A DECADE AGO

The name Chris Tynan should need no introduction, but, if it does, that’s a sure sign that you’ve not been around the New Zealand drag racing scene for very long. Chris was the driving force behind the sport for many years, not only as the head of NZDRA but also as a very accomplished chassis builder and a long-time driver of all things fast. His original ’55 Chev evolved from a street car to an averagely fast drag car to a faster drag car and on and on, until it became several times in its history the quickest top doorslammer in the country. Still, there was a desire to go even quicker, and, to do that, the best plan was to stop playing with Grandpa’s axe and begin with a clean slate. Keeping things in the family, Chris’s son Bob led the fabrication on the new, lighter, more streamlined ’55 Chev. The car did what it had been built to do too, putting Chris back at the pointy end of the Top Doorslammer field before it was shipped to Australia in an attempt to card even quicker ETs. Sadly, the dream came to an end, and, after many years of living and breathing nothing but drag racing, Chris closed that chapter of his life. Eventually, the rolling shell ended up in the hands of fellow Top Doorslammer driver Trevor Smith. He painted it in his trademark yellow before selling it to current owner Mike Reid. Mike’s been making good progress on rebuilding the car and is aiming to hit the track later this season.