South San Francisco, CA – After a stout runner up finish in the race for the Governor’s Cup, the Champion Speed Shop is ready to launch the small block Chevrolet powered entry into the 16-car front engine top fuel dragster battle at the 18th Annual California Hot Rod Reunion at Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, California. The 402-cubic inch small block Chevy powered Special clocked its best numbers ever in the State Capitol as the team brought the all-new combination in top fuel drag racing into ever quicker and faster runs down the quarter mile.

“We’ve been trying to get our 60-foot and half-track times down. In Sacramento it started to come around. That’s what we were looking for”, said Bob McLennan of the combination hitting a quick step at Sacramento Raceway.

With the car back at the South San Francisco base after the mid night grab for the Governor’s Cup, data and engine component analysis has yielded a plan to match out of the gate performance with a top end charge for lower elapsed times and higher top speeds from the Chevy-powered digger. Driver Adam Sorokin agrees the potential for maximum velocity is in order for the California Hot Rod Reunion – a fantastic place to witness drag racing history in motion and in the making on the very same weekend.

Sorokin clearly felt the car coming into line at Sacramento, and has confidence the team has learned what it takes to run nitromethane with success through the unprecedented engine setup. While the venerable Chrysler hemi has huffed nitro through thousands upon thousands of runs down the dragstrip, the small block Chevrolet nitromethane formula is the sole provenance of the Champion Speed Shop.

“I really think we have a car that can win. We’ve got some of the best people on the team you can possibly have”, said Sorokin mere days before the season finale of the 2009 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage series points battle finale.

The 18th Annual California Hot Rod Reunion takes place at Famoso Raceway on October Oct. 16-18, 2009. For event information please visit the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion. For race track information visit the Famoso Raceway.

Thanks to the miracle of modern technology we’re able to present this inside the cockpit video of driver Adam Sorokin on a complete run in the Champion Speed Shop small block Chevy front engine Top Fuel dragster at the 2009 Rod and Kulture Dragfest. Seeing is very much believing. This short movie occurs in real time, and covers the entire run. First comes engine start to burn out, backup, and staging into the lights. Once the bulb goes green, Adam puts the screws to the Chevy for the run. 5.99 seconds later he hits the parachutes, and puts on the whoa from 235 miles per hour to make the turnout road.

The long haul to the Bakersfield started before sunrise on Friday at the Champion Speed Shop world headquarters in South San Francisco. The Special and trailer were already under way. The Champion Speed Shop 1934 Ford pickup’s blown small block Chevrolet was idling ready. Crew members motored towards Famoso Raceway from all points on the California map. A little over a month after the return of the small block Chevy on nitromethane to the March Meet, the Destination was once again the same. Bakersfield, California. This time it was Dragfest. (more…)

With the recollection of memories and good times of the Half Moon Bay Dragstrip 50th Reunion just a few days in the past, the Champion Speed Shop is loading up the gear, the nitromethane, and the gang to motor down to the Rod and Kulture Dragfest for some drag racing action at Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield. The Champion Speed Shop Special will join top fuel forces with eight nitro-huffing diggers, altereds, and even some funny looking cars for three action-packed days of quarter mile mayhem. Live music, a cacklefest, and a drive-in movie with drag racing features on Saturday night are part of the scheduled events.

MORE: Rod and Kulture Dragfest May 1-3 2009

Bakersfield, California – The Champion Speed Shop is here at Famoso Raceway. The Special is on the ground and the crew are ready for racing action to commence in the morning. The 1972-vintage transport hauled along 65 gallons of nitromethane, a ton of tools, 60 gallons of oil, two small block Chevy engine blocks, three superchargers, two sets of tires, and a triple set of cylinder heads for the ride.  If you’re at the March Meet come on by and say hello. If you can’t make it down to Bakersfield, then follow along here for updates from the 51st running of the March Meet. We’ll do our best to keep the tin cans and string connected to the internet and deliver the good stuff over the next few days.

After a morning that started well before sunrise, the Champion Speed Shop made it down to Bakersfield and clicked off a successful launch. A subsequent pit side teardown of the small block Chevy revealed everything was go for a second test pass in late afternoon. Bobby McLennan reports the car ran straight down the quarter mile with driver Adam Sorokin shutting off early for a smooth 6.42-second ride through the lights at 224 mph. Next stop South San Francisco, and a return to the March Meet to put the coals to it. Photos by way of Cole Coonce and the Top Fuel Wormhole

With the 1-Shot pinstripe enamel still curing on the freshly painted scallops, the Champion Speed Shop Special is on the ground and ready for testing runs in Bakersfield, California. All roads of nostalgia drag racing led this morning to Famoso Raceway for a testing session less than a full week ahead of the official running of the 51st March Meet. Bobby McLennan, driver Adam Sorokin, Crew Chief Tony Bernardini, Dave Carkuff, Dennis Barazza, Tom Homer, and Sparky are heating up the oil and ready to put some nitromethane into the holes of the small block Chevrolet. A few shots of Rory Pentecost laying down the pinstripes on the Special from the top secret South San Francisco Champion Speed Shop location after the jump. (more…)

After a successful day of shakeout passes at the Sacramento Raceway, the Champion Speed Shop Special is on its way to Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield this weekend for further testing. Driver Adam Sorokin reports his experience from behind the canopy at Sacramento at the top secret testing session was a good one, saying that “it’s not unlike what a funny car feels like – only a bit smaller”. Follow through on the rest of the entry for a few more shots from the testing in Sacramento. (more…)