The Super Chevy Project Nova gains 35 mph on pump gas during a before-and-after exhibition at Kansas City International Raceway. Project Nova was recently refitted with a ProCharger F-2 (no hood modifications required) and a sheet-metal 3 core race intercooler. The engine is a 427 with GMPP Rectangle Port Heads, a Solid Roller Cam, and a single Holley carburetor. Weighing in at 3350 pounds and running 91 octane Texaco fuel, in n/a format Project Nova runs a 12.1 @ 112 mph with Jim Summers behind the wheel. After installing the supercharger and intercooler, and making no other changes, Jim posts a 9.24 @ 147 mph, turning the motor to 7,500 rpm. Although this is below the best of 8.97 run with this same ProCharged combination in better air, the 35 mph and nearly 3-second improvement is remarkable.

Donna Sydor qualifies #3 and wins EFI Renegade at the NMRA event in Columbus, beating Mike Post in the finals. With her 9.07 @ 150 performance, Donna not only snatches her first victory, but also becomes the first female Renegade winner. Jim LaRocca, 2002 champion, also gets back into the driver�s seat for this race, and runs a 9.10 @ 150 while shaking down the UPR car previously driven by Bart Tobener. Both of these top Renegade cars are powered by self-contained ProCharger F-1R�s. In Drag Radial action, Philip Clemmons backs up his strong performance at Reynolds and takes runner up. Clemmons is also powered by an F-1R.

In Pro 5.0, Doug Mangrum runs a 6.68 @ 211 mph and is top qualifier. Although both Mangrum and Walsh had mechanical problems and red-lit during eliminations, blower dominance was highlighted once again after the race. The superiority of centrifugal supercharging technology over nitrous was already well illustrated by both weight penalties and the Pro 5.0-legal blower spec being restricted to limit power production. After this race, however, an additional 75 lbs was added to the blower cars, and nitrous cars were reduced by a further 150 lbs, resulting in a total weight disparity of 475 lbs between centrifugal superchargers and nitrous. This is simply because modern centrifugal superchargers deliver a far larger increase in reliable horsepower.

In Super Street Outlaw Competition at the same NMRA event, Steve Topletz qualifies # 1 in his Mike Duffy-prepped, Jason Cohen-powered stallion, utilizing a self-contained ProCharger F-3R. Topletz runs a very strong 7.84 at 178 mph to take the top spot, while Mike Trimandilis also qualifies in the sevens, with a D-3R. Meanwhile, at the Fun Ford even in Houston, the Gillig/Huston team make another powerful statement by qualifying #1 with a 6.73 @ 208, and capturing runner-up. This outstandng team is definitely a leading contender for the FFW Pro championship.

At the World Ford Challenge in St. Louis, Don Walsh, jr, takes both the W and $35,000 for his victory in Pro 5.0. Gillig and Huston also qualify high with a 6.64 @ 212. In Outlaw class, Joel Greathouse runs the fastest speed ever on a true 10.5" tire with a 7.65 @ 188 mph. Newcomer Don Shobe also runs strong in a brand new car despite being 500 lbs overweight, with a 7.80 @ 182, with 3320 lbs force-fed by an F-3R. Renegade class saw Bart Tobener run in the 8’s with his best time yet, powered by a new ProCharger F-1R. With this run, Bart joins LaRocca, Freeman and Trombetta as the 4 ProCharged Renegade racers in the 8�s, with several more posting 9.0�s and ready to enter the 8�s. In Wild Street, Bill Lovelace had recently switched to a ProCharger F-2 from another brand and improved a half-second. He uses this new combination to take runner-up, competing with only 342 cid and a 10.5" supercharger vs a 572 cid nitrous car. Congratulations to all these racers, and George Gonzalez, for another outstanding World Ford Challenge.

View 2003 Race Schedule