Biggie Smalls

NZ Performance Car: Hi, Suheib. That’s a pretty serious machine. Have you always been into drag racing, and how did you get involved? Suheib: Hi, NZ Performance Car. I’ve always been into drag racing, watching and competing for many years, and have done so in many different types of cars. You sort of fall into drag racing; I found myself keen to get in on the action just from hanging with the boys who are also all into it, and they convinced me to have a go — I’ve been competing ever since. It’s a thrill, for sure. How did you come to own your current car? I purchased it looking pretty much the same as what you see here, but it’s what you don’t see that has changed — the motor, gearbox, rear diff, shocks, and the tyres, plus all the tuning work to suit the new package. The silent killers! What has been your best pass since competing with this car? Best pass I’ve done in this car so far is a 9.64 at 125mph [201kph] at Meremere. Damn, she moves alright. What changes are coming to keep her running fast? Well, I’m always looking to go faster [laughs]. We are currently building a new 11:1 short block kindly sponsored by Steve Walker from Mike’s Engines, Whangarei, with a new Holset turbo set-up, and the aim is to break into the eight-second bracket. Sounds serious. Would you build something similar if you were to start again? I love this car, and wouldn’t not build it again — but, if I had to choose something different, it would definitely be an Evo III. And who would you say that you look up to in the drag racing world? That’s a hard one; there are so many local guys killing it nowadays, but I probably look up to my boys at Assyrian Performance the most. We all push each other to go harder, run faster, and build big. I don’t really know; I really just love drag racing. That’s the one! We look forward to seeing you break into the eights. Cheers, Suheib.