On January 25th and 26th, the Summit Racing Series kicked off the 2025 bracket racing season at the recently upgraded Firebird MotorSports Park in Chandler. As a race team member for over 20 years, I had always looked forward to the first race of the year. For the last few years, I had shown up on race days with at least 10 different cars. Some were true street-strip cars, while others
were bone stock daily drivers. In 2024, I raced two or three different cars, but with very little success.

At age 73, I had started wondering if it was time to hang up my helmet, but the more I thought that way, the more I realized I still loved drag racing. I suspected that not having a dedicated race car contributed to my doubts. As I always say, timing is everything, and, sure enough, my friend John mentioned an old crusty 1978 Camaro in Southern California that I could buy really cheap.

John and I rented a trailer and headed off to Downey, CA, where I was essentially buying the car sight unseen. To my surprise, the Camaro actually ran, drove, and stopped. Yes, it was crusty, with some rust along the roof,trunk lid, and lower corners, but it wasn’t beyond saving. Plus, the car came with an extra rust-free trunk lid, which was a bonus. I immediately saw the potential: my brand-new (to me) dedicated bracket racer. My enthusiasm surged, and I began planning what I could afford to build.

With a limited budget, I managed to purchase a lightly used 350 small block to replace the tired old 140-horsepower 307 small block. A used, mildly aggressive Comp Cams hydraulic flat tappet cam and a set of Bruce Williams aluminum heads promised enough power to make the Camaro feel like a proper street/strip car. Initially, I considered pulling the old engine and installing the new one myself
in my home garage, but I soon realized that was far beyond my skill level. Fortunately, I bought some parts from Tim in Apache Junction, a fellow drag racer who appreciated my Camaro project. Tim offered to handle the engine pull and installation. Watching him tackle the challenges and issues that came with building the car, I shuddered at the thought of attempting it myself. Tim also installed a used but fully race-built 10-bolt rear end, complete with Moser 33-spline axles, 3.90 gear, full spool, and a girdle/brace on the differential cover.

Even though I was recovering from serious gallbladder surgery, Tim let me hang around and observe as he worked through the countless tasks required to get the car ready. From finding the right nuts and bolts to fabricating brackets for the new Holley carburetor and resolving a mismatch with the torque converter due to the non-original Turbo 350 transmission, Tim handled it all with dedication.

I am so grateful that Tim put in the time and effort to hand me back a car that was ready to drive home. Unfortunately, the Camaro was not ready to race on January 25th and 26th as originally planned. Despite the setback, we’re hopeful it will be race-ready in about three weeks. More updates to come!