DRAGGED UP

Gavin and Jenelle Green are familiar faces at Masterton Motorplex, either helping out other competitors or campaigning their tough HK Monaro. At the first Masterton Motorplex Comp meet of the season, however, they turned up with something that surprised many. The car they unloaded from the trailer is an ex–Grant O’Rourke Pontiac Firebird top doorslammer direct out of Australia. Interestingly, the pair didn’t go out to purchase the car; initially they purchased the motor from Lucky Belleri’s Camaro and blower, hat, and fuel system from Maurice Fabietti, to drop into their Monaro, before changing tack and purchasing the Firebird rolling chassis thanks to some advice from Grant Downing. The chassis was built by G-Force Race Cars in New York and originally ran a Camaro body and was campaigned for a couple of years in Western Australia, then Grant O’Rourke bought it, and rebodied and updated it with the elongated carbon fibre Pontiac body. Gavin and Jenelle had Grant Downing change the cross braces in the chassis to allow for fitment of an auto trans, as it was originally a clutch car. The trans of choice was a CS1 threespeed Lenco with a Quick Drive and Chance converter, all of which was originally destined for the Monaro. Jeff Cutajar from JC Race Stuff has helped with the wiring side of things. While the combo of parts has serious potential, Gavin and Jenelle are well aware it’s not as easy as it sounds, and are keen to take things easy and learn the car rather than go out and try and set the world alight. At the car’s debut outing on local soil, that’s exactly what they did, following it up a week later at Meremere Dragway. Come Masterton Motorplex in early December, though, it was game on. The car blew the team away by not just dipping into the sixes, but going deep into the pointy end with an amazing PB of 6.31 at 224.06mph. Understandably, the pair would love to extend a huge shoutout to sponsors Mark and Cheryl Gapp from Proparts Palmerston North, Wairarapa Livestock Transport, and their crew Mike, Woodzy, Warren, Phil, and Damien.