SWEDEN’S MAGNUS FROST PUT DRAG WEEK’S HEAVY HITTERS ON NOTICE WHEN HE PEELED OFF A 6.43@230MPH
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DRAG Week 2019 got off to a soggy start, with rain falling early on Day One at Virginia Motorsports Park. It was touchand-go as to whether the day’s racing would be rained out, but around 11am the weather began to clear up and the track preppers sprang into action drying and spraying the surface. After a good effort by them, racing got underway at midday, but the rain delay meant each car was only permitted to have one run. No pressure!
Harry Haig and Robby Abbott lined up alongside one another for the very first pass of the event – Harry in the right lane in the Chevelle and Robby in the left lane in the Malibu – and both ran PBS for their respective cars; an 8.68@157mph for ‘Stevo’ and a 10.29@131mph for ‘Malibu Stacy’.
Next up among the Australians was Ben Neal in the Cresta, who also went away happy with a 9.09@148mph. Not far behind him in the queue was his Barra brother Ben Paganoni, who hurtled the unproven package straight into the eights with a barely believable 8.93@156mph.
The final Aussie-owned car out on track was the ’55 Chev of Ross and Brenton Gault, who didn’t have as good fortune as the others. With Brenton behind the wheel, the big blue Chev got off the line well, but seemed to fall over around half-track and finished with a 12.00@114mph – a long way from the 10s it is capable of. Brenton put the problem down to a dodgy fuel pump.
Just after 1pm, the Malibu was back in the lanes and co-driver Corty Haig was hoping to get his first Drag Week pass in. Unfortunately, the event staff denied him a chance because the Malibu had already made a pass with Robby driving. It turned out to be a moot point anyway, because when Corty tried to start the car up and drive away, the starter motor sheared a bolt and the wagon needed to be pushed back to the pits where the crew made the necessary repairs.
Sweden’s Magnus Frost put Drag Week’s heavy hitters on notice when he peeled off a ridonkulous 6.43@230mph in his highly modified Opel Ascona. Not to be outdone, reigning champ Tom Bailey came out soon after and laid down one of the quickest passes in Drag Week’s 15-year history, a 6.21@228mph, in his ’69 Camaro. Third quickest for the day was Bryant Goldstone, who went 6.93@215mph in his AMC Javelin.
James ‘Doc’ Mcentire’s ’68 Camaro is the quickest and fastest naturally aspirated street car in the world, with a PB of 7.96@169mph. The engine is a custom Goodwin Competition 709ci ‘semi-hemi’ backed by a Powerglide and 9in with a Gear Vendors. The Camaro has been to Drag Week 10 times and finished every time. “Drag Week is the best week of no sleep you can have,” said Doc, who ended up winning the Pro Street NA class this year with an average of 8.050sec
Mike Finnegan’s ‘Blasphemi’ ’55 Chevy Bel Air gasser finished off Drag Week 2018 by running its first 8sec pass, an 8.97@150mph, and then dropped a valve and kaboom! Since then, the car has received a new motor and upgrades. “It’s a 528ci Hemi, all-aluminium deal,” said Mike of the new mill, which he put to good use at Virginia on Day One, running a new PB of 8.52@161mph to lead the A/gas class
Swedish-born, Detroit-based racer Mikael Borggren brought his Ls-swapped 1987 Volvo wagon to Drag Week for the second time. The S240 is powered by a 427ci Dart block with new twin 76mm Precision turbos. Mikael nabbed a new PB of 8.44@161mph on Day One, but the car only got 20min down the road to Maryland before a valvetrain breakage put it back on the trailer and out of the event
Herschel Cronin’s ‘Twisted ’55’ gasser was back at Drag Week for the second straight year. The blown, injected 429ci Ford-powered Chev entertained the crowds with its insane wheels-up launches, but the choice of engine combo put a few noses out of joint. “I’ve been called all kinds of names,” Herschel admitted. The car finished the week with a 9.478sec average and scored third place in the A/gas class
Glenn Hunter from Long Island, New York is a Drag Week veteran, and his 10th campaign went very well, as his all-steel, chrome-bumper, full-interior ’56 Chev finished in third place Overall and first in the Pro Street Power Adder class, with an average of 7.487sec. The current combo features a 540ci aluminium big-block, Brodix heads and twin 88mm Borgwarner turbos, backed by a Turbo 400 trans
One of the coolest and quickest cars at Drag Week was Bryant Goldstone’s allsteel 1973 AMC Javelin. With a twin-turbo 572ci big-block Chev, Rossler Turbo 400 trans and 9in diff, it had previously been entered in the Ultimate Iron class, but this year was in Unlimited because of a switch to methanol. The Javelin was quickest and fastest on Day Two, going 6.68@215mph
Austrian revhead Robert Willinger bought his ’66 Chevy Nova II on a family holiday in LA in 2009 and took it back home to beef it up to ridiculous levels, with a 10/71 Bds-blown 572ci Shafiroff donk with an intercooler and FAST XFI injection. Robert had to deal with a range of issues the 9sec Nova threw at him during the week, but he made it to the finish with an average of 10.417sec