RPM Magazine September 2023

STRAIGHT-WEIGHT PERFORMANCE

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Mineral based engine oil designed to enable maximum power while providing ultimate protection under the most severe race conditions.

• Unique friction modifier system enables maximum power output

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

V.P. MARKETING/CUSTOMER RELATIONS TRISH BIRO TRISH@RPMMAG.COM

E VENT MEDIA ..................................................EVENTS@RPMMAG.COM

E VENT SUBSCRIPTIONS COORDINATOR SHERRIE WEBER SHERRIE@RPMMAG.COM

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

RPM Magazine is a REGISTERED TRADEMARK of Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. RPM Magazine is a worldwide motorsports publication distributed online.

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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Many RPM readers were shocked to hear on July 18th that after 24 years of not missing a single issue (aside from the covid crazy month of May 2020), we were cancelling the August 2023 issue of RPM MAG. The decision was made due to the sudden heart attack of one of our key team members.

As published in that Press Release; “This was not a difficult choice due to our relationship with those we work with as our primary focus is always on the health and wellness of them all. While the prognosis is positive at this point, time is needed for recovery and the last thing anyone needs is the stress of production

Thank You!

It is said that tomorrow is promised to no one, and nothing drives home that message more than a heart attack.

Frankly, many decades of long work hours, little sleep and living on cigarettes and coffee was bound to have serious consequences some day. That day, for me, was July 17, and even then I was in denial.

Thanks to the insistence of my wife Tracy and Trish Biro, I reluctantly agreed to what I expected would be a relatively brief trip to the Emergency Dept., where it was quickly determined that I was suffering a heart attack. I won’t go into the details of the following week, suffice to say it wasn’t the most pleasant experience, but it was a wake-up call. I no longer take tomorrow for granted.

I’d like to take this opportunity to extend my deepest and most heartfelt gratitude for all your kind words and best wishes for my recovery. I can’t thank Trish and Chris Biro enough for their unconditional support and motivation throughout a very challenging

during that process.”

At this time we’d like to thank not just our RPM readers, but all those who reached out to RPM and Jim directly to support him during such a difficult time. The understanding and compassion exhibited by all was overwhelming!

Jim is no ordinary man, he’s the genius designer behind the high performance art you see each month in RPM and we simply would not be the magazine we are today without him. To say we are happy to have him back, better and stronger than ever is an understatement, and we wanted to provide Jim with this space to express his thoughts about the experience.

week. They went above and beyond, going as far as to suspend the publication of this magazine for a month to allow me to recover.

It’s rare to find such caring, sincere and genuine people in this day and age and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have them as an extended family - they are more than mere friends. Not only did they pull out all the stops to comfort and encourage me, they were instrumental in providing much needed emotional support and reassurance to my wife, who otherwise would have had to struggle through the situation alone.

They deserve most of the credit for making things so much easier for both of us. I’m rested and recovered, and can’t wait to roll up my sleeves with a renewed commitment to the publication I love almost as much as the folks who created it.

So, as you read this issue, keep in mind that it the result of almost 25 years of hard work and dedication by two of the finest people I know.

Thank you everyone - here’s to an amazing tomorrow.

Jim McHarg

Story: George Pich Photos: Robert Richard

Jim Betz is certainly no stranger to fast cars and horsepower.

As far back as he can remember he has always had an attraction towards power and speed – his uncle Lloyd would always be working on his ’70 Maverick under a Sycamore tree in his yard, wrenching on the engine, changing the transmission or something to make

it faster. A few years later, Jim’s brother would pick up a 1970 Ch evelle SS 396 car and soon, with Jim’s help, would swap it out to beefy small block to go racing.

By 1981, Betz was ready for own hot rod and snapped up Z28; “The town I grew up in a small airport that was hardly ever used and they would open up a few times a year, I guess would call it grudge racing,” he plained. “Even then I knew I want ed to race, but unfortunately pocket book would not let me. regret even today, selling that car.”

Jim’s Chwith to a racing. his up a had hardly open it you exwantmy me. I car.”

Jim wanted the car to be all steel and still look like a street car, which adds to the complexity of the build, but the results are top-shelf.

A Man With A Plan… B

With life in full swing, Jim started a family and went to work, only to be laid off in the early 90s, and oddly enough, this was a life changing experience for Betz. “My wife suggested buying a truck and the rest is history.” So successful was Jim in the business of trucking that he sold his first company in 2001 to a group of gentlemen that included a famous baseball player and shortly thereafter started Hard Drive Express, Inc.

Show Them Your Taillights.

GenX® 260 square port GM LS7 cylinder heads from Trick Flow are your best choice for several reasons. The A356-T6 aluminum castings feature more material for increased rigidity and strength. Valve angles and port locations work with existing LS7 intakes and pistons. Modular billet aluminum rocker arm mounts enhance valvetrain stability and are removable for shaft rocker setups. CNC Competition Ported runners deliver maximum airflow. Plus there’s clearance for 3/8" pushrods and through-deck coolant holes that fit all GM LS gasket and block combinations. So take advantage of the huge power GenX 260 heads make and get ready to show your opponents your taillights.

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New heads are just one component of the horsepower recipe. To make it complete, you’re going to need some more ingredients.

Track Max® Camshafts

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Active Fuel Management and Variable Valve Timing Delete Kits

The problem: most performance camshafts don’t work on engines equipped with AFM or VVT. The solution? Ditch them with these delete kits! They include everything to completely remove AFM and VVT the right way so your engine will make the power you expect with no hiccups.

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Keep combustion where it belongs! These high-quality cylinder head bolt kits provide consistent clamping force. The bolts are made from premium quality alloy steel with cold-formed heads and rolled threads. The kit contains all the bolts you need to install a pair of heads.

All factory trim and lighting was retained in the build gives off a solid street car feel to the Cadillac. Even the door cals remain intact. Interestingly, Betz, from Michigan, found the car in Florida but returned it to its birthplace for the build.

Today, Hard Drive runs 36 trucks and a few years back Jim brought his son William and adopted son Jon into the office allowing him to finally get back to fast cars and drag racing. “What I have learned at the track is unbelievable. Some of the greatest people on earth are at a race track. You inherit a family. Patriotism is a huge part of track life, along with

prayer and church. I said it several times, if the world would get along like they do at the track, it would be a better place.”

With renewed energy and the confidence that his business was in good hands, Jim built a car and went drag racing and would ultimately be racing Ford Cobra Jets in factory style classes. Eventually though, he would opt for heads-up racing and build this wicked Xtreme Street Caddy. A Cadillac was not even in the running for Jim’s next car, but funny things happen when you’re with

and door defound build.

...we worked with Kim Mapes to design and build the Cadillac to be the baddest ride in the class...

JIM BETZ

friends. “Craig Spuhler and I were heading out to dinner with friends Joe and Becki Cram who suggested we move over to their heads-up Xtreme Street class. While we were headed to dinner, in Craig’s Cadillac ATS Coupe, we started talking about the class and what car we would build. I wanted something different, something unusual and all at the same time we said, ‘what about an ATS?’”

Betz wanted a red ATS and found a 2015 in Fort Pierce, FL that he was able to negotiate into for $20K.

“Once back in Michigan the car immediately went to Watson’s Racing and we also worked with Kim Mapes to design and build the Cadillac to be the baddest ride in the class.”

The 2015 Cadillac ATS sits low and looks mean thanks to a full tube chassis and Lamb suspension components front and rear.

American Racing Headers

While the ATS may look somewhat “stock” with its mostly all steel OEM body, it is anything but. Inside and underneath you’ll find a full 25.3 certified chassis and cage. “To my knowledge this was one of the first ATS’ to be built with a 6.50 cert chassis, so it took a lot of research and de-

velopment,” continued Betz. The car was stripped, the body removed and all non-essentials were nixed, which got the body shell down to the svelte 500lb area. With the chassis well underway, Jim and his team started looking for parts and developing a fast and dependable total package.

Betz opted for a 413 cubic inch small block Chevy under the hood and started with a 1st Gen Brodix aluminum block. A Callies crank, GRP rods and CP pistons swing inside, while a 55mm Bullet Racing cam actuates the Jesel valvetrain. A set of rarely seen Shaut heads were studded onto the short block and an Edelbrock intake was modified to accept injectors and nozzles for the direct port nitrous system.

less headers. They are a tight fit to say the least, and not

Jim Betz’ Extreme Street Nitrous’d 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe

■ Body & Paint:

Cadillac ATS in Crystal Red Tintcoat

■ Chassis Modifications:

Tube chassis with 25.3 cert. Craig Haltinner built the cage and “Boogieman” Zaborowski painted it Gun Metal Grey.

■ Suspension (Front & Rear):

Front components are from Lamb and rear components are from Lamb.

■ Engine:

Chevrolet engine first generation Brodix block - 413 CID with Bullet cam. Rotating assembly consists of a forged Callies crank, GRP rods and CP pistons.

■ Cylinder Heads:

Shaut heads, Jesel valvetrain.

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Wilson throttle body, Big Stuff 3 engine control.

■ Power Adder:

Nitrous Oxide.

■ Transmission:

M&M TH400 transmission along with their shifter and a Neal Chance converter.

■ Rear:

Custom built rear housing with Mark Williams 3rd member and axles.

■ Brakes:

Lamb carbon fiber.

■ Tires & Wheels:

Weld Alpha Ones with Mickey Thompson 275 ET Street Radials

■ Interior:

Big Stuff 3 touch screen, aluminum Steering Wheel, Kirkey seat with RJS Safety Equipment.

■ ET & MPH:

4.81 1/8th mile best to date.

■ Most Unique Feature(s):

All the carbon fiber runs in a V pattern. It still has a nearly complete factory interior.

■ Special Reason For Build:

No one has built a Cadillac ATS for Xtreme Street which makes it unique.

■ Build Timeline:

18 Months

■ Thanks To:

Watson’s Racing

Kim Mapes

Craig Haltinner

John Kominski

Kimmie Mapes

Terry Bensie

Neil Chance

Big Stuff 3

M&M Transmissions

Mark Williams

Speedtech

Speedwire

High Voltage

Boogieman

Custom Creations

Weld Racing Wheels

Mickey Thompson

CP / Carrillo

Jesel Valvetrain

Bullet Camshafts

Shaut Racing Heads

Lamb Components

“Kim’s knowledge of race cars made it look easy, even though it was not. I wanted it to be all steel and look like a street car, which adds to the complexity of the build.”

Once you strap into the Caddy you are greeted by the maze of cage bars protecting the driver along with true Cadillac style in the factory dash and trim panels. The necessities for racing at a high level take over from there and include a removable billet steering wheel donned with the Cadillac emblem and a single race seat also embroidered accordingly, and a full Big Stuff 3 digital touch display located in the center of the factory dash.

Again, Jim wanted to keep the interior as much factory as race, which can be difficult when competing at this level. Keeping much of the factory trim panels and dash gives that Cadillac vibe while things like the removable billet steering wheel, single race seat and a full digital touch display let you know this car was built for business.

The original dash and the original wood grain accented trim was kept as well.

When it came to power, Betz chose a 1st Gen Brodix aluminum small block and filled it with a Callies crank swinging GRP rods pinned to CP pistons. A 55mm Bullet Racing cam works

with a Jesel valvetrain. The package is topped with a heavily modded Edelbrock 18-degree intake hosting fuel injectors and direct port nitrous system nozzles. A Wilson throttle body finishes things off.

Tri-Lobe Oil Pumps Tri-Lobe Oil Pumps

built in mounting bracket

Tri-lobe scavenge sections feature individual timing gears to ensure proper clearance at high rpm

Spur Gear pressure sections based off Moroso’s highly successful Billet Wet Sump Pump Design

...every race there are lots of spectators looking at the Cadillac...

JIM BETZ

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UNBEATABLE SERVICE, TECH ADVICE, SATISFACTION, AND SELECTION.

An M&M TH400 transmission with Neal Chance converter sends power rearward to a custom 9-inch filled with a Mark Williams center section, spool and axles.

With a fresh car and some solid runs under his belt, Jim is getting the nitrous combination figured out and is ready to take on Xtreme Street, but so far the public response to the Cadillac has been one of his favourite parts of the build. “Every race there are lots of spectators looking at the Cadillac,” he explained.

“I am excited when a young fan comes by and I see the smile on their face when I put them in the car. I tell them to put on their serious driving face so the parents can get a photo.”

The trunk area shows the same high level of quality as the rest of the build and is home to the battery and weight/ballast mounts.

Chuck Briggs and Chevy Rollings their “Ole Blue”

Rollings breathe new life into 1st Gen Camaro

Story: George Piche

Photos: Wes Taylor

Briggs and Rollings decided to “back track” with the car, but not what you’re thinking. Instead of restoring a former race car back for street use, Chuck and Chevy have retooled the Camaro for the hot drag race action that happens at the back of the track; on an unprepped surface with no elapsed times shown.

Chuck, Chevy’s stepdad, has been messing around with cars since he was 14 and started street racing a Monza when he was 15. Eventually the little Monza would end up with a 400 SBC in it.

So, you’ve had a first generation 1969 Camaro since 1998 that has seen more than its fair share of street and race duty, now what do you do with it?

Owned since 1998, this first gen is all GM steel. Replacing a passenger side fender due to an accident was about all the car needed before being painted 1996 Viper GTS blue with white stripes.

By the time he hit his 20s, Chuck and good friend Avery Hill started running street car shootouts with a worked over 350 and as much nitrous as they could throw at it in a ’67 Camaro, and they won several races with that combination. From then on Chuck became well known for building badass small blocks out of nothing and eventually built his own ’69 Camaro with a 23 degree 400 small block to compete in NMCA Real Street. Once that scene faded out Chuck turned to bracket racing the car just to keep his skills sharp.

Chevy, who ended up piloting that same Camaro today, came by his love of cars and horsepower "naturally.” On the weekends I was always at the track whether it was with my real dad Tim, who bracket raced a ’71 Nova or with my stepdad Chuck,” Rollings explained. “Once I turned 16, I started bracket racing the Nova and did pretty good, but I got burnt out on brackets fairly quickly, so started running 6.0 index with the Camaro.”

...right now we feel like we fit best in back of the track no-prep racing...

As the LS motor started to make a strong presence in heads-up drags Chevy and his dad decided to sell the Nova because it didn’t fit the rules of the LS Renegades class and instead bought a nice 72 SS Nova that they decided to make into a street car. Since there’s strength in numbers, they decided to pool the LS parts they had and put them towards making the Camaro into a nitrous heads-up brawler for no-time and 28 inch tire action.

The cockpit is a trip back in time and full of original untouched and unrestored interior parts. The odometer still reads 38,987.5 miles (probably on its second trip around but still low). Even the back seat remains intact in this hot rod.

As the Renegade class progressed and changed, it meant always adding to the combo to play catch-up with the class. “Right now we feel like we fit best in back of the track no-prep racing,” Chevy added. “Dig or Die was our first time out with this car and we had a blast! I think we’ll continue doing back of the track stuff and hit some local 28 shootouts when we’re able.”

The Camaro is a true survivor and was originally gold on gold with black vinyl and bought in South Carolina by a lady who sold it to her daughter. A close friend of Chuck’s ended up with it and sold it to Chuck for $1,200 back in ’98.

It was in good shape with no motor and in need a passenger side fender due to an ac-

cident, otherwise it is all original GM steel. Driven and raced through the years, the car remains virtually uncut with no big wheeltubs and a simple ladder suspension with coilovers and anti-roll bar out back, frame connectors to tie together the stock frame sections, and a pretty much stock style front suspension.

The healthy 382-inch LS under the hood is assisted by a Nitrous Outlet direct port nitrous system. First impressions are everything and what’s not to love about the Hi-Ram intake staring you in the face when the hood comes off.

The 10 bolt was swapped out for a 12-bolt with Moser 35 spline axles and Mark Williams spool.

Inside, the car is chock full of original untouched and unrestored interior parts – in fact the odom-

SPEED SAUCE T M PLUS

INJECTION FLUID

Speed Sauce Plus water-ethanol mix comes premixed and ready to use straight from the bottle. Its 20/80 water/ethanol blend delivers more power per gallon. This ethanol-based fluid is not only less corrosive to fuel systems than methanol-based fluids but also safer to handle due to its lower toxicity.

• Provides 4% more power compared to methanol-based injection fluids

• Produces up to 15% more horsepower/torque than stock, with proper tuning

• Delivers added octane when needed thanks to the ethanol’s >115 octane rating

• Less corrosive than methanol version

SOCKET HEAD WHEEL STUD WITH BULLET NOSE

Chuck Briggs and Chevy Rollings' 1st Gen Camaro

■ Body & Paint:

1996 Viper GTS blue with white stripes.

■ Chassis & Suspension/Modifications: Ladder bar, subframe connectors, stock style front suspension.

■ Engine:

382 cubic inches. Stock LS2 block, Callies crank, Molnar rods and Ross pistons.

■ Cylinder Heads:

Frankenstein LS3 heads, Jesel rockers, PAC springs

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Holley Hi-Ram.

■ Electronics: Holley Dominator.

■ Power Adder:

Nitrous Outlet direct port system.

■ Transmission:

Powerglide with Greg Slack converter.

■ Rear End:

GM 12 bolt with Moser 35 spline axles and Mark Williams spool.

■ Brakes: TBM

■ Tires & Wheels:

Fronts are RC Components and rears are Monocoque with Macfab beadlocks.

■ Interior:

Unrestored factory original dash and trim. Holley Dominator and electronics mounted on passenger side with nitrous equipment mounted in place of passenger seat. Hurst billet pistol grip shifter.

■ Most Unique Feature(s):

The Protecto plate being intact, running through the mufflers, and the full original interior being still in the car is pretty cool too.

■ Thanks To:

Thanks to Chuck for letting me wheel this badass car, my family and friends for all of the support, my parents for getting me into this addiction, my fiancé Layne who supports this bad habit and for being the best back up girl. To Customs by Bigun for all of their hard work and advice, Pete Harrell for his suggestion on parts selection, machine work, and real good at doin’ stuff, and Greg slack for making the best converter in the game.

The trunk is now used for fuel and batteries that help with weight distribution.

Chassis-wise, the car remains virtually uncut with no big wheel tubs and a simple ladder bar/ coilover suspension setup out back, frame connectors and stock style front suspension. The original 10 bolt was swapped out for a 12-bolt with Moser 35 spline axles and Mark Williams spool.

Chevy (Center) with his wife Layne and good friend Cord.

The LS under the hood started life as an LS2 block that measures out to 382 cubic inches. A Callie’s crank, Molnar rods, and Ross pistons swing inside and a set of Frankenstein LS3 heads, are equipped with Jesel rockers and PAC springs. Nitrous comes into the mix courtesy a Nitrous Outlet direct port system. The car has been a work in progress since 1998, and when asked why they wanted to up the ante

to race back track events, both Chuck and Chevy agreed; “We just wanted to race and enjoy life!” And although the Camaro is making new memories in no-prep, so far, Chevy’s most memorable experience with the Camaro hasn’t happened since he’s been behind the wheel, but rather when he was riding in the backseat as a young boy; “It’s just hard to believe I’m wheeling that same car now, and it is badass! ”

Michael Britt’s 1982 Street/Strip Monte Carlo

From the pages of RPM Magazine, April 2016

Twenty five years ago, when Michael Britt found his prize possession 1982 Monte Carlo, it was sitting on a used car lot. There was no glitz, no glitter, no mag wheels or dual exhaust, just a regular looking G-Body Chevy waiting for the next owner to come along and snap it up. “It was bone stock down to the spoke hubcaps, white wall tires and half vinyl top, and it came with the factory neck-snapping 267 cubic inch V8 engine. I paid $1,900 bucks for it over 24 months with my dad signing for my first loan,” tells Britt. “And first thing I did was tint the windows and add a killer sound system.” It was the nineties and Britt was doing the first things everyone was to their cars back then- make them look and sound cool! “Then came Centerline aluminum wheels and white letter tires along with dual exhaust with turbo muf flers,” he added. “Then, after I got the looks of the car down, I switched to a 350 engine, 350TH transmission and swapped out the rearend with a Monte SS unit.” For Britt, this was the start of something special that would take over 25 years to complete.

From spoke hubcaps to grudge racer, Michael Britt,s 1982 Monte Carlo has come a long way...

Aside from the fiberglass cowl hood, this Monte Carlo could still pass as a mild mannered Sunday cruiser, which would be a pretty large mistake in judgement.

Photos: Tom Owensby & Photorad Photography

Drive to the track, block the tires, jack up the back and install the Mickeys. Check tire pressure, turn the bottles on and it’s off to the races!

Now you see me…. Now you don’t! With the glove box door open you get a good look at all of the electronics in the car, but once closed, it’s all about imagination.

Michael tried his best to hide switches and electronics in the Monte, he even went with a small tach and pencil style shift light. The rest of the car’s vitals come via an owner installed Monte SS gauge cluster.

Body & Paint:

Fiberglass hood By Harwood and PPG paint by Kenneth Britt’s Paint And Body, Lumberton, N.C. Chrome. Pinstriping and window tint by Derricks Window Tint Hamer, S.C. Chassis Type & Mods:

Stock frame and suspension setup. Frame is notched in the rear for 10” wheel and tire combination.

Suspension:

Front- QA1 adjustable shocks and Moroso springs. RearQA1 springs and adjustable shocks, adjustable upper control arms by Edelbrock and adjustable lower control arms by UPR, rear anti-roll bar and “pro street” 8 point roll bar with removable back bar for rear passengers by Wilson Engineering, Lumber Bridge, N.C.

Engine:

Bowtie blocked 408 SBC with 4340 Eagle crankshaft 375 stroke, 4340 H-Beam rods with L19 rod bolts, 40 over forged pistons, Clevite tri-amour bearings and Hellfire piston rings, ATI Balancer and TCI Flexplate. COMP Hyd. roller comp cam with 590 lift, COMP lifters. Built by Willie Rozier at Rozier Racing Engines.

Aluminum 23-degree raised runner Pontiac heads with 210 intake valve and ported by Brandywine and matching Edelbrock intake, valve covers and water pump. Jegs chrome alternator, March pulleys.

1 7/8” Heddman headers through an All Pro Exhaust 3 1/2” mandrel bent tubing exhaust system with Magnaflow mufflers that runs all the way out the rear.

Fuel System:

1000 CFM Pro Systems carburetor. Aeromotive A1000 fuel pump with bypass regulator. Stock fuel tank modified with sump by Precision Fabrication and Wiring

Power Adder:

2 stages of nitrous, 1 direct port, 1 plate. Adjustable 50 to 500 HP. Two separate regulators, two purge tubes and twin nitrous bottles. System flowed and blueprinted by Steve Johnson at Induction Solutions.

Electronics:

MSD Digital 7 with individual nitrous timers. Precision Fabrication and Wiring did the wiring, MSD box install and nitrous components wiring.

Transmission & Converter:

Powerglide with Protree transbrake, by Mike Melvin, Clarkton Mount N.C., 1.80 straight cut planetary gearset and hardened input shaft by BTE, B&M transmission cooler and pan, TCI scattershield and Hurst Quarterstick. 10” billet nitrous torque converter by Atlantic Coast Converters, Conway, S.C. Driveshaft and yoke by Strange Engineering, Energy Suspension urethane mount.

Rear Differential:

Strange S60 with spool and 4.10 gears, 35 spline axles. Precision Fabrication and Wiring beefed up all the rear end/suspension mounts on the body.

Wheels & Tires:

10” Convo Pro rear wheels with 5” backspace and Radial TA tires outback for the street. Mickey Thompson ET Radial Pros for the dragstrip. 6” Convo Pros up front with Mickey Thompson street tires.

Brakes:

Strange Pro Race disc brakes on all 4 corners, Wilwood master cylinder and proportioning valve installed by Wilson Engineering in Lumber Bridge North Carolina.

Division/Class Run: Fun and Grudge.

Thanks to:

Everyone that has helped on the car over the past 25 years!

From street to strip: Michael Britt heats up the Mickey Thompson Radial Pros in preparation to take on the next unsuspecting challenger.

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!

We have to apologize to Ernie Dampier. We did the photo shoot of his incredible Corvette Limited Drag Radial car 8 months back and knew it had to be on the cover of RPM. So there you go Ernie, we’re sorry your car is so damn nice we had to wait a bit to do it justice. All joking aside, this build is over the top!

Moving things is what Ernie Dampier does for a living. His specialty is moving boats from the simple 20-footers to the seemingly impossible task of moving 70-foot Yachts through streets and highways, so moving things fast just comes naturally to him!

Intrigued with anything with wheels, in particular anything with some extra power, Ernie built his first car, a 1976 Monte Carlo, before he could even drive it. More importantly, at the age of 16, he built his first engine and slid it into the engine bay of the big bodied GM.

This set in motion a chain of events that would see Dampier own and build several hot rods over the years, countless engines and hit the dragstrip as much as possible, eventually making his way up to running at the top of the heap, Pro Modified, during it’s heyday in the nineties.

Following his Pro Mod experience, Ernie stepped away from cars for a bit as his business began to grow and needed more attention, but as you might guess, he

would return when the time was right.

“About 5 1/2 years ago I decided I wanted to get back into racing and jumped head first into radial racing,” Dampier said.

Ernie Dampier’s ZR1 Corvette is over-thetop. The car sits low and mean thanks to the full tube chassis and the stunning metallic burnt orange wrap was expertly applied by Atlanta Custom Wraps.

By this time, the world of drag racing had changed… a lot. Radial racing was evolving fast and Ernie knew to keep up with things he’d have to build a weapon, and so his 2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 was born. “This car was originally Larry Woods’ Outlaw 10.5 car that I purchased from Rodney Massengale of RPM Transmissions who had bought it from Woods."

Surrounding Ernie is a literal jungle Jim of cage bars and the oversized carbon wheel tubs (just in case a tire size change is ever desired) smack you in the face with the rear hatch off.

With electronics and wiring in full view, the interior of the Corvette may seem confusing, but there’s a place for everything and everything is in its place, and Ernie credits Holley EFI and Speedwire for making this possible. The king size Holley EFI dash relays vitals while the M&M shifter commands shifts of the Reid-cased M&M transmission on display beside Dampier.

The Prestons also continue to support Ernie at the track by setting the car up and tuning it.

The big-inch all billet big block is assisted by twin Precision Gen 2

Pro Mod 88mm turbochargers and backed by a complete setup by M&M transmissions that sends power rearward to a near indestructible Mark Williams Pro Mod rearend.

Proline 481X says it all. Now add in twin Precision 88mm Pro Mod turbos and the picture gets pretty clear; this badboy is packin’ some serious power! Detail and workmanship from the billet goodness that makes up the 572-inch mill, to the install work and fabrication of the headers and turbo hot and cold side is top-shelf.

The tube chassis was constructed by Next Motorsports Race Cars and features a four-link coilover rear setup with anti-roll bar and complete custom tubular front strut suspension with rack and pinion steering.

The twin sisters (turbos) are mounted outside the confines of the front upper chassis bars at the firewall and tilted slightly up to grab as much air as possible from the carbon ducts set into the carbon hood.

Ernie Dampier’s Turbocharged 2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

■ Chassis: Updated and built by Next Motorsports Race Cars.

■ Body & Paint: Wrap done by Atlanta Custom Wraps.

■ Engine: Proline 481x 572 inch

■ Induction: Holley EFI

■ Power Adder: Precision Gen 2 Promod 88's

■ Electronics: Holley EFI and Speedwire.

■ Transmission & Converter: M&M Transmissions, converter, and shifter.

■ Rear differential: Mark Williams.

■ Brakes: Strange and Mark Williams.

■ Tires & Wheels: Mickey Thompson Drag Radial and RC Components

■ Interior and Safety Equipment: Holley EFI, Motion Raceworks wheel, M&M air shifter, Racetek seat, Impact belts, Fireade fire system, Simpson fresh air system and helmet, Sparco fire suit with Stoud boots.

■ Best ET & MPH: 3.96 1/8 mile at 195 MPH

■ Most Memorable Experience With The Car:

We had just changed combos and went to an event at SGMP in Oct of 22 with an untested car chasing my first 3 second 1/8 mile pass. I was not expecting it to happen the first time out but ended up running several 3.90's with the best of a 3.96!

■ Thanks To:

Adam and Isaac Preston for all the work they did to update the chassis change the engine and trans combo, building headers, hot and cold side, installing all new electronics etc. And for their support at the track by setting up the car and tuning.

Ernie’s business demands attention to detail. For moving a 60 or 70-foot Yacht he not only requires a solid plan but near indestructible equipment, just like the Mark Williams rear end in his Corvette. A four link with coilovers and anti-roll bar setup suspends the MW modular aluminum 9-inch and power is put to its final destination through a pair of P295/65R15 Mickey Thompson ET Street Rs.

The stunning metallic burnt orange color is actually a wrap, expertly applied by Atlanta Custom Wraps. One look at the finished product and we’re sure you will agree that the end result of the combined efforts of all involved is nothing short of spectacular.

All in all, with the new 481X combination, the Corvette hit the track last fall completely untested and ran 3-second eighthmile hits, which were Dampier’s first 3-second runs, and has been im-

proving ever since. But what else would you expect from someone who figures out how to accomplish the near impossible for a living. Moving things, it’s what Ernie Dampier does!

Story: George Pich | Photos: Steven Taylor

The Vega was once a standout candidate for building a street machine, hot rod or drag car. They were smaller, lighter and you could find them most anywhere. But that was 20 to 40 years ago, and Vegas are certainly few and far between these days; seeing one always brings back good memories (or bad memories if you were staring at its taillights) for enthusiasts and racers alike.

Here’s a cool fact that most according to Wikipedia, originally meant “descending the name was then given est star in the constellation course this offering from General Even though GM chose the the star, with how Vegas became for taking money on the street it’s easy to picture that descending with talons out, ready to take

most don’t know, the word Vega “descending eagle” and given to the brightconstellation Lyra, and of General Motors. the name from became known street and strip, descending eagle take its prey.

Gary Pringle’s wicked ProCharged small block Vega gives off a slick throwback big tire Pro Street vibe from a time when Vegas could be seen most anywhere. Nowadays, you will rarely see one on the street or strip and when you do they are not usually as nice as Pringles, let alone able to run 5-second ETs in the 1/8 and 8s in the ¼-mile.

were very few call for full color catalog

CalTracs, Calvert Mono Leafsprings, Calvert Sliders and Lowering Blocks RON RHODES 1968 Chevrolet Camaro

fastest leafspring vehicle: .998sec

“We would go to work and then go to the shop and work on our cars most of the night, sleep a few hours and do it over again. We did a bunch of street racing and cruising Kearney Street, those

were great times!" he added.

Gary found his car pre-modified, so to speak, as most were – Vegas were just so easy to work with, there were very few that stayed stock.

He paid $1500 and it already had a V8 installed along with a Dana rear end to handle the added extra power, since it had an inline 4-cylinder originally.

Pringle hit Mokan Draway

and ran 12.87 in the 2,200 pound hatchback, a very respectable number for a street car of the day, and the damage was done as Gary was immediately hooked on racing!

AND COUNTING

How many people can say they have owned the same car for 40 years…Gary Pringle can, and he has the evidence to back it up!

Gary's legendary Vega has evolved considerably over the years, as these vintage photos demonstrate, however, the best shot of all has to be the one of him pulling the 'chute on Kearney Street (right). Now that's something you don't see every day!

Gary was featured in the Drag Racer Hall of Fame as a Street Legend at the Southwest Missouri Drag Racers Reunion.

An article of Gary racing at Street Machine Nationals in 1997 was also featured in American Drag News.

Mods began immediately, first a cage, then a new cam, alky carb and paint job and along with that came 11.30 ETs. Next was a 400 small block with nitrous and Gary hit 10.60s.

Then things got even more serious when his brother Mike moved the motor back and they added a roots blower and twin alky carbs,

A clean neat look carries into the Vega interior complete with two seats, because yeah this is a real street car, an array of analogue gauges and chromoly Funny Car style cage. Once again Mike’s work shines as being up there with the best of ’em!

eventually getting into the 8-second zone. Gary was satisfied, but not for long; “One day my brother Mike said ‘let’s tear it apart and build you a new car’, and that is exactly what we did.

It was having issues stopping among other things so it seemed the right thing to do. Mike and I started with 2 pieces of chromoly tubing and 2 years later had a new car.”

The body on the Vega has something unique; 1972 Nova ¼ panels were used to rework the rear of the car during the body and paint phase and allow room for the 31x15 rear meats situated underneath it. Body and paint work was done by buddies Scott and Joe, while pinstriping was

applied by Spencer, another friend in Gary’s close knit “car circle”. The full chromoly tube chassis was coupled with a 4-link coilover setup suspending a braced 9-inch with 40 spline axles in the rear and tubular a-arms with Lamb struts and rack and pinion steering up front.

Small blocks were the first choice of Vega fans looking to make the lightweight sub-compact into a serious street or strip brawler. Pringle built a 400-inch Dart blocked mill with all the goodies and added a ProCharger currently set up for 15 pounds of boost. A trick CSU blow-throw carb tops things off with a seriously big Extreme Pro Velocity Series elbow adding even more height (and intimidation factor) to the package.

Gary Pringle’s ProCharged Small Block 1972 Chevy Vega

■ Body & Paint:

Prep, paint and body work done by Scott, Joe and friends at the body shop. Pinstriping by Spencer.

■ Chassis Modifications:

Chromoly Tube Chassis

■ Suspension (Front & Rear):

4-link coilover rear. Lamb strut front with rack and pinion steering.

■ Engine:

SB Dart Block 400 owner-assembled. Bore 4.145, Stroke 3.87. Balanced, ARP stud kit, Eagle Crank, Crower connecting rods, Diamond 9.5:1 pistons. Brodix aluminum cylinder heads with Comp pushrods

Crower roller rockers and copper head gaskets. Hamburger oil pan, Melling HV55 oil pump, CSR Water pump, Cloyes timing chain, Vertex Mag ignition and custom fab headers by owner’s brother Mike. Solid roller cam with 670 intake lift / 320 duration and 620 lift / 312 duration on the exhaust side.

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Brodix intake manifold, CSU Blowthru carburetor 930 cfm, Aeromotive 360 fuel pump.

■ Power Adder:

Procharger F/X, boost is set at 15lbs.

■ Transmission:

Chevy Powerglide owner-assembled. Hughes Performance 4500 stall torque converter and TCI valve body. Steel driveshaft with TCI yokes and 1350 u-Joints.

■ Rear:

9” Ford rear end, 40 spline Strange axles and 4.10 Yukon gears.

■ Brakes:

Aerospace brakes 2 piston front, 4 piston rears and Wilwood master cylinder.

■ Tires & Wheels:

Weld fronts – 15” x 3 ½” with Goodyear 15 x 3 ½”, Weld rears – 15” x 14” with Mickey Thompson 31s.

■ Interior:

Hurst shifter refabricated to move cable off tunnel, fire system, fabricated aluminum interior, Kirkey seats and Autometer gauges.

■ ET & MPH:

5’s in the 1/8-mile and 8’s in the ¼.

■ Most Memorable Experience(s) With The Car:

Having a good time street racing, doing dry hops for the kids and ripping it on the way home.

Going to the midnight drags at Tulsa with Scott (Camaro), Rick (Pinto), Chuck (Camaro), Dusty (Somerset), Brad (Camaro), Bob (Nova), J Lee, Cliff (Luv Truck).

■ Thanks To:

I want to thank ALL my family and friends for all of their help on the car and for 40 years of fun with this car, especially my wife Brenda, Paul for parts, Scott for the paint jobs, Joe for the paint, Kerry, Ronnie, Dusty, Brad, Kenny, Mike, Jack, Don, Peggy, Sarah, John and Randy and anyone else I may have forgotten in the very long list of supporters and contributors.

of work on the build including the headers, rear wing, hood, most of the chassis work and fabrication on the interior, as well.

The final version of the Vega you see here is powered by an owner-built Dart blocked small block 400. An Eagle crank swings Crower rods pinned to Diamond 9.5:1 pistons. A solid roller cam sports a 670 intake lift with 320 duration and 620/312 on the ex-

with Crower roller rockers and mated to a Brodix intake which is topped by a tricked out CSU blow-thru 930cfm carburetor. An owner-built 2-speed ‘Glide was equipped with a TCI valve body and Hughes 4500 stall converter, and a ProCharger FX series centrifugal supercharger is setup to deliver a healthy 15 pounds of boost to the mouse motor, propelling the Vega to 5s in the 1/8-mile and 8s in the 1/4.

If you put a V8 in a Vega, you’d better add a strong transmission and rear diff to go with it. Gary bought his with a Dana rearend which is long gone. Now, the Vega tube chassis rides on a 4-link coilover setup with heavily fortified 9-inch out back and a full tubular a-arm front end with Lamb struts and rack and pinion steering. And we love the vintage Supertrapp mufflers exiting after the rear axle!

amazing journey of fun with family and friends and he wouldn’t have changed a thing. “We built this car for one thing, to go fast on the street and strip and we accomplished that and so much more. I wouldn’t trade the good times we had building the car, street racing and the fun at the midnight drags at Tulsa with all my buddies for anything!”

Welding Exhaust Systems – Part 2

Preparing To Weld Your Exhaust System

As mentioned in Part 1 of this series, TIG should be employed when welding thin sections of exhaust tubing, especially when using specialized alloys such as stainless steel or Inconel. The header in Image 1 is an Inconel Pro-Stock header fabricated by Jack Burns from 0.028" wall tubing.

The considerable control of the welding process by the operator and the inert shielding gas help assure proper weld strength for these alloys that have a propensity to form unwanted oxides during heating. This allows for proper welding of thin walled tubing commonly used in Motorsports exhaust applications. Part 2 of the series will focus on the proper preparation of the tube sections for welding.

When welding thin sections of stainless steel tubing as used in racing exhaust headers, care must be taken to properly prepare the joints (Image 2 – Photo provided by CPR Fabrication). This is a crucial step, and trying to rush through is simply not acceptable. First of all, the tubing must be clean and free of any oily residue. When tubing is mandrel bent, thick lube oils are used to help slide the mandrels through the tubes. Over the past few years, environmental rules have minimized the use of strong organic solvents, so sometimes the tubes will contain residual amounts of lube in the bend area. The residue must be removed from the tube prior to welding. Any residual lube will contaminate your welds. A squirt bottle of acetone and rag usually does the trick.

Pro Stock Inconel Header

Joint Preparation

Image 2

Article By Vince Roman: Burns Stainless

The next step is to properly fit the tubes. When two sections of tubing are joined, there should be no gaps – and I mean none (Image 3 - CPR Fabrication). Welders who are used to working with mild steel know how easy it is to fill gaps with the torch and filler rod. This is not acceptable when welding stainless steel as residual stresses can be imparted into the weld. Also, the resultant larger heat-affected zone (HAZ) can cause the formation of the aforementioned oxides. Both of which can lead to premature failure. You will also find that excessive gaps will cause your assembly to distort during welding. So after welding, when you fit that header tube that you spent hours fitting together, you'll find that it now hits up against the shock tower and know you should have spent a little more time on fitting. When fitting tubes, you should be able to hold them up to a light and not see any light shining through. Another good test is to hold the tubes together by hand and try "rocking" the tubes together. You should feel no movement.

clamp from IC engine works. The clamp is designed to hold the tubes together before tacking. It is an excellent tool for the novice header builder, though experienced "fabbies" may find them cumbersome. Two tacks per tubing joint are sufficient. You will find that you will need to break tacks from time to time as your header design evolves, so as few tacks as needed is best.

After properly fitting the tubes, it is time to tack the parts together (Image 4 - CPR Fabrication ). This will be an excellent test of the joint preparation, as any gaps will be "found-out" when you get a "blow-through" when striking the arc. And believe me, blowing through 0.028" wall tubing is not hard to do. Good witness lines are a must when fitting tubes. A fine tipped "Sharpie" is great for this purpose. It should also be noted that there is a good tool on the market to help with the fitment process. It is a tack-welding

Though not directly related to welding, this is a good time to discuss "cheating bends." We consider a properly cut tubing bend as one where the tube is cut perpendicular to the tangent of the bend (Image 5 - CPR Fabrication). It will often be tempting while fabricating a primary tube to "cheat" the bend, that is, cutting it "off-tangent." This is one of the most common "power-robbers" that is overlooked by mediocre fabricators. A few years ago, a professional-level drag race customer of ours sent us a tri-Y header to evaluate. The customer had a great header designed by us using our X-design software and fabricated by a customer of ours, Elston Exhaust. The drag race customer was in a hurry to have a new header built for another car, so he sent the header to a local fabricator to have a copy made. While dyno testing the new header, the racer was shocked to see that the duplicated header was down 15 hp! At first glance, the header looked very nice. The welding was nice and it looked to be very close to the copied design. However, upon closer inspection, we noted a few cheated bends as well as some design problems with the collectors. I am sure that the builder did not believe that it would make a difference, but as the saying goes, "the devil is in the details."

Next month we will discuss how to assure strong welds through back-purging.

Source: Burns Stainless

Fitting the Tubes

Tack Welding

Image 4

Tube Bend Cut Image 5

Ron Stennes ‘41 Willys Coupe

From the pages of RPM Magazine, February 2014

Ron has been racing for over 25 years but only acquired Bulldog Willy in 2007 when he bought the car down in Chicago where it was running in an open Outlaw class.

Ron transported the Willys north to Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada with the intention of running it in the local Top Eliminator races at Castrol Raceway just south of Edmonton, and after a lengthy transformation for the car, Ron would realize his goals.

Bulldog Willy is not a car that was simply thrown together, some serious thought went into this build. Starting from the twin rail Markow Race Cars chassis right on up to the flawlessly straight fiberglass body. This car looks as good standing still as it does flying down the

track! Ron and his Pitboss Racing Team haven’t overlooked a single detail; from its custom Candy Blue paintjob with ghost flames, to the chrome Willys badge on the fender, this Willys is a work of art. The guys even took the time to make sure the interior was as clean as the exterior, and those blue metal flake race buckets add a certain something to the total package in the cockpit. So much detail went into this car that Bulldog Willy grabbed 2nd place at the Powerama Car show in Edmonton, but don’t be mistaken, this car is no trailer queen. Ron isn’t the type to put together a build like this just to look at, he takes it out to the track to beat on it as much as possible, since that’s where the real fun is.

Purchased as an Outlaw car, the Bulldog was not really consistent for regular competition, but now that it has all the right parts for Ron,s needs it launches hard and low and runs consistent mid to high 7,s in the quarter on a soft tune-up.

Ron lights ,em up in Edmonton during some test hits...

Everybody has their own reasons for racing, but for Pitboss Racing,s Ron Stennes it all comes down to having fun and going fast!

Photos: Michael Stefanyshyn

Very cool yet functional...

The interior is topped off by the metal flake bucket seat covers, steering wheel and door panels. Unlike many of the cookie cutter pro touring cars, the world of real street machines and doorslammer race cars has become less about the trendy “they did it so we gotta do it” stuff and more about ones own personal preferences and style. [Below] A full array of liquid filled gauges provide Ron with the constant ability to accurately monitor all vital signs.

Once powered by a blown big block that was perfect for the Outlaw drag race scene where the Bulldog Willy existed in Chicago, it was not right for the regular Top Eliminator/Top Sportsman competition where Ron wanted to race. Now, with a lot less wrenching and lot more racing, Ron sees consistent mid to high 7-second passes with his Dart blocked, Pro-Filer headed, dual Quick Fuel carbed big block Chevy, and with the latest transmission change it has seen 60 hard runs without incident.

When first purchased the car was running alcohol through a Donovan 540 aluminum block topped off by a 1471 Littlefield blower, and carried Ron down the track in 7.50 seconds at 185mph. While it more than met Ron’s needs as far as power, speed and fun factor, it had one small problem, the engine was too inconsistent to be competitive. Ron found himself spending too much time fixing the car and not enough time racing it, so in 2009 he made the decision to replace the engine with something he could rely on to run consistently. He had an excellent engine to use as a base, however it needed a complete rebuild from the ground up and for that Ron turned to local Edmonton engine builder BEL Engines to deliver a monster. BEL stepped up to the challenge and put together a new engine for Bulldog Willy that not only provided the power, but did so without the inconsistency headaches that had plagued Ron to date.

The new engine is built on a 672 Dart all aluminum big block Chevy with Callies crank, GRP aluminum rods, JE pistons, Comp Cam, Isky lifters, Jesel rockers and belt drive, Moroso dry sump, Pro-Filer heads, Hogan Intake with billet runners, MSD ignition and distributor and polished 2 3/8 -2 1/4 step stainless headers. Instead of alcohol this new motor drinks C16 fuel through a pair of 1250 Quick Fuel carbs.

The Bulldog Willy looks right at home during our photo shoot at Edmonton’s Castrol Raceway.

Instead of airbrushed or decal trim that is usual on most race cars, the original Willys grill, headlight assemblies and hood trim really add to the exterior wow factor of this ride.

One look down the side of the fiberglass bodied Bulldog and you will find yourself complementing whoever was responsible for the bodywork.

Even today, the Willys is an icon on the drag strip!