NHRA

Chuck Stefanski To Debut Lemans Wagon At Sick Week 2024

sick week

No stranger to drag-and-drive competitions, Big 3 Racing co-owner Chuck Stefanski is readying his 1981 LeMans station wagon for Sick Week, which kicks off in Orlando, Florida, on January 29.

Stefanski owned the wagon a while back, and purchased it back in 2019. He’s been rebuilding it for the Unlimited Iron class at Sick Week and is planning for 6-second elapsed times and speeds over 200 mph.

Truth be told, Stefanski’s wagon started life as a 1981 Malibu, but the Pontiac fan has rebodied it with LeMans parts and even had custom Pontiac valve covers made for the 540 cubic-inch big-block Chevy engine that sits between the tubular front framerails of the car.

The powerplant was machined by RPM Engine and Machine and assembled by Big 3 Racing. It consists of a World Products block that has been fitted with a Winberg crankshaft, MGP aluminum connecting rods, Wiseco pistons, Manton pushrods, BAM lifters, Crower rockers, and a Brian Tooley Racing-spec camshaft. Atop the short-block sits a pair of Trick Flow cylinder heads that are fed the incoming atmosphere via a Shearer Fabrications air-to-water intercooler manifold. Stefanski is expecting around 2,000 rear-wheel horsepower from the supercharged combination.

Boosting power output to the E85-fed and Holley EFI-managed engine is a ProCharger F3-112 supercharger that is connected with a custom crank drive setup that will allow Stefanski to remove the supercharger for the driving portions of the event.

sick week

Backing the potent powerplant is a Powerglide two-speed transmission with a billet bolt-together torque converter from 501 Performance, and Stefanski has equipped the faux LeMans with a Tank Fab 9-inch rearend that is suspended by Merillat Racing components and stuffed with Moser axles and 3.50 gears.

The wagon’s chassis features the original frame that has been modified with a tubular front end and Viking Performance shocks at all four corners. The car retains its factory-style suspension, and Stefanski narrowed the rear framerails to accommodate the 12-inch wide Billet Specialties Comp 8 wheels and Mickey Thompson 275 Pro tires. Perhaps most important is the 6.50-certified roll cage that was installed by Afterhours Performance.

We certainly hope Stefanski and his three passengers — yes, he has four seats sitting amid the 6.50-certified jungle gym of bars — have some good noise-cancelling ear protection, as the Big 3 Racing staff fabricated a set of zoomie headers in-house using Stainless Works

Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at DragzineDragzine…