Matt Glassford started racing back in 1991 at the “I just-got-my-license” age of 16, testing and tuning his 1978 Firebird street car. He would continue to hit the local T&T scene and grudge race his buddies whenever he could, that is until the Nova came along and he, along with his mom and dad, decided to build a dedicated race car. But Matt himself would not find the powers of nitrous oxide until a bit later in his racing days
The Glassford Nova was originally built by Matt and his dad Bob as an 8.50 certified chassis in 2002. They campaigned the car in the OSCA (Ontario Street Car Association) 9.90 index class in 2004 and then moved into the heads-up gig by swapping up to OSCA’s naturally aspirated Pro Stock class, where they raced from 2006 until 2009. With the car eventually reaching its ET limits for the chassis, and the Glassford’s wanting more, Chris Fernandes was charged with the job of a complete body-off 25.2 chassis job prior to the 2010 season, and the results were over the top.
Armed with their new chassis, the Glassford’s would now enter the world of power adders on a serious level with nitrous oxide as their weapon of choice, and since 2012 they have been running in power adder/small tire classes, mainly the EZ Street class. Sure, these days it seems like the masses are turning to boost, but remember, the advances of
■ The 1972 Nova is an original steel body tub and quarters. In the spirit of weight loss, fiberglass fenders, doors, trunk lid and hood have been installed.
nitrous oxide in racing played a big part in the development of boosted technology, too. Racers were tired of getting beat by nitrous so the R&D that went into boosted technology received a huge “boost”. And its guys like Steve Johnson from Induction Solutions, the nitrous provider of choice for the Nova, that work hard to make sure nitrous cars are still winning races.
Matt now had the pieces of the puzzle coming together – cool car, killer chassis and power adder chosen – now he needed a motor and trans that would be competitive and dependable. To run at the top, it’s wise to draw your knowledge and parts
■ Tony Bischoff and his BES crew put to gether a solid big block Chevy mill using top quality parts. The roomy 582-incher boasts a Dart Big M block with Callies crank, GRP aluminum rods and Ross nitrous pistons.
BES chose the custom grind nitrous cam, massaged the Headhunter heads and add ed goodies from PSI, Jesel and Trend. Nitrous comes in courtesy an Induction Solutions di rect port single stage system.
■ The Chris Fernandes-built chromoly cage snakes its way through the interior among a single race seat, Precision Performance Products shifter, some analogue gauges and, of course, the nitrous bottle. The stock dash was kept in place.
■ A custom 4-link/coilover rear suspension hangs a braced factory 9-inch housing filled with a Strange Ultra center section and Bear’s 40 spline gun-drilled axles. The single-run fuel cell, battery and fuel filters are at home in the well detailed spacious trunk area.
from the top names in the industry, so to complement that new 25.2 chassis, Matt and Bob chose Tony Bischoff’s BES Racing Engines to create a killer nitrous-friendly big block Chevy. The roomy 582 cubic inch Rat started with a Bischoff
prepared Dart Big M block. A Callies Magnum crankshaft rotates GRP aluminum rods that ride on Clevite bearings and are pinned to Ross custom nitrous pistons sealed with Total Seal rings. A BES 55mm custom nitrous Camshaft coupled with Isky lift-
■ Matt’s dad and Crew Chief Bob Glassford wrenches on the Nova between rounds. Bob is a well-seasoned car guy and freshened the motor top to bottom last winter to prepare it for 2021. And they won their first event!
ers actuates the valvetrain and BES Brodix Headhunter conventional style cylinder heads are equipped with titanium valves, PSI springs, Jesel rocker arms and Trend pushrods. A Moroso fabricated aluminum oil pan caps the bottom end while a BESported Edelbrock Super Victor intake is topped by an APD custom Dominator style nitrous carb. Bob (Glassford) freshened the engine through this past winter to get it ready for this season.
Extra go is added into the equation via an Induction Solutions flowed single stage direct port nitrous system with all lines and fittings also from Induction Solutions. A Nitrous Outlet quarter turn valve & digital nitrous pressure gauge along with ARC bottle bracket and heater compliment the system.
Hutch’s Transmission Service built a custom TH400 with Neal Chance bolt-together converter to back up the nitroused mill
■ The Nova gets up and out off the line just as a nitrous car should. Glassford has been racing it for 18 years, starting out in Index classes and then moving to heads-up racing with nitrous in 2012.
and electronics consist of an MSD Grid with ARC, a Racepak Sportsman datalogger (from Ian Rae at HeadsUpRacer. com) and an NLR NMS1000 Progressive Nitrous Controller to control the squirt.
The car rides on a Chris Fernandes custom 4-Link rear suspension with coilovers that suspends a braced 9-inch Ford housing with Strange aluminum Ultra center section and 40-spline gundrilled axles by Bear’s Performance. The Nova maintains a stock firewall and front chassis along with the stock style front A-arm suspension that was tricked out with TRZ tubular control arms and travel limiters, QA1 shocks and TRZ rack & pinion steering.
Body wise, the Nova retains its OEM assembly line body tub with mods in the form of Glasstek fiberglass fenders, bumpers, cowl, doors and trunk lid, a Harwood hood and Pro Stock style scoop. The doors and trunk, along Proglass rear and side polycarbonate windows, were installed by Webber Chassis and paint and bodywork was completed by Michener Autobody in Chatham, Ontario.
Chassis and tin work visible inside the Nova is finished in silver to match
■ Matt with his wife Laurie.
Matt Glassford’s Nitroused Big Block 1972 Chevrolet Nova
Chassis Type & Mods:
SFI 25.2 4-link back-half chromoly chassis built by Chris Fernandes, Certified to 6.0 at 3200 lbs. Stock frame firewall forward.
Suspension:
Stock style front A-Arm suspension with TRZ tubular control arms and travel limiters, TRZ rack & pinion and QA1 front shocks. Custom 4-Link rear suspension by Chris Fernandes with Mark Menscer shocks.
Body & Paint:
Glasstek fiberglass fenders, bumpers, cowl, doors, trunk lid, Harwood hood, Bickel Pro Stock scoop. Proglass rear and side windows. Custom door, trunk & window installation by Webber Chassis. Paint and bodywork by Michener Autobody in Chatham, Ontario.
Engine:
BES (Bischoff Racing Engines) 582 cubic inch big block Chevy. Dart Big M block, Callies Magnum crankshaft, GRP aluminum rods, Ross custom nitrous pistons with Total Seal rings. Clevite bearings. BES 55mm custom nitrous camshaft. Comp Cams belt drive, ATI balancer, CVR billet oil pump, MSD distributor, ARP bolts and studs throughout. Cometic head and intake gaskets, Moroso vacuum pump, Moroso fabricated aluminum oil pan.
Cylinder Heads:
BES Brodix Headhunter conventional style cylinder heads w/ titanium valves, PSI valve springs, Jesel rocker arms, Trend pushrods, Isky Lifters.
Induction: BES ported Edelbrock Super Victor intake manifold, APD Custom Dominator style nitrous carb.
Power Adder: Induction Solutions flowed single stage direct port nitrous system. Nitrous Outlet quarter turn valve & digital nitrous pressure gauge, ARC bottle bracket and heater. All lines and fittings from Induction Solutions.
Electronics:
MSD Grid Ignition system with ARC system. Racepak Sportsman datalogger (from Ian Rae at HeadsUpRacer. com). NLR NMS1000 Progressive Nitrous Controller.
Transmission & Converter: Custom TH400 2-speed by Hutch’s Transmission Service. Neal Chance bolt together torque converter by Hutch’s Transmission Service.
Rear Differential: Modified/braced Ford 9” rear housing with Strange aluminum Ultra Case center section, 40-spline gundrilled axles by Bear’s Performance.
Other Important Vehicle Information: 17” RC Components Exile-S Front wheels from Misener Motorsports with Mickey Thompson 17” front runners. 15x14 Weld V-Series double beadlock rear wheels with Mickey Thompson 28x10.5 slicks.
Team: The car is raced, maintained and tuned by Matt and his team. Crew Chief Bob Glassford (father), Laurie Glassford (wife), Chris Fernandes, Enzo Pecchini, Domenic Perriccioli and Paul Gomes. Missing from this list of crew, however, is Monica Glassford, Matt’s mom. “Mom unfortunately passed away this past March, so this season is definitely dedicated to her, and since we won the first event of the season last weekend, we are off to a good start honoring her memory,” said Glassford somberly.
■ Enjoying the 2020 victories. Matt took the Nova to the EZ Street Championship in one series and overall runner-up in another last season.
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the exterior. A single race seat and quick release steering wheel are used and Matt’s passenger is the good ol’ bright blue NOS bottle that made the brand famous. A trio of gauges are bar mounted in front of the original dash pad that was kept in place complete with all the now non-functioning original controls.
The combination is good for 4.74
at 152.5 mph in the 1/8th on the 28x10.5 slicks, and Glassford has more than a fistful of race wins to back it up. On top of his most recent class win in EZ Street a few weeks back at Ian Hill Racing Production’s first CHU event of the year, Matt also took the 2020 EZ Street Championship at Toronto Motorsports Park and placed second in the 2020
EZ Street Championship that was part of Ian Hill’s series last year.
One thing’s for sure, in a sea of boosted mills and similar body styles it’s always refreshing to see a good old school muscle car on nitrous taking home the win. And if Glassford’s start to 2021 is any indication of how the rest of the year will go, those wins will just keep on comin’!