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editor’spix
Maverick; unorthodox or independent-minded.
Everyone has their shtick...or their way of being different or standing out...
Usually it’s about doing something to get attention, like when people scale building walls or drop from a stadium roof… you get the gist.
Story: George Pich
Photos: Stephen Taylor
In motorsports, getting attention starts with developing not just power and speed but also a “look” for your car, and something else that has experienced a resurgence more recently, an identity.
Back in the day, we had folks like Jungle Jim and Don The Snake who led the way for personalities like Johnny Rocca, but for a while, identities and personas were missing from drag racing, that is until the past 10 years. It seems that the Outlaw, Grudge
and No-Time movements in the sport have had car owners at all levels looking for ways to identify their rides and stand out from the crowd. Aside from running fast and winning, some will run off at the mouth, others will do online videos or build a pristine ride that can’t help but be noticed, and then there are guys like Gary Spaniak and his team who decided to keep things simple, looks wise anyway, when they built The Substitute Maverick.
Some say only a mother could love The Substitute, but make no mistake, it is more than capable of putting you on the trailer!
We won’t get into the car as much as the story of those involved in it, suffice it say that everything, and we mean everything on
The Substitute Maverick is intentional.
Team member Gary Spaniak III owned many cars throughout his life and his very first ride was a 1970 Mercury Cyclone that he paid two grand for while he was in middle school.
Car owner David Gott picked up a rust free Mav in Arizona and the team decided to keep it as OG as possible. Everything, including the paint, emblems, missing marker light, original door handles and even the plaid fuel door and weathered exhaust dump pipe is intentional!
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The Substitute sports a factory frame and mini tub. The car was originally built by Freedom Fabworks then revised by Tydo Race Cars. Freedom created the stock style rear suspension with Fox Body torque boxes and the fabricated 9 inch housing. Big Gun rear shocks are valved by Sho-me Speed. The front utilizes the stock frame with Penske front struts, Mustang spindles and a custom bolt-in K member from Tydo Race Cars. Wheels are RC Components painted to match.
He worked every day after school on the car and flipped it to put some cash in his pocket, and cars have been a lifestyle ever since. By 2018 Gary found himself in a slick convertible Mustang AKA “The Vert”. “With help of friends and local shop owner Wes
Choate owner of Sho-me speed, we took an everyday driver to one badass True Street no-prep car, named The Vert. I wrenched on that Mustang every day. The things I’ve learned and grown from my experiences I could never pay back.
Yes that’s an old two-by-four holding up the trunk, and completely intentional!
Gary Spaniak’s first weekend out with the Maverick...
The car is 100% all real steel and glass with stock floors and firewall, original paint, with original blemishes and replaced/repaired panels from years of use. The only addition is the custom rear wing, rear parachute and cut-out for the front dump pipe.
From plotting suspensions to tuning a car, I was very proud of what we all accomplished together,” Gary explained. On the other side of what would eventually be The Substitute Maverick Team was David Gott, owner of DNJ Components and Transmissions. David wanted something different, so he found a rust free Maverick in Arizona to build into an all-Ford brawler in True Street and 275 Radial tire action. Freedom Fabworks was the first chassis shop to take on David’s dreams and Nate Bell designed the Maverick to fit all stock style suspension rules. Tydo Race Cars updated the chassis and built a new front end after a bad landing following a wheelie.
David enjoyed watching Gary pilot The Vert and at the end of 2020 Gary reached out to David to become his new transmission builder. Long story short, the two became very close friends and no one had any idea of what was to come next.
By mid-2021, The Vert had more power than it could handle and became a very unpredictable and unsafe vehicle to drive
for Gary, so he decided to retire it and that was when things changed for everyone. David’s wife Christy made Gary an offer; take everything out of The Vert and put it in their Maverick. “That day The Substitute Maverick was born,” added Spaniak. “In my home garage I took every piece out of The Vert and put it into the Maverick in three days. In a weekends time we had a hot rod.
A Forced induction 106 turbo with 3.5” piping provides boost and a Wilson throttle body feeds a CHI intake.
The 427 small block Ford started life as a World Products Man O’ War 9.5 deck block. A Callies Crank and rods and JE off-the-shelf boostready forged pistons rotate inside. Mueller Performance spec’d the cam and out-of-the-box Trick Flow heads were studded in place.
“The Substitute Maverick” team’s 1973
■ Body & Paint:
The car is 100% all real steel and glass. Stock floors and firewall. Original paint, with original blemishes and replaced/repaired panels from years of use.
■ Chassis & Suspension:
Factory frame mini tub with 25.5 cage. The car was original built by Freedom Fabworks then revised front by Tydo Race Cars. Stock style rear suspension with Fox Body torque boxes built by Freedom Fabworks along with their 9 inch housing. Big Gun rear shocks valved by Sho-me Speed. Front is stock frame with Penske front struts, Mustang spindles and a custom built bolt-in K member from Tydo Race Cars.
■ Engine:
427 small block Ford. World Products Man O’ War 9.5 deck block, Callies Crank and rods and JE off-the-shelf pistons. Mueller Performance spec cam. Out-of-the-box Trick Flow heads, CHI intake and Wilson throttle body,
■ Power Adder:
Forced induction 106 Turbo with 3.5 piping.
■ Electronics:
Holley, VPS with Leash strip street board.
■ Transmission & Converter:
DNJ Transmission two speed TH400 and Cameron’s converter.
■ Rear Differential:
Freedom Fabworks custom fabricated rear end with 40 spline axles and spool and 3.90 gears.
Turbocharged SBF Maverick
■ Tires & Wheels:
RC Comp wheels, Radial Pro tires.
■ Interior:
Factory dash, M&M shifter, Kirkey seats, custom plaid seat covers to match factory door panels.
■ Best ET & MPH:
4.48 ET at 163MPH in the 1/8. We race True Street and Limited 275 classes.
■ Most Unique Feature(s):
People underestimate the car. They see a real steel car. They really connect that they could have somehting like this too. Then watching it beat up on real race cars is a bonus.
■ Reason For Build: David wanted a Ford and we were trying to be unique.
■ Build Timeline:
From start to finish 2 years.
■ Thanks To:
Wes Chaote Sho-me Speed has always been there to help in anything from chassis tuning to power management.
Tydo Race cars.
My wife Kasey for supporting me chassing my dreams.
■
Most Memorable Moments/Comments From The Substitute Maverick Team:
David Gott
“My most memorable experience with the car was the night Wes and Tydo were arguing about tuning the car, trying to put the car on its top and boy did we try. Hahaha! That weekend we took it home. Stayed up all night and I brought the car back to the track on an open trailer. You then went a PB that night and we all got a little emotional.“
“My absolute favorite pass was the night of Hooktacular. We went that 4.51 and then backed it up two more times. Tim Slavens grabbed my arm as I was walking off and he told me that we all should be very proud of ourselves. We took a car that no one's seen coming and came out, putting everyone on notice. I was already so proud of the entire season and that put me on a whole other level of emotion; having someone you respect so much saying such nice things about us. “
#2 would have to be the first night I drove at Osark. When the car tried to rattle the tire and I peddled and then getting all goofy on the big-end. I never felt more alive and safe at the same time. Crazy slow motion and Zenlike peace all in the very same instance.”
■ Javier Fernandez
“The Substitute has brought a small group of guys together that spend many months a year together to watch Gary do his thing behind the wheel. Most of us don’t do it to be the baddest car on the property, but instead we do it for memories that will be with us for a lifetime. Win or lose I’m always happy just to see a good pass and have the chutes out and get our driver back in one piece. Hopefully with a smile on his face. That’s what it’s all about.”
■ Jake Ulrich
“If I could describe our team into one word it would be serendipitous... a pleasant accident; a positive happenstance. This all started with piling a known combination of parts together over a weekend with people we weren't quite sure how the dynamics would work. Since then we've learned countless lessons, formed unbreakable bonds, and experienced absolute obscene laughter on several occasions. We are not the same people we were 2 years ago and it’s because of this group of mishaps. #thesubstitutemaverick
I like the times when Gary pouts because things aren't going as planned, but we all just support him anyway. He gets upset that we're not upset and "needs 5 mins"... so we give it to him and eagerly wait to have more fun.”
■ Kasey Spaniak
“On the Maverick’s driveshaft was written psalm 121:7 'The Lord will keep you from all harm he will watch over your life'. At one of the no-prep races the driveshaft blew up. I didn’t want Gary to drive without it. So I snuck it on a piece of paper and hid it in the car. “
■ Emmett Mcwoods
“I find it rather intriguing how a car has brought so many different lives together but primarily two worlds colliding to create a larger and stronger culture in the racing scene. On one side, a family business that has all of the means and connections to build a car along with multiple fabricated items to support the HP goals. On the other side a race family built around a driver with the hard to match skills in piloting such a fierce amount of speed and power down practically any given surface in the country. These two entities combined and created the “The Substitute’s” immediate support group/team, and the amount of fun, love, and camaraderie stands out as much as the paint job on the Maverick. A lot of collaborating, brainstorming, failing, and succeeding times have been produced together around this car. The Maverick has certainly given each and every person on the team lifelong memories that will be shared for generations.”
To prove it, I drove it to work that Monday. I don’t think I slept 4 hours that weekend, but with a chance to race in a week I knew there wasn’t much time to waste. Because of the friends I have in my corner I went from not being able to race to having a mid-4 second
car in the matter of a couple test passes!”
Gary drove the car all around town to dial it in and after its first pass they turned up the wick. “No one expects to get into a brand new car and have the kind of success we were experiencing.
St. Thomas Dragway
The perfect gold color paint was chosen for the cage to match the interior and body of the car.
We just kept feeling like we were winning, with every little accomplishment being celebrated like we broke records!”
Gary, David and their team hit the track for True Street action and none of the other racers really knew what to expect from the
Maverick. As Gary put it – “was this beatenup old-looking beast a first round duck…or a shark?” Despite some early minor glitches, The Substitute went rounds at its first event, got a win in the Second Chance Race and got some serious attention while doing it.
A factory dash, and the race seats received custom covers to match factory plaid door panels. A 25.5 spec cage surrounds the driver.
...I told David I’m never painting the car and we’re putting plaid everywhere and he replied ‘That’s super-ugly and everyone is going to agree with me'. Today David loves the plaid!
GARY SPANIAK III
Next up was prepped 275 racing, however, now the locals knew the potential of the Maverick and they had a target on their backs, but still took the win. “You should always be learning from your failures. We didn’t get greedy with tune-ups this time and raced our race and it paid off. The emotions were flying. We all felt like we just went from nobody to superstars!” Spaniak added. And by the end of that first year the team placed second
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Eventually, the motor was hurt beyond repair and Tyler, the team’s Crew Chief, recommended we put the old small block Ford motor back in the car, and everyone agreed.
David took the driver’s seat in 2023 and had a blast and even Tyler drove the Maverick to its fastest pass aside from Gary. This warmed the entire team for what was to be a very successful 2024 with their most recent
win at Ozark in Limited 275
“There's absolutely no way anyone could have even imagined doing what we did – me letting Gary drive the car, naming it The Substitute, putting the car together from a roller to a racecar in a week, and then coming out swinging, and the car gaining popularity so fast, just all of it,” car owner David Gott said of the experience to date. “We could have
never dreamed we would have done what we've done, but the best part is in doing this we all formed a bond. We became great friends and even more than that we became brothers. We became family. That's the greatest part of this entire crazy path that Gary and I chose to take. The memories we've all made together. The fun we've all had and the laughter we've all shared. That, my friends, is priceless.”
The Substitute Maverick team following their most recent win at Ozark in Limited 275…priceless!
Story: George Pich
Photos: Stephen Taylor
There are moments in the life of every human being where we ask ourselves; why did this happen? Or, how will I ever recover from this? And indeed these are turning points in our life and we can either shut down and give up, or press on and find some way to move forward.
Doug Bolin experienced the most violent trauma possible when the love of his life was taken from him, but he would eventually find the courage within him to continue. And finishing his wicked Pro Street Chevelle was not only therapy, but a tribute to his late wife.
Doug is a self-starter and was wrenching on cars at the tender age of 14. His father was a street race guy
and that intrigued Doug. “I always asked Dad how to do things and he always had great answers. I learned a lot from him,” he said. “He showed me how to rebuild my first motor at 14.”
By 17 Doug was working in a speed shop and for whatever reasons, he took a liking to Chevelles and that is the only hot rod he has owned ever since, 9 of them in total to date.
The original exterior trim, bumpers and grill are in amazing condition and the car just pops in the sun. Doug bought the Chevelle as a compete roller but had to do a bunch of work including lowering it, giving it a slick raked stance with those monster 33x18.5x15 rear tires.
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Bolin found this particular Chevelle in the Illinois Street Racers club, a Chicago based group of the fastest cars in the Midwest. It had been raced all of its life on the street and track and, while the car needed some attention, Doug
wanted to preserve as much of the original vibe of the car as possible. The Chevelle had some “show” as well as “go” and had actually taken top awards at the World Of Wheels car show several times during the eighties and nineties.
In addition to street cred, the Chevelle had a number of show awards as well, taking wins at the World Of Wheels car show several times during the eighties and nineties. The body, despite being done in the 1980s, was perfect and the Flame Blue paint pretty darn close.
The body, despite being done in the 1980s, was perfect and the paint pretty darn close. Doug kept the look, including the “UFO” air brush work on the trunk, after all, that was part of the car’s street identity back in the day. “I bought it and re-did the chassis, lowered the car and installed the Shafiroff 615 big block. I really wanted to keep it old school, true to its time and the heyday of street cars so I used retro speed equipment wherever possible, which can be pretty hard to find.
Mid State Collision out of Mackinaw Illinois did the bodywork on the mostly OEM steel muscle car and they also stretched the rear wheel openings to fit the hefty 33x18.5-15 rear buns and then sprayed the Flame Blue paint.
Bolin kept the custom “UFO” paint work from the eighties in an effort to preserve the Chevelle’s identity from back in the day racing the streets of Chicago.
A Scott Shafiroff 15:1 compression 615 cubic inch big block Chevy with Brodix SR20 heads, a jewel-like Hogan’s sheet metal tunnel ram intake topped by twin APD billet 1250cfm Dominator style carburetors takes up the real estate between the framerails.
Although the car was purchased as a complete roller, Bolin had to redesign the dated chassis and suspension, get it lower to the ground and install updated parts. In doing so, he was able to drop the car a total of 3 inches. Doug removed all the old parts up front and went with a custom engine cradle, QA1 upper and lower tubular A-arms and
converted it to strut suspension. Out back, a beefy Dana 60 with 35 spline axles and spool and Moser 4.56 gears is suspended by an updated 4-link coilover setup.
Inside, the Chevelle has a bunch of original equipment still in place including the complete dash assembly with factory controls and even the OG AM-FM 8 Track radio!
Doug Bolin’s Pro Street Nitrous Big Block 1969 Chevelle
■ Body & Paint:
1980’s body and paint. Mid State Collision out of Mackinaw Illinois did the bodywork by stretching the rear fenders in order to fit the 33 18.5 15 Hoosier tires and sprayed the Flame Blue paint. The car had “UFO” on it when I bought it and it had won the World Of Wheel a number of times so I wanted to keep it old school.
■ Chassis & Suspension /Modifications:
Purchased the car complete but redesigned the chassis to install new suspension including QA1 struts up front to get the ride height down 3 inches. This involved redesigning the floorboard to fit the driveshaft etc. as well.
■ Engine:
Scott Shafiroff 15:1 compression 615 cubic inch big block stuffed with a Callies 4.625 crank and rods, Wiseco pistons. Brodix SR20 heads. Jesel front mount belt drive distributor.
■ Induction and Fuel Delivery:
Hogan sheet metal Tunnel Ram, two APD Billet 1250cfm Dominator Carburetors
■ Power Adder:
Two 500HP nitrous plates with NX programmable controller.
■ Electronics:
MSD 7AL2. Msd 10mm plug wires.
■ Transmission & Converter: Rossler Turbo 400 with reverse valve body and transbrake. Neal Chance converter.
■ Rear Differential:
Dana 60 4.56 Moser gear, 35 spline axles and spool.
■ Brakes:
Custom 4 piston disc brakes on all corners.
■ Tires & Wheels:
Weld Racing 15x15 with Hoosier ties out back, and 15x3.5 Welds with Mickey Thompson tires up front.
Have not had the opportunity to run it as yet but we expect mid 8s conservatively in the 1/4.
■ Most Unique Feature(s):
The car has been raced it's entire life and I wanted to keep the tunnel ram and the name "UFO"
■ Build Timeline:
From start to finish it took 3 years to renovate the chassis and suspension and install the Shafiroff big block.
■ Thanks To:
A special thanks and Tribute to my wife, Rebecca Dawn. Thank you for always being there for me and supporting us as a couple and helping our dreams to come true. Everyone knew we were in love right through to the last minutes we had together.
Mid-State Collision and Anderson Custom Cars.
Twin 500HP nitrous plate systems were installed under the carbs and Doug plans to hit the track for some test hits and to get some seat time late in 2024.
Factory gauges, while still present, are for looks only and Doug gets his info via a nostalgic trio of columnmounted gauges, two hood mounted units and the good ole Monster tach with shift light dash mounted to his right. Door panels and trim are factory SS396 and Bolin couldn’t help himself but to keep the crushed velvet headliner! Updates include a pair of more comfy seats, a full access panel for the transmission and a billet race
Bolin bought the Chevelle because, despite all of his past cars, he wanted an all-out street brawler, so his next order of business was to install some serious power between the rails, and serious power he has. A Scott Shafiroff 15:1 compression 615 cubic inch big block Chevy was built for the car. A Callies 4.625 crank spins Callies rods pinned to Wiseco nitrous-spec pistons. Brodix SR20 heads were torqued in place and a trick Jesel front mount belt drive distributor was used.
The complete OEM dash assembly with factory controls and even the AM-FM 8 Track radio remain in the Chevelle along with SS 396 door panels and trim. Doug receives info via a nostalgic trio of column-mounted gauges, two hood mounted units and the good ole Monster tach with shift light dash mounted to his right. An old school “Superior” brand wood steering wheel has been restored and Bolin couldn’t help himself but to keep the crushed velvet headliner, too!
Updates include a pair of more comfy seats with harnesses, a full access panel for the transmission and a billet race shifter. The rear passenger compartment area is now occupied by cage bars, custom tin work and a pair of nitrous bottles fastened in via a custom twin bottle holder.
A Hogan’s sheet metal tunnel ram intake is topped by twin APD billet 1250cfm Dominator style carburetors.
To help the big cube Rat, two 500HP nitrous plate systems were installed along with an NX programmable controller.
A Rossler Turbo 400 with reverse valve body and trans brake coupled with a Neal Chance converter sends
power rearward via a custom driveshaft.
The car turns heads on the street no doubt and Doug plans to hit the track later this year, expecting mid-8 second hits with a fairly mild nitrous tune. The goal is to give the driver some seat time while keeping the car together during shakedown runs, since so much of it is new.
Once he got the car home, Doug had to redesign and update the eighties chassis and suspension. He was able to drop the car a total of 3 inches up front after going with a custom engine cradle, upper and lower tubular A-arms and converting it to strut suspension. Out back, a Dana 60 with 35 spline axles and spool and Moser 4.56 gears is suspended by an updated 4-link coilover setup and, even with the drop, those 33x18.5s still fit nicely.
On top of this car, Doug has reacquired the very first Pro Street Chevelle he built. “Back in the ’90’s I had to sell one of my Chevelles,” Bolin explained. “I Ran into some problems and had to sell it to make ends meet but I bought it back and the body is now off the frame and it's undergoing
a complete restoration with a ton of new parts.”
His UFO Chevelle took a total of 3 years to finish and it was started before trauma struck Doug’s world, yet he somehow found the strength to press on with the project, channeling his grief and feelings toward a tribute.
“Finishing this car is a tribute to my wife, Rebecca Dawn. Thank you for always being there for me and supporting us as a couple and helping our dreams to come true. Everyone knew we were in love right through to the last minutes we had together.”
Finishing this car is a tribute to my wife, Rebecca Dawn...
DOUG BOLIN
Photo: Kaylee Curran
...I was born into racing...
JOEY SALAS
EStory &
Photos:
Eddie Maloney
ach of us gets our start in fast cars and racing from a variety of different people and places. Many of us, “grow up” at the racetrack per say. Maybe we went with our parents, friends or older siblings. Nonetheless, regardless of when you get the itch, it never seems to go away!
“I was born into racing,” tells Joey Salas. “My dad had a ’90 Fox Body Coupe when I was a kid that he’d take to the track every weekend, and before long I was hooked. I watched him transform the car from a 600hp stick shift street car to a nitrous no-time race car over the years.
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RON RHODES 1968 Chevrolet Camaro
While Joey was still underage for driving, Alfredo purchased a 2000 Camaro SS that he let Joey start tinkering with. The Camaro was a fun car for the family, making roughly 700hp with nitrous, and also afforded the opportunity for 15 year old Joey to cut his teeth driving, and driving a stick car at that!
Wanting a higher power street car, the Camaro was sold and the Salas family started their search, eventually coming across a turbocharged
4.6 Modular motor 2001 Ford Mustang Cobra on Facebook. Joey and his dad really liked the car and after a 30-minute phone call, they loaded up the trailer and headed north to drive through the night and pick it up.
“When we arrived in Tallahassee, we learned the car had solid street cred for street racing in Texas and had been impounded recently.”
Joey was 15 at the time and beyond excited to start this project with his father.
The Cobra has taken 3 years to get to this point but Joey and his dad are never done going after the next level of performance that it will take to turn on the win light.
He made his first passes in the car at Homestead Speedway where they shut down the pit lane (no prep) for the NASCAR event on his 16th birthday.“Since that day I had the urge to race whenever I got the chance,” he said. “I started racing at Immokalee and getting more comfortable in the car on low boost.” As he started to progress as a driver, they slowly ramped
up the power on the car. At the time, Covid had hit and most of the racetracks were closed, however Immokalee was still open. A few months went by and West Palm Beach Raceway reopened and the Salas’ attended a private track rental where Joey made his very first full boost pass. “I went 5.53 on my first pass and 8.52 in the 1/4 at 16 years old!
The little 281ci mill under the hood is pushing some serious power...
At that very moment I thought I could’ve beat a Pro Mod.”
The next time out was their first actual race, the Street Car Takeover at Bradenton Motorsports Park, and Joey was super pumped and ready to win. “We ended up racing Rick Prospero first round and he sent me home early and I quickly learned why he is a legend and that I’m a small fish in a pool of sharks.”
After talking with his dad, Joey decided that he wanted to focus on No-Time and Grudge racing as that was the environment he grew up in.
Growing up, Joey witnessed the success of known Florida headsup racers Troy Pirez Sr, and Troy Jr was hosting Battle In The Bay 3 at Bradenton Motorsports Park and Joey wanted to compete.
As the race approached, the Salas family was moving from Miami to Ocala but at the same time ordering parts and getting the car ready in between packing up their house.
“We got the car ready with a bigger turbo and loaded up for the race. I had no idea what caliber of cars I would be up against, but I knew how to play the game.
When we asked Salas just how much power and torque, he just smiled. Knowing how to play the game in No-Time and Grudge style drag racing is half the battle.
I finally met Troy in person and was just happy to be there with my parents,” he said of the event. This is exactly what Joey had dreamed of; no-time, grudge racing! “I had a grudge race locked in with a nitrous G-body named Jasper.
We lined up and had a good race down to the stripe where he turned the win light on. For my very first grudge race I was happy that I was able to leave the tree side by side and learned that I can do my job just as good as these guys.”
Joey Salas’ Turbocharged 4.6 2001 Ford Mustang Cobra
■ Body & Paint:
• Factory body has fiberglass lift off hood
• Factory Laser Red paint
■ Chassis Modifications:
• 8.50 cert cage
• Sub frame connectors
■ Suspension (Front & Rear):
• Innovative Race Craft (Black Ops) shocks front and rear
• TRZ anti roll bar
• UPR front k-member
■ Engine:
• Modular head shop 4.6, 281ci
• Stock unsleeved block (Teksid)
• CNC ported cobra heads
• Stock crank
• K1 rods
• Wiseco pistons
■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:
• Billet Atomizer injectors
• Aeromotive belt driven pump
■ Power Adder:
• Single 88mm Forced Induction turbo
■ Transmission:
• PTC REID case Powerglide with a Cameron’s converter
■ Rear End:
• Braced 8.8 with Strange axles and 3.73 ratio gears
■ Tires & Wheels:
• Mickey Thompson 275 with Weld Wheels all around
■ Interior:
• Car has factory interior including rear seats
• Holley EFI screen
• Innovative Racecraft steering wheel and button
• Kirkey seat
• Sparco race jacket and pants
• RJS gloves
■ Thanks To:
“I didn’t mention everyone, but I wouldn’t be anywhere without these people. All people that have put me in the position to where I am today, and I am forever thankful.”
• David Bennet
• Matt La Rue cage
• Troy Pirez Jr
• Modular Head Shop
• Byron Rabon
• Fm Motorsports
• Tyler Gregan
• Troy Pirez Jr. who is a mentor to me
• Victor Alverez
• Dennis Nevarez
• My Mom and Dad
• Jordan Martin
• Thomas Jenkins
• Jasper Thibault
• Joe Irwin
• Troy Pirez Sr.
• Eric Gold
• Chris Diehlman
With a new life for the Salas family, Joey began working for a friend while his father connected with Matt La Rue at Blacklist Performance where he had a number of upgrades done to
the Mustang with the goal of becoming more competitive. They also reached out to the Modular Head Shop where Jordan and Thomas sourced a new set of heads to pair with another turbo upgrade.
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!
Although it’s heavy compared to other grudge cars, the interior will remain true to a real street car theme. And that includes the rear seat!
Once the work was completed, Eric Gold hopped on the laptop, and, feeling very confident in the car and Joey doing his job as the driver, they started testing. Unfortunately, a hurt motor would cause a 9-month downtime waiting for parts. “During the
down time I became good friends with Chris Diehlman as I was not only working for him, but we also did the No Prep Kings small tire series with his car,” Joey explained.
“I knew nothing outside of a little wrenching and letting go of the button at that point.
A fuel cell and battery reside in the trunk, and as you can see the factory wheel tubs remain in place!
A unique billet steering wheel wrapped with Benjamins was added along with a billet Outlaw shifter and lightweight aluminum race seat.
We travelled outside of Florida for almost all the races and ended up in a lot of the finals. We swapped converters and changed turbos during the week and would go race out of state on the weekend. I learned a lot and it was a blast.” By the end of this tour, the guys at Modular Head Shop got Joey’s engine buttoned up and they immediately started testing for the next event, FL2K.
“At this point I had learned a lot and knew we didn’t have the caliber car needed to win these shootouts, but A-to-B passes and a little luck will get you far. We’ve set personal bests every outing and I have had a lot of phone calls with Eric Gold teaching me how to use the Holley EFI system.”
While Joey went three rounds at FL2K, they hurt the motor just 3 weeks out from their next event, Troy Pirez’ Out For Blood race.
Mickey T’s wrap Weld Wheels on all 4 corners of Joeys Mustang. 275s take care of the bite out back.
I’m known for wheelies in this car and rolling Pro Mod burnouts...
JOEY SALAS
In short, with a whole bunch of people coming together to help and thrashing on the car until 3AM the night before, Salas made the event. “My dad and I were absolutely beat after working all week long and working on the car, but it was game time and on our first pass with the fresh engine we ran a personal best and turned the win light on! It was all worth it and I’d
do it again.” Salas would get to the semifinals of that event where he had to peddle out of a wheelie that cost him the win.
Continuing to race in shootout events and picking up any grudge action he could along the way, Joey enjoyed his wins and learned from his losses which also provided him with the drive to improve the car to where it is today.
Kaylee Curran Photo
Kaylee Curran Photo
Kaylee Curran Photo
With a new Forced Induction turbo along with a converter to match it, Salas was headed to the finals at the Mod Motor Nationals against Glen Burich, a good friend of his. “I’ve been racing with Glen for years and we knew we didn’t have enough car for him and his
team, but we gave it our best and ended runner-up.”
Fast forward to Battle In The Bay 7, and Joey and his team had one single goal in mind, to take home the win in the shootout, and that’s exactly what they did! “I didn’t try to get any grudge races and focused
on the win only and took home my first big check in the finals for 5K! It meant the world to me,” he added.
“It has been a dream of mine since I was kid to make everyone on the starting line jump and clap and when it happened the drive back to the winner’s circle was amazing!”
Partners in crime, Joey with his father Alfredo. Joey grew up watching his dad wrench on and race cars, eventually gravitating to the No-Time and Grudge scene.
Article first appeared in the July 2020 digital issue.
RPM MAGAZINE Reprint IN Print! RPM MAG’s commitment to features that appeared digital-only since June 2020.
GARY CLINTON’S 1948 THAMES PANEL VAN
IS A STREET DRIVEN TRIBUTE TO HIS RACING ROOTS
Most hot rodded cars and trucks enjoyed previous fame as production vehicles.
The Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger, or even the fifties and sixties big bodies, were all popular before they ended up in the hands of somebody with a more sinister plan for them.
Some vehicles, however, just plain fell flat on their face as production
vehicles, but somehow, somewhere somebody saw something in them that would make them a good candidate to “hop up.” And the 1948 Thames panel, like Gary Clinton’s blown big block Mopar ride, certainly falls into the latter category.
In the early 1930s Ford began production of complete cars in Britain. Their models were definitely geared towards the European market with smaller
Matt troMbley
photos by
ALL KINDS OF CUSTOM
Clinton’s Thames panel features a body that was lengthened 10 inches with the roof chopped 3.5 inches, giving it a completely different look than the original tall short wheelbase production version. The overhead gives you an idea of space available in the cargo portion after the body stretch.
engines and very basic amenities, and they experienced impressive sales in Europe. Ford expanded the lineup by the late thirties and in 1940 introduced the Ford Anglia. While production was interrupted during the Second World War, it resumed again in 1945.
By 1948 Ford of Britain decided to export vehicles to the United States and Canada and projected substantial sales, sales that never happened. The Anglia, Prefect and Thames Van were offered, but less than 4,000 vehicles sold, and even with a substantial price drop, the very basic, smaller, thir-
ties-looking models just never caught on. By this time North American car buyers wanted, big, lots of chrome and more power.
By the sixties, though, these models caught the attention of American hot rodders and racers and became very popular, especially during the Gasser wars. Even
feature CAR
HOME BUILT
Owner-fabricated wheelie bars and parachute were originally installed during the race build but kept in place for the re-tool to a wicked street machine.
the legendary “Ohio” George Montgomery campaigned Hurst’s Gasser Passer.
Today, although not something you see at every dragstrip or cruise night, there are still many examples of Ford’s offerings from overseas, including the Clinton Clan Racing panel van.
Hailing from Prescott Arizona, Gary Clinton is the mastermind of the over-thetop build and is supported by
his son Joshua. “My dad built this car to go Top Sportsman racing, but a heart condition prevented him from relicensing with the NHRA,” Joshua explained. “So he re-tooled it into a street car.”
If you think this is just some guy with no real world experience who threw together a cool car, um, you would be 100% wrong.
Clinton drag raced Anglias in brackets and NHRA Super Gas for 30
IT’S LEGIT
It IS the real thing! This car was built for the strip including the 15% overdriven blown 512-inch big block Mopar mill. Nothing was changed in the engine for the street car, so let’s just say you can hear Gary coming from miles away...and when he cracks the throttle you know it!
years. His last Anglia was flipped and destroyed at the top end during a run in Super Gas when a rear tire went flat just as he went through the finish line beams.
With an obvious affection for Ford’s British designs, Clin-
ton sought out to find another worthy candidate.
With aftermarket body and chassis offerings now available, the decision was made to build his own 1948 Thames Panel. For the record, the name “Thames” was originally
made famous for being the longest river entirely in England. It’s that river in all the movies showing the London Bridge and Tower Bridge.
“This was my dream car,” the elder Clinton said.
“A modern build of an old school
...NOT BOUGHT
The panel was built almost entirely by Gary in his home garage.
GARY CLINTON’S PRO STREET 1948 FORD THAMES PANEL (ANGLIA VAN)
Chassis Type & Mods: Art Morrison chrome moly frame and cage for Anglia coupe extended 10” to fit the extended body. Some of the driver’s compartment roll bars were altered when the car was put onto the street.
Suspension & Brakes: Art Morrison front struts with Aldan front coilover shocks. Wilwood front brakes. Aldan rear coil over shocks and Ford brakes on rear.
Body & Paint: Fiberglass Trends fiberglass body. Front end is stretched 4 inches. Anglia coupe doors are 6 inches longer than Thames Panel doors, so the body was stretched 6 inches to fit the coupe doors. The entire car was stretched a total of 10 inches. The body also has a 3.5 inch chopped top. Rear doors were also modified to fit the body. Paint is from 4th Dimension. Hi-lite Blue Pearl main color with midnight blue stripes and accents. Entire body work, and complete paint job done by owner in 3 car garage.
Engine: Dodge wedge head 512cu. inches of MOPAR power. 440 with .060 overbore 4.38 bore size. American Custom Cams roller cam custom ground intake .665 lift, exhaust .650 lift, duration intake 316, exhaust 276. Lobe centerline 114 degrees. 440source.com Stealth aluminum wedge heads custom ported. Large valves. Zoomie headers by Good Vibrations and custom header inserts for mufflers for street driving built by owner. 440source forged crankshaft. Ross 9.5:1 forged pistons and forged rods.
Power Adder & Induction: BDS 8-71 blower with Enderle Big and Ugly injector hat. Blower has 15% overdrive. Runs on 110 octane VP fuel or Alcohol. With Alcohol pills, approx. 1200 - 1300 horsepower. Motor completely built by owner in home garage.
Electronics & Ignition: MSD 7A ignition box with MSD distributor. Autometer gauges. Painless wiring kit throughout car.
Transmission & Driveline: 727 Torqueflite racing transmission by TCI with 4000 stall converter
Differential: Ford 9 inch built by Currie Enterprises. Strange aluminum center section. 4.30 gears with Strange spool. Currie axles.
AA/gasser. So we built it to run in fast brackets and Top Sportsman style events.” Gary built the panel, “Ol’ Blue,” in his three-car garage at home. The motor, trans, most of the assembly and paint are all his work.
An Art Morrison chromoly frame and cage for an Anglia coupe was used and extended 10 inches to fit the extended
Panel body. Art Morrison front struts with Aldan front coilover shocks were installed along with front disc brakes. Moving rearward, a Ford 9-inch built by Currie Enterprises boasts Currie axles, a Strange aluminum center section, 4.30 gears and Strange spool. A 4-link with Aldan rear coilovers suspends the rear diff.
SUBTLE IT AIN’T
The towering presence of the injection hat is well hidden by the body until you lift the tilt off front end. You would be hard pressed to find many enthusiasts hard core enough to run a real race style injection system on the street. Gary Clinton is one of them.
A Fiberglass Trends fiberglass body with 4-inch front end stretch was set in place and, since Anglia coupe doors are 6 inches longer than Thames Panel doors, the body was stretched 6 inches to fit the coupe doors. The body also has a 3.5 inch chopped top.
But what would any cool, low slung nostalgia build be without a blown big block to back it up?
For this task Clinton chose a Mopar wedge to the tune of 512 cubic inches. Ross forged blower pistons pinned to forged rods are spun by a 440source forged crankshaft.
feature CAR
UPDATED INSIDES
The Thames was built to race, however Clinton removed some bars for access requirements and added some door panels and other aesthetics for street appeal.
SAY WHAT??
An American Custom Cams custom grind roller cam was slid into place and 440source. com Stealth aluminum wedge heads were custom ported. Base compression ratio is 9.5:1 to accommodate the BDS 8-71 blower that runs 15% overdriven and an Enderle Big and Ugly injector hat completes the package. The motor is satisfied with VP 100 octane, but has a soft spot for the occasional alcohol buzz.
A 727 Torqueflite racing transmission by TCI with TCI 4000 stall converter backs the wicked wedge and shifts are commanded by a B&M ratchet shifter.
The original race Zoomie headers are by Good Vibrations but when switching from race to street duty Gary fabbed up some header inserts for mufflers for street driving. Additional mods for street
duty, aside from adding full-functioning equipment to make the car street legal, included modifications to some of the cage bars “for ease of access for an old guy” as Gary put it. While it’s not on the track, Gary’s build commands attention wherever it goes, if not for the wild chopped top and low ride look, then definitely for the ear and earth shattering lumpy rolling idle of a 1,200-plus HP blown big block. “He has offered to let me to race it,” said son Joshua, “but I have always refused in fear of hurting the car. Now he and wife Karen use it for car shows and street driving and I tell my own two boys that Ol’ Blue keeps their grandad young.”
Randy Dolenseck’s1969 Mercury Cyclone
Randy’s 1969 Cyclone is truly one of a kind. This photo really accentuates the Cyclone Spoiler II nose with its 35-degree downslope.
Photos: Pete Ores
Randy’s Cyclone was purchased in 1990 with the intention of building a serious drag car that would run in the 9’s in the quarter-mile. Like many drag racers that was all good, that is until that goal was achieved and then 8’s didn’t seem too far away, so a new engine was built by longtime friend Pete Robertson. Randy explained, “for years we raced with that first combination until we decided to get really serious and make a march for the magic 7-second zone.
Randy has been into the big body Fords dating back to when he bought a 1969 Mercury Cyclone from his Brother in the 1980s. It came from the factory with the 3.90 geared 9” Drag Pack option, bench seat, column shift and was powered by the legendary 428CJ engine. As Randy stated, “this was the car that really got me hooked on these big Mercurys and Fords in general! In the years following I had a bunch of Torinos and Cyclones. Some were big blocks and some were small blocks but it always seemed like somebody had one for sale. That was before the big muscle car boom in the 1990’s when prices started to shoot through the roof. If you can find one nowadays it will most likely be pretty pricey since relatively few were produced.”
Packing 598 cubic inches of big block Ford this engine is truly an engineering masterpiece. The foundation of the 1,700hp monster is a C&C Motorsports aluminum block filled with a Crower crank, BME aluminum rods and a set of JE’s best forged pistons.
Before upgrading to electronic fuel injection featuring Accufab’s 4500 throttle bodies, Randy used to run a pair of Dominators. Now that the additional fuel needed when the nitrous is flowing is controlled by the electronic fuel injection system, one side of the Fogger nozzles are plugged.
Randy Dolenseck's 1969 Mercury Cyclone
■ Engine Short Block:
598 cubic inch C&C Motorsports aluminum block (4.60” bore x 4.5” stroke), Crower crankshaft, JE forged pistons, BME connecting rods, Comp Cams solid roller camshaft.
■ Induction:
Accufab 4500 throttle bodies, Ford A460 tunnel ram custom fabricated/ported by Mike Duke.
■ Data Acquisition: Racepak.
■ Cylinder Heads: Ford Motorsports Aluminum A-460 with Jesel valvetrain.
■ Power Adder:
Nitrous oxide Fogger system originally tuned by the late Monte Smith.
■ Ignition: MSD 7531.
■ Transmission:
ATD Turbo 400 with an ATD 9” converter.
■ Suspension/Chassis:
4-Link suspension built by Blitzkreig.
■ Tires:
Mickey Thompson ET Drags.
■ Weight: 3200 lbs w/driver.
■ Exhaust:
2 ½” stainless exhaust built by Blitzkreig Motorsports.
■ Horsepower: Approximately 1,700hp.
■ Best 60’: 1.14 seconds.
■ Performance: 7.66 @ 179mph in the ¼-mile
■ Special Thanks
I couldn’t be any happier with the workmanship that Dennis Equitz from Blitzkreig Motorsports put into building the Mercury. It hooks hard and goes straight thanks to the incredible chassis that Dennis engineered. Thanks also to Authentic Auto for painting the car and fabricating the custom Cyclone Spoiler II front end as well as installing it, and to ATD for the transmission and converter. A special thanks goes out to Mike Duke Racing Engines for making the power!
The interior is all business and features lots of carbon fiber and a beautiful 25.2 cage that was built by Blitzkreig Motorsports.
Built by Dennis Equitz at Blitzkreig
this state of the art 4-link suspension has helped the big Merc cover the crucial 60’ lights in a lightning fast 1.14 seconds!
Motorsports,
Weld Racing wheels perform as good as they look. Weighing in at only 10 pounds they are more than capable of handling the wheels up launches that Randy subjects them to throughout the racing season.
This photo really accentuates the Cyclone Spoiler II nose with its 35-degree downslope. Even though these components were never available, Randy worked with Authentic Automotive in Cudahy, Wisconsin to build a set using a donor cars sheet metal.
Notice the “W” front end that was on the car when this photo was taken back in 1991. This was the standard Cyclone front end before the “D” Cyclone Spoiler II nose was installed on Randy’s Mercury a few years ago. According to Randy, the car weighed in at about 4,000 lbs at this point thanks to the all-steel body, bumpers, Cragars and even steel back wheels.
On his way to another 7-second pass Randy hangs the hoops! Thanks to a well sorted out 4-link chassis, and a set of jumbo Mickey Thompson ET Drag slicks, the Mercury regularly covers the 60-foot lights in the 1.15 range!
Since the Mercury was built to race, Randy can be seen laying down 7-second passes at racetracks all over the Midwest, including Great Lakes Dragaway and Byron Dragway.
Propelling a 3200lb car to run in the mid-sevens is no easy feat! The most recent combination was put together by Pro Stock head porting guru Mike Duke of Mike Duke Racing in Indianapolis, Indiana. With a goal of losing some weight off of the nose of the car, a C&C Motorsports aluminum block was chosen and filled with all the good stuff. A Crower forged crank swings a set of BME aluminum rods
and JE Pistons. To help the big Ford breath, a heavily messaged pair of A460 Ford Motorsport heads were used and the mill was topped off by a A460 intake manifold that Mike Duke reworked. Late last season Randy decided that it was time to put the Dominators on the shelf and go with an EFI setup. The throttle bodies of choice these days are Accufab’s 4500 units that flow an incredible 2128 cfm through the four
2-1/4” brass throttle plates. All the power isn’t worth a damn unless you can hook it. Blitzkrieg Motorsports built a heavy duty 4-link suspension that gets the job done pass after pass. ATD built the TH400 and 9” torque converter that helps to transfer the power to the Mickey Thompson ET Drags that are mounted to a set of Alumistar wheels. The end result is a race car that lives up to its name in more ways than one.
