Brent Wheeler, a seasoned network engineer by trade, and a Mopar enthusiast by passion, has built his prized 1966 Dodge Coronet into a Nostalgia Super Stock warrior. Wheeler, now 49, grew up surrounded by racing, with his father, Andrew Wheeler, igniting his interest in Mopars from an early age. Today, Brent is carrying on the family legacy with his Coronet, and living out his love for drag racing.
“I grew up around it and my father. He wanted to go racing again in the mid-1990s and we started going to Friday night test and tunes with a Charger, and it spiraled from there,” he says. “I worked at a Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership while in school.”
The Wheeler Racing Legacy
What makes Brent Wheeler’s 1966 Dodge Coronet truly special isn’t just the sum of its parts—it’s the story behind the build. Wheeler had been racing another 1966 Coronet in the class since 1996, when this one came available in March of this year. His friend, Ron Tiller, decided to step away from racing. Having known the car for years, Brent saw the opportunity to grab the car he had been familiar with, and acquired it as a roller, building it up into its present form. In doing so, he could keep his original Coronet in the family and set it up for his daughters to drive.
“My oldest daughter is in college now and has raced in the NMCA Dodge Direct Connection Shootout,” Wheeler says. “My 14-year-old daughter has also been racing the same Ram in NHRA and NMCA Jr. Street, and was really pushing for what car she could race in the next few years. They’ve both got the bug. When this new car presented itself, it made the decision easy. She and her sister can drive my silver ’66 and I will continue in the new car. I made the decision mid-season this year to make the leap and get this car in service.”
Brent also maintains the 1967 Dodge Coronet wagon that his father races, making this a three-generation affair.
With plans for his daughters to eventually take over his other 1966 Coronet, Brent’s commitment to the next generation of racers is clear. For him, it’s not just about winning races—it’s about passing down the love for Mopar and the thrill of the tight racing that exists in the Nostalgia Super Stock class.
“I grew up around racing, dirt tracks, and drag strips,” Brent says with a smile. “My father was a Mopar man, so that’s where I was naturally drawn. Now, seeing my daughters take the same path is incredibly rewarding.”
Brent’s car…
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