Back in June, one magnificent event was the main highlight for the drag racing aficionados. It was, of course, the 2021 Midwest Drags. Three tracks, four days of racing, drivers were getting their racecars from one place to another on public roads. And just a trailer to keep up the spares and other goodies.
It’s decidedly one of those events that somehow delivers the quintessential feeling of having to do everything. Have the racecar in proper order, drive it on public roads without faults, move from one track to another in a limited amount of time. And perhaps even win some of the quarter-mile battles while there.
So, it’s no wonder that some of the great rides that mesmerized the audiences in places such as the Summit Motorsports Park (Norwalk, Ohio) and Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis still echo months after the event is complete. And we particularly chose these two racetracks because that’s where the Drag Racing and Car Stuff channel on YouTube managed to capture this Big Block Chevy action.
The crimson monster without a hood and what may look like a blower (but it’s not) is a 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am prepared by the good folks over at Miller Racing. Great things have been swapped inside the coupe, chief among them being the naturally aspirated 565ci V8 engine. And it makes good use of what’s available.
Right off the bat, at the 0:35 mark, there’s an initial encounter with a white Fox Body Mustang. It’s a great way to put things into perspective, even though after the initial walkaround presentation (at 1:10) it’s all about internal GM affairs as far as we can tell. So, the Trans Am kicks off the proceeds with an 8.64s victory, and keep that in mind, because it’s the best result we see in the video embedded below.
The Pontiac is one of those constant wonders, as it seldom misses the 8.7s mark no matter what. And that mostly proves enough to senselessly beat the competition. Save for that turbo Chevy Colorado truck from the 2:21 mark, which manages to snatch the victory with an 8.68s pass to the Firebird’s usual 8.7s run!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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