Wes Taylor
Billy Brown likes “different”, and despite growing up and watching his dad drive and bracket race the classic Camaro, Malibu, or Chevy II, as he got older, like many of us, he wanted to forge a path of his own.
“When I was about 14 my dad took us to the local US13 Dragway at Delmar Delaware,” Brown explained. “Next thing you know he went out and bought a ’79 Z28 drag car and because of my interest, we ended up going to the track to watch him bracket race. Long story short, I was hooked and my dad got back into collecting hotrods of all types.” His father only bracket raced, and eventually he and Billy
A few years back, with the intention of making just a few changes, Brown, along with Tommy Lynch stripped it to bare bones and started fresh, ending up with a fresh new truck from top to bottom.
would build a cool street/strip Malibu, getting it from a 14-second runner to a solid 10-second performer with his dad at the wheel. To Billy’s surprise, though, his dad decided to sell all the cars and completely get out racing.
“Even with my dad out cars when I was able to drive, I still took my stock cars to the track to run them, dreaming that one day I would have a badass ride.” A few years passed and Billy was 18 when his dad asked him if he wanted to go racing. Billy knew he didn’t have any cars left but said yes anyway, and when he got to the track to meet his dad, he found out he bought the Malibu back and gave it to Billy to race!
After selling the Malibu and a few other projects to fund raising a family, Brown would end up with a big block Ford Fox Mustang that he traded for work. Not being a Ford guy, he worked that into a deal for a small block S10 and was bracket racing nearly every weekend with it.
Billy Brown’s “The Boogeyman” Sonoma pickup has morphed into this sleek low–slung predator, appropriately painted Destroyer Grey.
With the kindness and financial support of a neighbor who wanted to be involved in racing, he improved the truck, won multiple events and even an NHRA Wally!
Before long, that S10 would see a nitrous plate kit, 9-second hits and be running heads-up no-time grudge matches, and after his very first grudge match (which he won), Brown swore he’d never go back to any other type of racing.
Next would be a 2005 Pontiac GTO that he modified and hit the streets and track with, looking for grudge matches wherever he could find them. The car quickly became known as “Freddy Kruger”, but Billy took it way faster than he should have without the proper safety equipment, and that’s when he traded it for the Sonoma. A local no-time list racer wanted a street machine and Billy fell in love with having another fast truck, and that’s when the reign of The Boogeyman began.
To meet the “All Glass All Steel” rules demanded by some of the grudge classes Brown runs, the body had to remain steel, so only the hood and bumper were swapped out for lighter parts. To shave weight off, Brown instead worked on top secret weight saving techniques throughout the truck.
East Coast Chassis created the 7.50 cage and completed the lion’s share of chassis and suspension work along with the carbon bed cover and wing.
Not having a street car type interior put the Sonoma up into the “Race Car” classes, where Brown was simply outgunned. As part of the complete overhaul the truck saw that change starting with a Glasstech S10 dash and covered race seats. A Holley Pro dash, Innovative Racecraft steering wheel and carbon door panels were also used.
The 434 inch small block has been through some changes. First nitrous and then once the big blower was installed Brown knew the bottom end would not stand up. The next off-season he used the Dart Little M block and upgraded all the internals to match the power adder and power level he now had.
RM RACING DOUBLE
“Now that I had the truck, since all the grudge cars have names, I decided to call it The Boogeyman.”
Brown had some changes to make before the truck came out under his ownership, namely the wheelie bars and two-tier wing had to go. Originally, with the 427 SBC and nitrous plate kit the Sonoma came with, grudge racing was fun, but not enough wins came Billy’s way as the truck was underpowered.
The 427 would see a Fast XFI and new cam that really woke it up, and the body would also get a makeover in the appearance department, changing over to Brown’s favorite 1998 S10 front end along with a new fiberglass hood and lightweight bumper. Because the truck still had lexan windows and gutted interior, though, he was always pushed into the “race car” classes of grudge racing with faster cars where it was tough to compete.
With the hood off you can see the detail that went into not only the engine and blower install, but also the care taken to fill and prep all the holes in the firewall during the bodywork phase.
Billy Brown’s Supercharged 1995 GMC Sonoma
Body & Paint:
Factory body with 1998-up S10 front. Down Right Racing bumper and hood , custom headlights and taillights, carbon wing and bedcover by East Coast Chassis who also did chassis work.
Chassis & Suspension/Modifications:
East Coast Chassis 7.50 cage. Rear suspension is Caltvert springs and Caltrac bars and sliders. Menscer shocks all 4 corners as well as front springs. Henson Racing tubular k-member, TRZ spindles and steering rack, Rhodes Race Cars custom rad support.
Engine:
Dart Little M block, 434 ci with billet mains and top fuel hoops. Callies Magnum crank, Oliver rods, JE boost pistons.
Cylinder Heads:
AFR 245 heads with Fire rings, titanium valves, T&D shaft rockers, Trend pushrods and PAC springs.
Induction & Fuel Delivery:
Aeromotive 12.0 manual drive fuel pump with regulator and filter. Billet Atomizer 575 injectors.
Electronics:
Holley EFI.
Power Adder:
F1X ProCharger with New Era Racecraft gear drive.
Transmission:
Powerglide with BTE case, 1.58 Sonnax gear set and FTI custom convertor.
Rearend:
East Coast Chassis Fabrication 9-inch. Strange aluminum center with 3.90 US gear and 40 spline gun-drilled and star flanged axles.
Tires & Wheels:
RC Components Hammer wheels on all 4 corners. M/T ET Front tires and M/T ET Street Radial Pro rears.
Interior:
Glasstech S10 dash with race seats. Aeromotive shifter, Holley Pro dash, Go Lithium dual battery set up, Innovative Racecraft steering wheel , Stroud seatbelts.
ET & MPH – Race only:
N/T
Most Memorable Experience To Date:
All the wins and help I have had recently with my son Gavin and watching his enjoyment just waiting till the day I can put him in the driver seat.
Thanks To:
I want to give the biggest thanks to my buddy Tommy Lynch. This truck wouldn’t be where it is today without his help and pushing. He has done most all the work and 100% all the body and paint and had his hands in just about everything getting it where it is today. Then thanks to Sieve Boone with East Coast Chassis for all they have done in making this great build. Dave Hanlon for all he does with the tuning and many other friends that have helped along the way; TJ Hudson, Wes Ervin, I just can’t thank everyone enough.
Rear suspension boasts Calvert springs and sliders, Caltrac bars and Menscer shocks. Up front a Henson Racing tubular k-member was used with TRZ spindles and steering rack.
During the next off-season, Brown intended on making a few tweaks, but before long it was game-on and the truck was completely stripped. “At this point the truck had nothing; no wires, no cage, no brake lines, nothing at all, just a bare frame and a cab,” he said. By the time all was said and done, with the help of good friend Tommy Lynch, Brown had a 100% new truck with 7.50 certified cage and full interior that was built to run fast. The truck body also went under the knife again, getting extensive bodywork while being sure to meet the “All Glass, All Steel” class rules, and was painted Mopar Destroyer Grey.
For suspension, a Henson Racing K-member, TRZ a-arms and spindles, and Menscer shocks and springs were used up front along with a TRZ steering rack. The leaf-sprung rear was enhanced with Calvert springs and sliders, Cal-Trac bars and Mencser shocks. A heavily fortified 9-inch rear end is equipped with 3.90 gears and 40 spline gun drilled/star flanged axles.
New power, a 434 nitroused small block with Holley EFI, was built to slip into to what was essentially a brand new truck. After initial struggles, Billy took an important win at the end of the season and raced the entire following year with the Carolina No Time Race Series in the nitrous class. He had one prob-
lem…the big block cars! “I just couldn’t hold the big blocks off in the final rounds with my little small block. This didn’t sit well with me so I had a decision to make; either go big block or go boost.”
Boost it was and a new F1X ProCharger was installed and tuned by Dave Hanlon.
Left to right: Gavin and Billy Brown pause before putting The Boogeyman through its paces.
But, and there is always a but, although the new setup crushed it for power, the rest of the motor was not up to it and Billy had to go easy in 2021.
For 2022, using the base 434, the Dart Little M block was cleaned up and a Callies Magnum crank was installed to spin Oliver Rods and JE boost pistons. AFR 245 heads rest on top; they’ve been fire ringed, stuffed with titanium valves, Trend pushrods, T&D shaft rockers and PAC valve springs. A gear drive from New Era Racecraft was used for the blower and boost drives through an Edelbrock Super Victor Jr intake.
A BTE-cased Powerglide with Sonnax 1.58 gear set and FTI torque convertor sends the supercharged power rearward.
With a complete rebuild using boost worthy parts, Brown came out swinging in 2022 and won his first event at Piedmont
and went to the finals at the next shootout, but he had to do a purse split due to curfew. The success continued as he went to the semis at the next Carolina No Time Boost class event and then won the 28s Gone Wild event at his home track, and won a few grudge races along the way! So what does Billy Brown have to say about all this? “The blower combo is awesome and I am no longer concerned about big block cars!”
As a No-Time Grudge racer, Billy knows how to play the game and keeps his cards close to his chest, not letting too much information out into the public’s hands…at least not accurate information. So underestimating this blown small block Sonoma could cost you the race, because you just never know what The Boogeyman has in store for you!
