Gary Irving and his team have been campaigning this stunning '37 Chevy Nitro Coupe at Super Chevy Shows for a few years. Always improving their car, gaining speed and reducing elapsed time, this is a team that brought their car within an eyelash of winning the Season Championship last year. They say it will happen this year and who are we not to believe them?
Irving is one of the best drivers on the circuit and is the guy who calls the shots on everything done to the car. Crewmembers Tom Vandergeld, Mark McCrae, Richard Ruiter, Mike Wagg and Randy Briley are the guys who thrash tirelessly to keep the racer in the winners circle. The team has been known to rebuild an engine in the car hauler while on the road between events. Results of this kind of effort are a best elapsed time of 6.11 seconds, and top-end speed of 233.88 mph. Hard work pays off!
At the last few event s of the 2003 season, Irving switched to a new slick from Mickey Thompson, engineered with Nitro Coupes specifically in mind. Immediately Gary found less tire shake and more traction. He was consistent and straight on nearly every run and set the pace for the rest of the Pro racers in the Super Chevy Show field. Amazingly, the tires lasted 40-50 percent longer than other brands, and are less expensive. Following his example, there have been other teams switching to the MTs trying to keep up with Gary. We wish them luck.
| TECH SPECS | Owner | Gary Irving, Bolton, Ontario, Canada |
| Vehicle | '37 Chevrolet |
| Engine | '01 Chevrolet Aluminum big-block, 526 |
| ci, Fontana aluminum hemi heads, |
| Venolia 11.5:1 pistons, Crane cam, |
| Fontana magnesium intake, Enderle |
| JBR carbon fiber injectors, Littlefield |
| 14-71 supercharger, 29.0 -percent |
| overdriven, MSD 44-amp Pro Mag |
| ignition, custom 2 1/2-inch headers, |
| engine work by Fontana Automotive, |
| Gardena, CA, assembly by Gary Irving |
| Racing, est. 2,400 hp at 9,200 rpm |
| Transmission | '01 Lenco three-speed |
| Rearend | Strange Engineering, 40-spline axles, |
| 4.56:1 gear ratio |
| Suspension | |
| Front | Strange Engineering struts. |
| Rear | Strange Engineering with double |
| adjustable shocks |
| Wheels | |
| Front | Centerline, Convo Pro, 15x4 |
| Rear | Centerline, Convo Pro, 16x16 |
| Tires | |
| Front | Mickey Thompson, 25x4.5x15 |
| Rear | Mickey Thompson, 17x34.5x16 |
| Exterior | Body by Lowdown Hot Rod Shop, |
| Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, carbon |
| fiber by Creative Glas, Oneida, Paint by |
| BCOOL Paint-Randy Briley, Sikkens, |
| Black/Silver |
| Interior | Auto Meter gauges, Grant steering |
| wheel |