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800HP Chevy Nova Ten Feet Drag Race Takes Over a Minute, Still Is Entertaining

We've all seen plenty of drag races, some even in person, most only over the Internet, but despite that, if the setup is right, we can still get pretty excited at the prospect of watching another one.
800 HP Chevrolet Nova wasting its power in 10-foot drag race 8 photos
Photo: Motor Addicts / YouTube screenshot
800 HP Chevrolet Nova wasting its power in 10-foot drag race800 HP Chevrolet Nova wasting its power in 10-foot drag race800 HP Chevrolet Nova wasting its power in 10-foot drag race800 HP Chevrolet Nova wasting its power in 10-foot drag race800 HP Chevrolet Nova wasting its power in 10-foot drag race800 HP Chevrolet Nova wasting its power in 10-foot drag race800 HP Chevrolet Nova wasting its power in 10-foot drag race
Well, this one is definitely different, to say the least, because it involves a serious drag racing build and a track that's only about ten feet long. We don't even know exactly how long it is, and there's a very good reason for that: it's totally irrelevant. That's right, getting to the end of the "track" (more like parking lot) isn't the hard part in this particular race.

If you feel like you've seen this car before, you may very well be right. We know we already featured it twice on autoevolution.com, first in a drag race against another crazy build - a 600 hp K-swapped Toyota MR2 - and second time in a stand-alone presentation, so that might very well be why it feels familiar.

The car is obviously all about the engine, and what a piece that is. Under the long hood with its big scoop lies a larger than life 582 cu-in (9.8-liter) V8 engine making 800 hp (quite effortlessly, we would imagine). It gets the power to the jumbo rear wheels through a three-speed automatic transmission and also comes with a nitrous boost, though we doubt anyone is going to use it over the ten feet of this race.

It's probably time we talked about the length. Well, in case it wasn't already obvious, this isn't an ordinary drag race. If we're being honest, it's not a drag race at all, but rather a crash course in how to start a drag car you've never driven before under the immense pressure of having the footage of you faffling (British word, but considering the context, we felt it was appropriate) about with all the wrong buttons posted on the Internet.

It's the work of the Motor Addicts guys over in England, the same ones who brought us the K-swapped MR2 and the drag-prepped Mk1 Ford Escort. Let's just say they're not exactly right in the head when it comes to cars, and we kind of like it.

Alright, so the challenge is to grab a helmet, climb into the Nova, start it up, and drive over the very short distance marked by just the one cone. In keeping with the highly professional nature of the whole arrangement, the timing will be provided by a guy in shorts with long white socks holding an iPhone. With this kind of setup, you just know it's going to be good.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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