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There’s something to see, visually and aurally, to mention that it’s a component, in an armada of 337 cars and trucks of functionality as it roams the streets of various Midwestern cities and towns, and traverses a quarter-mile to nauseated 4 race tracks along the way. And, let’s face it, the cruising component is literally positioned 24 hours a day, at any time of the day or night.
If you’re a true speed and racing enthusiast, phenomenal is the only word that, as it should be, describes the HOT ROD drag week (for 2022, powered through eBay Motors and introduced through Gear Vendors Overdrive). It is an exhausting test of courage that can bring satisfaction for achievement (more productive personal functionality and, more so, just completing the event), however, when demanding situations prove too much for a competitor and/or their vehicle, Drag Week can also generate tears of anguish.
For KJ Jones, lead content manufacturer for MotorTrend’s trucking and off-road organization (and endurance racing enthusiast/veteran of the HOT ROD endurance week – 2007, 2012 and 2022), the fact that cars are the only machines competing makes the mechanical marathon more appealing. Yes, the occasion also attracts an impressive number of street/strip trucks (31 platforms by 2022), and this report highlights some of the fast and wild examples that stood out in the convoy; Keep scrolling down to see them.
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If you’re not familiar with the so-called Michael Westberg, we strongly recommend you examine the guy from Sweden, who was Tom Bailey’s finalist in Drag Week’s Unlimited Elegance and earned a spot in Drag Week’s exclusive two-hundred-MPH club with a 6. 53 e. t. a 212 mph. In 2021, Michael took the seat of the moment for Mikael Borggren’s six-moment Volvo 740 pickup truck and sought to give Drag Week a chance in his own vehicle, a 1991 Chevy S-10, which already had a track record of victories.
While the “square” S-10 (1982-1997) is a popular and showcased endurance racing platform, an LS sunk at two hundred miles consistent with the hour is not very common. This small-displacement (400 ci) bullet is supported through a pair of 80mm turbochargers and not much else in terms of “exotic” high-end hardware. A smart, outdated home engine does, averaging 207. 30 mph over the total week.
100% self-sufficiency is one of the highest standards of HOT ROD Drag Week. Attendees must rely solely on themselves to make their walks by painting (and in accordance with the road regulations of the event), and sending their private and vehicle essential elements to and from all places on the five-day tour. We excavated the bloodless air induction formula that was manufactured for the cabin (standard plumbing pipe), the bolted roof rack and, of course, the hitch for a small trailer complete of material.
Michael and other competitors in boundless elegance chose hard off-road tires to cover Drag Week’s roughly 1,000 miles of street and highway. The Nankang 37×12. 50R15LT on Michael’s S-10 would possibly sound ridiculous, but it turned out to be a wonderful smooth selection.
Arguably one of the best rigs at HOT ROD Drag Week 2022 was Nick Cryer’s 1963 milk truck. Seriously, what’s not cool about an old daily delivery platform that runs at 11,387 (one-week average) and looks amazing while doing it?Nick Cryer owns and builds the truck, and has participated in other Drag Weeks, however, its original manufacturer, Divco, is an unknown logo in today’s grand truck building scheme. For the uninitiated, Divco stands for Detroit Industrial Vehicle Company. The exclusive small vans were produced in Motor City (and Delaware, Ohio, in their later years), and can be discovered delivering milk, laundry detergent, diapers, baked goods, packaging, and many other products into the United States from 1926 to 1986.
Divco’s milk truck has electric wheel mounts, but it mounts at the front and pushes as soon as Nick releases the brake.
You’re in the giant block engine Chevy 496ci assisted by turbocharger (twin 76mm turbos) that powers Nick’s platform. It is controlled through a Holley Sniper EFI system. a 3. 73-speed Gear Vendors underdrive/overdrive unit on a 9-inch Ford rear axle.
Aside from a roll bar, two leather seats (the passenger seat was removed by drag strip arches), wheel bowls, and minimal operating controls at the front, the 1963 Divco milk truck doesn’t have much else to do inside. A very elegant However, tongue and groove hardwood flooring is the warning; a touch of show truck style for one of Drag Week 2022 fan-favorite platforms. The black object in the middle of this photo is an electric jack discovered in trailers or sliding motorhomes.
After driving the front of the milk truck on a set of ramps, the aforementioned jack is used to lift the rear finish from the center, which facilitates quick change of the rear tires, oil and other maintenance under the chassis. Of course, candles are also used in addition to the electric actuator.
Don’t be fooled through the Chevy Silverado box, through the VIN, Billy Skinner’s street/strip platform is a 2005 GMC Sierra 1500 with a normal cab. In addition to being a mix of Chevy/GMC, the truck is great because it’s built in-house with an undeniable generation and exudes the automaker’s arrogance.
The displayed blend of a GM LS engine and an exclusive giant turbocharger powers Billy’s truck. The engine is connected to a 4L80 four-speed automatic transmission that transfers power to the rear wheels.
There is not much use in this van. A large part of the bed is glazed to release the protective cage, as well as directly to the upper supports of the rear shock absorbers. A battery, a fuel mobile and a traditional crankcase ventilation manifold are the only other factors in the bed.
Team tents like this can be found in the pit area on each and every track on the HOT ROD Drag Week tour. Billy’s tubular mount mounts in the case and contains fuel, jack, tires and other critical parts that may be needed.
Don’t let the sophisticated look fool you: Paul Flury’s red, clean Chevy Silverado is rarely the same pickup truck that left the factory in 1987. It had four-wheel drive from the start, however, the truck is an original piece of ton (six-leg) that has been changed to 8 legs.
Paul also updated his platform’s engine, cutting the classic V-8 pushrod for a later LS powertrain. A Granny Gear four-speed manual transmission completes the powertrain.
Silverado experts will notice the Custom Deluxe badge on the dashboard and recognize that this platform is an undeniable base model, with all the manual, bench seat, etc. signs that Paul has made some great portion swaps.
Sure, it wasn’t the fastest or fastest pickup truck of Hot Rod’s Drag Week 2022, but a more productive lap of 15. 28 to 90. 13 mph was too poor for a four-speed four-wheel-drive pickup.
In the scheme of things, Dominic Libercci’s 1991 multicolored Dodge Ram W350 doesn’t want to be a spectator, especially when he drives as hard as he does. Drag Week announcer Brian Lohnes is in love with the platform, and we sense why. Cold!
In a verbal exchange with Dominic on the first day of Drag Week, he gave us a glimpse of the 5. 9-liter Cummins engine built and its recent transfer from a single giant turbocharger to composites. “He will be able to execute nines,” was the quote. We agree. Although Dominic did not record an et in single digits, an explosion of 10. 15/132. 65 mph on Cordova Dragway gives us confidence that all nine are within reach.
We haven’t heard that this truck has had any critical difficulties (except for a bellows intercooler that exploded on the runway) all week. Dominic’s regular cabin, an older first-generation two-speed Dodge, is a beast, and it was a laugh to follow.
Ford brought back the Lightning as a vehicle, however, Matt Colvin’s supercharged 2016 F-150 (he calls it “The Fridge”), supercharged, looks more like its namesake than any plug-in style.
The enhancement and integrated functionality comes from a large Whipple water-to-air intercooler compressor on top of Ford’s 5. 0-liter Coyote powertrain.
You can’t beat a cab platform on the street that still has a usable, fully functional bed internally (including very vital air conditioning) and can average 10. 58/132. 66 et and mph while covering approximately 1,000 miles and racing for an entire week.
It’s exciting to see Jessie Harris’ 1980 Cummins-powered Chevy C10, with its freewheel throws on the acceleration track. Unfortunately, a disintegrated drive shaft eliminated the cool Drag Week festival truck at the deadlock in Byron, Illinois.
Yes, there is a diesel engine on the hood of this cool machine. We love the low position, the two-tone blank paint and the detailed airbrush replica of all the truck’s original chrome.