1963 Milk Truck Drag Racer Has All: Patina, Twin-Turbo 496 BBC, and Wheelstands

Case in point, Mark Cryer and his son Nick. They are not just avid racers with a huge enthusiasm towards the traditional dragstrip arm of motorsport. But they also express their love for quarter-mile fun by producing their unique vehicles. And they certainly come flavored with bespoke features.

In case anyone needs a reminder, these folks are the ones responsible for shocking the drag racing world a few years back with one of their wilder racers: a one-of-a-kind smart car. Not just any urban dweller, though, but the world’s quirkiest Big-Block Chevy-powered smart car! A second video embedded below serves a thousand words.

Back to their latest ride, this one was probably just as surprising as it made its appearance during the hotly contested Hot Rod Drag Week. Originally built for last year’s edition (canceled because of you know who), it debuted in 2021 instead... to everyone’s shock and awe! It’s a drag racer, all right, but one that is too incredible on its own to even care about its ETs and trap speeds. Or the result posted by the rival in the other lane (no worries, we have them too).

This was an original 1963 Divco Milk truck that was acquired some years ago from its normal workplace: a dairy. It sat around until it was time to become the family’s next project. And while the patina showcased by the original paint might be trying to trick everyone into treating it with discontent, rest assured – it's just a ruse!

It arrived at the Byron Dragway in Byron, Illinois, for this quick little video from the Race Your Ride channel on YouTube sporting a cool 496ci BBC (big-block Chevy). Inside there are real wooden floors, and under the dashboard, there’s a view of the engine! The latter, which also counts on the help provided by a couple of eBay-acquired 74mm turbochargers, is hooked to a Turbo 400 from Gear Vendors, with overdrive!

And it needs it because the Milk truck (which also has fat rear tires to go along with the Ford 9’ and 3.73 gears) performed beyond expectations during the five days of the event, all the while covering more than 1,000 miles (over 1,600 km). And it was all for the sake of plain quarter-mile fun, which came in loads if we are to judge solely based on this unique race.

The battle prep kicks off at the 1:40 mark with the traditional smoke show. Here's a Milk truck burning rubber. Beat that you milk crate challenge fools! Then it’s time for the action against an equally classic and modified coupe, which starts at the 1:55 mark with a very cool wheelstand! Of course, the Milk truck doesn’t beat the opponent’s 10.74s ET with its 12.04s pass... But does that really matter, or the fact that it also posted an 11.39s during the first day?

After all, if anyone wants a little bit of crazy action with a side of win, there's always the next amazing thing. And rest assured, the Hot Rod Drag Race Week packed a lot of interesting occurrences. Such as that series of races featuring a derelict Volvo station wagon. Oddly enough, it dared to go down the quarter-mile with anyone without any sort of shame.

That's because the 200-series Swedish grocery getter is not something to be trifled with. Its results speak for themselves, as the old station wagon ducked it out with American muscle (a cool Chevy Camaro, but no one had eyes for it). And the pass was one for the ages, clearly, with a 7.09s ET at 204 mph (328 kph).