art-like candy red cage snakes its way through the interior, and while the factory dash remains, the door panels and floor all the way to what used to be spare tire area have all been refinished in carbon. A variety of electronics are used including a Holley dash, Motec PDM and Keypad and a Davis Technologies traction control module. The car has been plumbed with a full DJ Safety triple nozzle fire suppression system.

They soon found the limit of the combination and replaced it with a more robust 427 LSX with larger 76mm twins. “The result was a best of 204.6mph spinning down the entire ½ mile runway with the stock H-pat tern TR6060 still in place.” Ron said. ”Randy decided to offer to sell the car to me as his pursuit in aviation was taking up most of his avail able time and he wanted to see us continue to race it. I immediately painted it white since all of my cars/bikes/trucks are white and I felt the Atomic Orange had to go.”

Along with the paint swap, Ron knew in order to put power down more consistent ly at this level an auto trans was needed, so he installed an RPM Transmissions built TH400/9” combination and pushed the record even further to 216.99mph.

Next, with good power in check, Ron wanted to focus on safety and build a chassis that could help the Vette get to the next level, only one thing got in their way…time. While Vengeance would have been more than capable of handling the work, rather than cut into their customer’s time, Mowen chose to ship the car to New Oxford, Pennsylvania to James Smith of JSC Racing Fabrication. “James was originally slated to fabricate a full 25.3 chassis, add dual parachutes and a few other odds and ends. When I went to visit him and see the car in person the work had turned out so nice that he easily convinced me to back-half the car and go with a live axle/four link setup!

A few months later James delivered the car and surprised us with the candy apple red paint work on the entire chassis. The work was honestly so nice that we felt the LSX power plant we had would not be suitable for the direction the car was now headed….. this is where things spiraled out of control!”

A 9-inch full floating rear end, complete with 40 spline axles, a 3.50 Pro gear and a spool were hung by the 4-link coilover setup. The custom tube front end is complemented by custom a-arms with Menscer Motorsports remote reservoir adjustable shocks. The altered Vette rides on V Series 15x3.5s with Mickey 26x4 skinnies and double beadlocked 15x14s on the back with 315 Radial Pros.

Summit Racing Equipment

Apictureisworthathousandwords

...well here is at least 5 thousand words! What can you say other than awesome! The 3.0 mill started with a billet Noonan LS Edge 9.750 tall deck/long sleeve block that was packed with a Winberg crank, Bill Miller rods pinned to Diamond piston via Trend coated pins. Matching heads top the short block and the billet bling continues with a matching Noonan short runner intake with provisions for dual injectors.

[Above] Twin sisters (turbos) were expertly worked into the mix in the form of Precision 94mm XPR turbochargers with 50mm BOVs, 66mm wastegates and PT4000 air to water intercooler.

Ron Mowen’s Twin Turbo 2007 C6 Z06 Corvette

■ Body & Paint:

All paint and body work was performed by Chuck Greer and his team. Paint color is arctic white.

Chuck and his guys used Super Vettes rear quarter panels which are 1.5” wider than OEM. The front end was bonded together using all of the stock OEM body panels with the exception of the VFN Sunoco hood making it a one piece front end. Anderson Composites carbon fiber decklid and JSC Racing carbon fiber roof and drag wing are once-off pieces. The entire exterior was ceramic coated and covered with self-healing protective film by Glasslife Atlanta.

■ Chassis & Suspension/Modifications: Full 25.3 chassis by JSC Racing Fabrication (New Oxford, Pa). JSC Racing Fabrication Motor Plate & Mid Plate. Menscer Motorsports remote reservoir adjustable shocks on all four corners.

■ Engine:

Noonan Race Engineering LS Edge Billet Block- DRY. 438 Cubic Inches. 9.750 Tall Deck/Long Sleeve/.937 Jesel key way bushings/60mm Roller Cam bearings/Cleveland mains. Jesel Belt Drive, Dailey Engineering dry sump system.

■ Rotating Assembly:

Winberg billet 4.100” Stroke 8 counterweight crankshaft- 2.750 mains. Bill Miller 6.350” aluminum rods with .990 pins. Diamond Racing 4.125 custom billet pistons with vertical & lateral gas ports. Trend Performance TPI .990 x .225 wall DLC coated pins. 11.5:1 compression (Tuning on M1 Methanol).

■ Cylinder Heads:

Noonan Race Engineering LS Edge billet cylinder heads. Victory 1 Performance one piece Titanium intake valves with DLC coated head 2.250 x 5/16 x 55* seat. Victory 1 Performance custom Inconel exhaust valves 50* seat. PSI triple valve spring kit utilizing Titanium retainers. Manton stainless intake & exhaust shaft mounted adjustable rockers. Trend 9/16 x .200 wall pushrods with V-40 steel cups.

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Noonan Race Engineering LS Edge billet short runner intake manifold with provisions for dual fuel injectors. 2000cc primary injectors, Billet Atomizer 850lb secondary injectors. Aeromotive spur gear extreme custom fuel pump, Aeromotive regulator and Brown & Miller AN lines & fittings.

■ Electronics:

Holley Dominator ECU

Holley Pro Dash 12.3

Holley Main Power Harness

Holley Boost Control Solenoids

Holley G Meter

Holley 8 Channel EGT Kit

Holley 7 Bar Map Sensor

Holley NTK Wideband 02 Sensors

MSD Pro 600 CDI

MSD 8232 Ignition Coils

Motec PDM

Motec Key Pad

Davis Technologies TC3 Traction Control Box

■ Power Adder:

Twin Precision Turbo 94mm XPR turbochargers - 103 exducer wheel with 1.15

A/R. Precision Turbo 50mm BOVs, 66mm wastegates and PT4000 air to water intercooler.

■ Transmission:

RPM Transmissions Lock Up TH400. Reid bellhousing, SFI case and roller tail housing. 1.86/1.31/1.00 planet set/lock up pump/big main shaft/clean neutral/rpm internal & external dump valve kits. Pro Torque Pro EVI-1 Evolution lock up converter. Boninfante frictions billet SFI flexplate, M&M shifter with clean neutral (trimmed in Atomic Orange paying homage to Randy Hunter). Driveshaft Shop custom carbon fiber 4” driveshaft with 1480 u-joint.

■ Rear:

Strange full floating 9” with 40 spline axles and spool and 3.50 Pro gear.

■ Tires & Wheels:

V Series 15 x 14 double beadlock rears with Mickey Thompson 315 Radial Pro tire. V Series 15 x 3.5

Fronts with Mickey Thompson ET Front 26 x 4.0 x 15.

■ Interior:

Holley 12.3” Pro Dash, MPI DRG steering wheel with Modern Racing single cord conversion, Kirkey aluminum race seat, dual Pro Stock parachutes w/ c02 activation and DJ Safety triple nozzle fire suppression system.

■ ET & MPH:

TBD. Goal is 3s in the 1/8, 5s in the 1/4 and 250+ in the ½-mile. 2733lb race weight (with driver) and 3000+RWHP

■ Most Unique Feature(s):

“Simply put, the workmanship…. I wanted Jey Clegg to show off his full potential with no customer build or financial limitations. Jeys talent/ability and craftsmanship is second to none and this build backs that up.

I would also mention the fact a car of this caliber is using an LS based small block and is set up to run ¼ and ½ mile events.”

■ Special Reason(s) To Build The

“I wanted to build this car for several reasons….

Car:

To showcase our capabilities at Vengeance Racing, to honor Randy Hunter and his family and to have the honor of driving/racing the baddest C6 Corvette on the planet!”

■ How Long To Build The Car:

“We took the car apart in June of 2017 after the North Carolina ½ mile event. It has been five long years, but we have continually put customer builds in front as they are what matters the most. We hope to be on the dragstrip soon and dialing in the new combination.”

■ Thanks To:

Other individuals who contributed to the build:

Jey Clegg- Builder/Fabricator/Tuner/Crew Chief

James Smith - Chassis Fabrication

Chuck Greer - Paint & Body

Randy Hunter- For being the friend he was and for allowing us the opportunity to be so competitive in ½ mile racing.

■ Most Memorable Experience To Date:

There have been many, but probably the most significant was piloting the car to 204.6mph with the H-pattern TR6060 at a Texas ½ mile event. We literally spun the tires to 190+mph and the car was all over the runway. Jey actually had the datalog printed and it is hanging in my office to this day showing the rear wheel speed variance from the fronts.

Chuck Greer, another customer and friend who also happens to be an ace body and paint man, took care of the fresh new look. The front OEM panels were mated with a VFN Sunoco hood, forming a one-piece front end. They used some Super Vettes rear quarter panels, increasing the width by 3 inches overall, and added an Anderson Composites carbon fiber deck lid. The roof skin and drag wing are one-off carbon fiber pieces made by JSC Racing Carbon Fiber. Finally, Chuck and his team painted Fatman in Arctic White and added a coat of self-healing protective film by Glasslife Atlanta.

Incidentally, the “Fatman” name came from Jey Clegg and Randy. Jey had been through every part of this car and would travel with Randy, Ron, and the team as they raced, and through their interesting sense of humor they named the car “Fatman” after the Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki August 9th, 1945.

Since it was (at the time) Atomic Orange and they often raced against Japanese cars, the name stuck. “We are now on version 3.0 with build iterations thus deeming the car “Fatman 3.0”.... So no, the name has nothing to do with the driver lol,” Ron said with a smile. Sadly though, Randy Hunter passed away in a plane crash leaving behind his wife and two daughters, which became a huge driving force for Ron to keep the car and build it to the ultimate level it is now.

Fatman versions one and two had already been successful, so it was time to build some next-level power for version 3.0. World famous Noonan Race Engineering was tapped for one of their billet aluminum LS Edge blocks. This piece uses a 9.750 tall deck with long sleeves for immense amounts of boost. A Winberg billet 4.100” crank swings Bill Miller 6.350” billet rods and a custom set of billet 11.5:1 Diamond Racing 4.125” pistons

and

using vertical

lateral gas ports.

The Corvette has not had a full 1/8-mile hit as yet, but things are looking very good. Ron and his crew are taking it slow, being sure to shakedown the entirely new car and combination. Leaving on just 11psi and ramping to 28psi over 1.5 seconds they ran a 4.38 1/8 shutting down at 3.5 seconds into the run (with a 1.05 60ft). To put that into perspective, they made 3400HP on 50 psi. “So we have a long way to go.” Ron said.

A full floater 9-inch with 40 spline axles and spool is suspended outback by a 4-link coilover setup and the tube front is complemented by rack and pinion steering, custom tubular a-arms and trick Menscer remote reservoir adjustable shocks.

Comp Cams provided a custom spec’d solid roller cam for the 438-inch beast. More Billet goodness tops the short block; Noonan’s LS Edge heads to match were stuffed with Victory 1 one-piece titanium intake valves and custom Inconel exhaust valves. PSI triple valve springs with titanium retainers hold the valves in place while Manton stainless shaft-mounted rockers and Trend 9/16 .200 wall pushrods finish off the heads. In keeping with the trend here, Fatman uses a short run-

ner billet Noonan intake with provisions for two injectors per cylinder.

The primary injectors are 2000cc and 850cc units were used for the secondaries while an Aeromotive spur gear fuel pump and regulator control the M1 fuel and a Holley Dominator system controls Fatman to a “T,” with their 12.3 Pro dash relaying vitals. Motec is also onboard with their PDM and Keypad, and a Davis Technologies traction control module was used.

My Three Sons

Ron with his wife Misty, their youngest son Jaxson, and middle son Bryson. Their third son, Caydin, was away at College during the photo shoot.

The added air side of things is just as overdone, with Fatman 3.0 sporting twin Precision 94mm XPR turbochargers with their 50mm blow-off valves and 66mm wastegates. The guys completed the turbo system using a Precision PT4000 airto-water intercooler.

The same goes for the transmission; no expense was spared here. An RPM Transmissions lock-up TH400 with Reid bellhousing, case, and roller tail housing boasts 1.86/1.31/1.00 gearing

and a billet planetary set, lock up pump, big main shaft, clean neutral and RPM internal and external dump valves. A 4-inch

carbon fiber driveshaft by The Driveshaft Shop completes the line of attack towards that full floater rear.

Inside, the Vette does not disappoint as the art-like cage snakes its way through the interior, and while the factory dash remains, the door panels and floor all the way to what used to be spare tire area have all been refinished in carbon.

Ron wants 3s in the 8th, 5s in the quarter and 250-plus mph in the half-mile from Fatman 3.0, and with over 3000whp, a team like Vengeance Racing and a friend like Randy watching over him, this will surely happen sooner than later.

Story: George Pich

Photos: Wes Taylor

Speedracer and Hot Wheels,” says Joey Lee Gavigan. So crazy that he bought his first car at just 13 years old!

The 1975 Nova needed some work and Joey did most of it himself and hit the backroads of Stevensville MD to learn some driving skills. By age 16, he’d be working on other people’s cars, doing mechanical and paint work. From there he took a job working at a used car lot owned by ex-Redskin player Harry Kane where he would meet Cecil Merrit AKA “Lamar”, who would school him further on cars and introduce him to racing. The ’75 was sold in favor of a ’69 Nova which Lamar helped Joey build into a street race car, unfortunately though, street racing a ’72 Chevelle would lead to a high speed chase and a lost license.

I’ve been crazy about cars since

Gavigan decided to hit Capital Raceway and could be found there most every weekend. He cleaned up his driving record and even started a trucking company of his own, which left little time for drag racing.

After a number of years running several trucks and drivers, Joey decided to downsize

to just his own rig to allow of what he enjoyed cars! As he got back tle heavier in 2008, Gavigan for something new and driveway. This time Z/28 4-speed car.

allow time to enjoy more – building and racing into the car scene a litGavigan went on the hunt and found it in a buddy’s it was a 1969 Camaro

There are not many cars that can top the look of a 1969 Camaro in blue with white stripes. We’d wager that, given the fact that tin companies manufacture complete 1st Gen Camaros from scratch, there are thousands more than ever rolled off GM’s assembly line.

Thisisnoscuffandpaintprojectbyanystretch...

Joey took his Camaro down to bare metal and replaced what needed to be replaced then added a Sunoco hood. After 2 coats of high build primer and block sanding 3 times, 3 coats of Sonic Blue Metallic base and handmade stripes with Pure White base were applied. Four coats of Kandy clear were laid on top then wet sanded with 600, 1000, 1500 and 3000 grit, then polished to a mirror-like finish. New bumpers, taillights and markers were added along with a new Z/28 grill and slick Speedway hide-away electric headlight conversion.

The body was rough and the car had been cut and back-halved, but Joey had to have it! “We did some horse trading on car parts and I added in $4500,” he said, “But a few weeks, maybe a month later it was mine“.

It took a total of 14 years for Joey to finish the Camaro and he certainly went through some ups and downs

during the process. “I waited for space at the chassis shop, had to order parts and it seemed like everything was $1,000 or more. I had parts made, then trashed them and had them remade and I had to figure a lot out for myself. I felt like selling the car many many times through it all, but I didn’t, I just kept at it.”

Once the car was nearing completion and the front section of the chassis was modded for a big block, Joey came across a 632 in North Carolina from Doug Herbert. “It was at a yard sale in the baddest garage ever, and Doug is a super nice

guy.” And now it was game-on for Gavigan!

The body was taken to bare metal with countless hours and dollars into making it clean and straight. Both quarters were replaced along with the passenger door and the rest was repaired.

A Sunoco style composite hood was added but the bulk of time was in making sure the car made a lasting first impression. After primer, the car was blocked, primed again and block sanded again. Paint is 3 coats of Sonic Blue Metallic base and hand designed and painted white stripes with 4 coats of Kandy clear after which it was block sanded again and buffed to a mirror-like finish.

The back-half was complemented by a 25.5 certified Funny Car style cage. A 4-link with AFCO Big Gun double adjustable shocks with 200lb springs and an anti-roll bar suspends a heavily fortified fabricated 9-inch rearend.

The Camaro interior is all race with a custom aluminum dash and Z/28 embossed door panels. The Holley 12.5 inch dash setup to have a full gauge display relays vitals to Joey. The 25.5 certified door car cage was built by East Coast Chassis & Performance.

The stock front end was treated to a host of TRZ parts including their tubular a-arms and double adjustable front shocks with 400lb springs handle the bumps.

The interior of the Camaro is pure racecar with a custom aluminum dash and door panels and all of the equipment required to get from Point A to Point B as quickly and safely as possible. But it’s what’s

under the hood that is most impressive. That Doug Herbert monster 632 we mentioned started with a World Merlin IV block with billet splayed caps and is packed with goodies like a Callies Magnum 4340 crank with Callies Enforcer I-beam rods pinned to Diamond forged nitrous dome pistons ringed with Total Seal nitrous piston rings.

Yeah,it'sabigblock...

...but no ordinary big block. This 632 was in the possession of Doug Herbert when Joey found it for sale. A Merlin IV block started things off and a Callies forged crank rotates a set of their I-beam rods pinned to Diamond pistons with Total Seal rings. RHS Pro Action heads and an Edelbrock Super Victor intake top the beast and almost immediately after the first shakedown runs, the carburetor was upped to a Quick Fuel 1250 Dominator style. For good measure, an NX plate system has been plumbed into the mix.

Joey Lee Gavigan’s nitrous 1969 Camaro Z/28

■ Body & Paint:

Lots of time and money! Body taken to bare metal. Replaced both rear quarters and right door and repaired remaining OEM body steel and added Glasstech fiberglass Sunoco hood. Whole car was painted 2 coats of high build primer and block sanded 3 times. Painted 3 coats of Sonic Blue Metallic base and handmade stripes with Pure White base. Four coats of Kandy clear were applied and then wet sanded with 600, 1000, 1500 and 3000 grit. Used 3m compound system to buff to mirror show paint quality. New bumpers, taillights and markers were added along with a new Z/28 grill and Speedway hide-away electric headlight conversion. All new glass was installed.

■ Chassis

Backhalved with NHRA 25.5 certified door car cage. OEM front frame.

■ Suspension

Stock front end with TRZ a-arms QA1 double adjustable front shocks with 400lb springs. Rear is an Autofab 4-link with Afco double adjustable Big Guns with 200lb springs and A.R.T. anti-roll bar. Tin work by owner.

■ Engine

632 cubic inch big block Chevrolet. World Merlin lV splayed 4 bolt block. Callies Magnum 4340 crank, Callies Enforcer I-beam rods, Diamond forged +34cc nitrous dome pistons with Total Seal AP steel nitrous piston rings. Comp Cams solid roller nitrous cam. RHS Pro Action heads with Comp Pro Magnum roller rockers, Chromoly push rods and Comp stud girdle. Super Victor intake. Engine Misc. - Melling oil pump, ARP studs and bolts, polished two piece valve covers, Meziere one piece flywheel, CSR mini torque starter, Taylor ignition wires, Dynatech 10.2 tall deck 2 1/4 headers, Moroso alternator and vacuum pump, Moroso electric water pump and Powermaster mini alternator.

■ Fuel & Delivery

Quick Fuel 1250 Dominator. Aeromotive A2000 drag race pump and fuel regulator. Holley regulator for nitrous. #10 fuel line #8 return, #8 feeds carb.

■ Power Adder

Nitrous Express plate and bottle with full throttle switch on steering wheel.

■ Rearend

Chromoly Fab 9-inch built by Eastern Chassis & Performance. Strange center section with spool, 4.11 gears and 40 spline gun drilled axles with 5/8 studs. Chromoly driveshaft with 1350 u-joints.

■ Interior

Aluminum dash cut to fit and Big Wig aluminum door panels with Z/28 stamping. Holley 12.5 stand-alone dash, Moroso switch panel controls Ignition, fuel, water and fan. Separate switch box for nitrous and purge. Edelbrock nitrous controller. Twin race seats with GForce belts. Nitrous Dave relay switch board for clean wiring, TCI Outlaw shifter with buttons for trans brake and line lock. East Coast Chassis & Performance nitrous bottle bracket. MSD Digital 7 ignition. Drag race steering column with 2 piece removable steering wheel.

■ Transmission

2 speed Powerglide with brake built by Abruzzi Racing Transmissions with Neal Chance bolt-together nitrous convertor.

■ Wheels & Tires

Front V Series 17 x 4.5 4.75 bolt pattern polished with Mickey Thompson front runners 17x6 Sportsmans. Rears are RC Components Hammers double beadlock polished 15x10 with 5.0 backspace.

■ Most Unique Feature

“I built 80% of it and itis got Mountain Motor stuff hiding under the hood!”

■ ET & MPH

Testing / Shakedown to date – changed from 1150 to 1250 carburetor and looking to run it more this spring and once it’s right on the motor we will develop a nitrous tune.

■

Special Thanks To

Steven Boone – East Coast Chassis & Performance for the chassis work, cage, rearend, brakes, driveshaft, nitrous bracket an help on multiple cars and all the things along way

Mathew Corbman - For help with sanding and bodywork, taping, prepping for paint, wiring car up and for the company on that long trip to North Carolina to get the block.

Wesley McClain - For the help wiring the nitrous controller and MSD ignition, and for getting me onboard with the computer.

RHS Pro Action heads were studded in place and an Edelbrock Super Victor intake is topped by a Quick Fuel 1250 Dominator style carb. Backing the capable Rat is an Abruzzi ’Glide with Neal Chance converter.

Of course, what big inch big block would be complete without nitrous? With this in mind, Gavigan added a Nitrous

Express plate kit, just in case. While the car has only had test and shakedown runs to date, Joey quickly realized that it was undercarbed and went from an 1150 to the Quick Fuel 1250. Plans for 2023 are to get a base tune in the car and once motor passes are where they need to be, eventually it will be tuned for the nitrous.

Like the interior, the trunk area of the Gen 1 is all race business with a small fuel cell, fuel pump and twin batteries on custom trays. Out back is a near bulletproof fabricated 9-inch rear housing filled a host of goodies including a custom center section with spool and 4.11 Pro gears, 40 spline axles with 5/8 studs.

To date the Camaro has had a number of test and shakedown runs with plans to up the ante in spring 2023 to full runs and eventually some nitrous hits.

Interestingly, through all the blood, sweat and tears Joey Lee Gavigan has experienced with his 1969 Camaro over the course of the past 14 years, his most memorable experience does not have to do with finally completing it or the first time he ran it, but rather his fight to keep it.

“We had some rough times back in 2011 and I lost my house in a bankruptcy. Instead of selling my car and saving my house, I made a tough choice.” Hard work following hard times would ultimately lead to renewed success for Joey as today he’s doing what he loves and has a big shop at his home filled with eight cool hot rods.

Joey Lee Gavigan with the prize of his of his hard work, dedication and sacrifice. “We had some rough times during the 14-year build…I felt like selling the car many many times, but I didn’t, I just kept at it.”

Story & Photos: Eddie Maloney

The Cadillac ATS name represents a line of compact luxury sports cars from General Motors’ Cadillac division that spanned from the 2013 through 2019 model years.

At the time of its debut, the ATS marked Cadillacs first invasion into the world’s most significant luxury car segment. Since the ATS was designed as a compact vehicle, it was positioned below the CTS in their lineup, with the brand repositioning the third-generation 2014 CTS as a true midsize luxury car. The ATS Sedan was designed to challenge the world’s best premium cars while being aimed at the heavy-hitters of the compact luxury sedan market, such as the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C Class Sedan, Audi A4, Lexus IS, Jaguar XE, and Volvo S60. Meanwhile, the ATS Coupe takes on the established derivatives of those vehicles, including the BMW 4-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe, Audi A5, and Lexus RC.

The Cadillac ATS-V is a limited production car that ran 12-second ¼ mile hits off the showroom floor. Glenn Woods’ is a true daily driver that pounds out 9s!

It was a luxury type performance car when we started, we thought it would be fun and interesting to build and race and have a true daily driver that could run 10s. We exceeded our goal without major modifications and minimal dollars for the performance results.

GLENN WOODS

The build was done in stages with the Tapout Tuning team over the course of 2 years. It’s gone from stock 464 whp to 600 whp with basic bolt-ons and fuel.

American

The first-generation Cadillac ATS was available in four-door sedan and two-door coupe body styles until its final model year, as the sedan configuration was discontinued after 2018. It rides on the rear-wheel-drive-based Alpha platform and was available with naturally aspirated and turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engine combinations. The ATS Sedan made its first appearance as a 2013 model during the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit while the ATS Coupe was unveiled at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Unknown to many,

American Racing Headers

The high-performance Cadillac ATS-V later joined the picture as the automaker’s answer to the BMW M3/M4, Mercedes-Benz C Class AMG, and Audi RS4/ RS5. It was powered by the twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter LF4 V6 engine, which was rated at 455 horsepower and 445 pounds of torque. The ATS was an immediate success for those who wanted that luxury and performance without the high price tag, and we couldn’t agree more – the appeal of having reliable power while going about your daily life sounds pretty appealing to us, and it wasn’t long before the ATS models started showing up at the local racetracks.

Orlando Speedworld hosts the Cadillac Attack in late January and its usually one of the biggest Cadillac and GM racing events of the year as it offers race classes for all GM vehicles. Glenn Woods brought his 9-second ATS-V down from Georgia and it definitely turned some heads.

The factory Vector Blue paint is OEM and stunning. The added carbon (Track) package and Forgestar F14 drag pack wheel combo with Mickey ET Street Rs on the rear give an over the top vibe to the luxury 4-door.

“I grew up around short track racing and drag racing with my father. I have always been obsessed with cars, whether it was racing them or building them for show.” Woods explained. Glenn spent many years doing custom car audio builds and basic performance upgrades

for show cars and street cars after he got out of serving for the US Army. Afterwards, he went to work for NOPI Motorsports working in their event department, moving from Event Coordinator to Tech Director and then into the Race Director position.

For racing, the ATS is equipped with Forgestar F14 17x10 rear wheels with 275/40/17 M/T ET Street R drag radials and 18x5 front runners.

What’s Old Is New if you haven’t read it yet!

Over the coming months we will be hosting some of our past issues of RPM Magazine in this section.  If you haven’t read them yet, they are new to you!  If you have, maybe there’s a favourite car/story you want to read again….here they are!

It’s an all stock interior and the AEM wideband gauge and Alky Control methanol kit controller is mounted in glove box.

“My wife and I have had several cars that we drag raced – everything from a 9 second Acura Integra drag car, Cadillac CTS-V sedan street/strip build to a Chevy SS sedan set up for street/strip, and onto to our current Cadillac ATS. Both the CTS-V and the SS sedan were LSA cars that ran low 10’s at full weight on drag radials.”

Glenn’s journey into his current ATS began one day at an extremely popular event near Atlanta, Georgia,

the Caffeine and Octane car show. They met a local guy with an ATS-V and struck up a conversation. They liked with they saw and talked with the owner for quite some time, learning as much as they could. After leaving the show, no sooner were they hitting a few area dealerships looking for one for themselves. Out of luck, they headed home and just happen to come across a 2018 Vector Blue sedan at a car dealership near their house.

“We knew as soon as we pulled onto the lot that this was the car we wanted. It was a one owner, year old car with 3,900 miles on it. During the purchase process we realized the car had been sent to Canada and then brought back to the US when traded in. The speedometer on the

analog side reads 330 kmh.” Upon purchase, Glenn began transforming the stock 12 second sedan to its current state, running high 9s at over 134 mph. The upgrades to do so have been relatively modest due to the well thought out platform and powertrain.

The Cadillac LF4 Twin Turbo V6, 217 cubic inch mill makes over 450 horsepower from the factory. With a number of bolt-ons and tuning magic, this one is pushing 600 plus!

Glenn Woods’ 2018 Street Strip Cadillac ATS-V

■ Body & Paint:

All OEM body work, Vector Blue paint is OEM, we have added the carbon (Track) package and wrapped the carbon in gloss black paint protection film.

■ Chassis Modifications:

None to date

■ Suspension:

Lowered on Eibach Racing springs.

■ Engine:

OE Cadillac LF4 Twin Turbo V6, 217 cubic in.

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Tapout Tuning fuel cam, K&N cold air intake, Tapout Tuning ported throttle body, Tapout Tuning in tank low pressure pump, Tapout Tuning high pressure fuel pump internals upgrade, DSX flex fuel sensor.

■ Power Adder:

Stock Twin Turbos / E85 and ALKY Control methanol kit.

■ Cooling System:

Upgraded Vadder Performance prototype heat exchanger, DMS

ZR1 manifold adaptors, dual 10an manifold supply and return lines to 12an supply and return lines to the Weapon X trunk tank and H/X coolant pumps.

■ Transmission:

OE 8 speed Automatic, OE torque converter. Engine and transmission are both tuned by Tapout Tuning using HP Tuners.

■ Rear Differential:

OE rear electronic limited slip diff (2.85 rear gear), OE axles, Driveshaft Shop aluminum driveshaft.

■ Brakes:

OEM Brembo big brakes.

■ Tires & Wheels:

Street – Cadillac CTS-V3 19" wheels with Continental tires. Track – Forgestar F14 17x10 rears and 18x5 front runners, 275/40/17 M/T ET Street R drag radials.

■ Interior:

All stock interior, AEM wideband gauge and Alky Control methanol kit controller mounted in glove box.

■ ET & MPH:

9.97 @ 134.91 with a 1.38 60’

■ Thanks To:

Kelli Woods (wife) for her continuing support and love. Without her, none of this would be possible.

Scott Cook – owner of Tapout Tuning, for his knowledge and expertise on the platform and all the tuning he does and has done on the car, as well as all the questions he has to answer…. haha

Teddy Knisely – Track support, Mechanic, and Tapout Tuning team member.

Bob Cook, Jorge Munoz, Robbie Kern and all of the Tapout Tuning team members.

Yamil Widy and Bret Payne with Traffic Jams Motorsports

■ Most Memorable Experience To Date:

“It was at the Cadillac Attack 2022 when I made the first 9 second pass at the True Street weight (3950 plus pounds) with this car. I did not know what I had run, my wife called me (she was watching the live feed while at home) to congratulate me on the run as I was sitting in line waiting to scale the car.”

The car looks pretty much stock inside, outside and even under the hood to an untrained eye – it’s got killer factory paint, a cool “F14” wheel and tire combo and slick track aero package. And, weighing in at 3,950 pounds, you can bet that it’s no lightweight racer. Most of the work has been to improve the efficiency of the existing 3.6L Twin Turbo V6. Fuel, heat control, tuning and adding methanol injection are the secrets to success with this platform and Glenn went with a Fuel cam, throttle body, High pressure fuel pump internals, Low pressure fuel pump assembly and downpipes all from Tapout Tuning.

Brisk spark plugs, a DSX flex fuel sensor, an upgraded VADDER Performance heat exchanger, DMS manifold adaptors, dual heat exchanger pumps, 12an supply and return lines and 7.5 gallon Stealth trunk tank were also added. A K&N cold air intake was installed and meth is supplied by an Alky Control kit. Electronics include HP Tuners, AEM UEGO controller and Alky Control box. Add in a set of Eibach drag springs, a custom driveshaft and set of sticky Mickey’s and this cool Caddy is a 9-seocnd street sweeper!

Glenn’s ATS-V is recognized as being in the top 5 fastest full weight cars and top 15 overall in his class, but don’t think for a minute that he’s done with mods just yet. He intends to squeeze every ounce of power out of the platform and hopefully get the rare Caddy deeper into the 9s…now that is one Evil V6!

Glenn’s Caddy has run a best of 9.97 @ 134.91 with a 1.38 60-foot time.

Photo: Chris Simmons

Photo: Chris Simmons

Photo: Chris Simmons

STICKEY MICKEYS