HOT ROD Drag Week, presented by Gear Vendors Under/Overdrive
Tommy O’Donnell from Fort Worth is a lucky puppy. His grandfather “NE” bought this 1957 210 hardtop new in ‘57 to drag race. They made a million ‘57 Bel Air hardtops, but 210s are fairly rare. This one was a stripper with no radio, and a straight six with a 3-speed on the column. That’s how NE raced it, though he had a Wayne head and other period cool performance goodies over the years. Punched out to 310ci it ran 13.90s at 100mph. In 1970 it got a nice red paint job for $29.95 at Earl Scheib. Then in 1972 when bracket racing came to town, NE quit racing the 210. By the mid-1980s Tommy’s dad John bought the old racer from NE, and then Tommy drove it through high school with the six. After that it languished in the hot Texas sun for 15 years before tommy rescued it in 2013 to make into a Drag Week warrior for our 2014 event.
Now it’s running a 383ci small block with a SCAT stroker crank, stock rods, and hypereutectic pistons. Blue Print aluminum heads with hydraulic roller lifters and a bump stick with .536” lift and 230/250 duration. Compression is 10.0:1. An Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake is fed by a Quickfuel 750 carb. The Chevy dynos at 430hp. MSD ignition is used throughout, and fenderwell headers are from Hooker. Transmission is a Turbo 350 with Hughes internals and a B&M 2400rpm stall. Rear end is a 9-inch Ford with Strange internals and a 3.50:1 ring gear spinning 275 M/T Drag Radials.
The front suspension was completely rebuilt using tube A-arms because they were cheaper than rebuilding the stockers. The old Chevy weighs out at 3585-pounds, and the best time in NA configuration is 12.31at 109-plus mph. With spray, however, this sucker will flat fly to 11-flat quarter mile runs.
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September 11 – Registration, Test and Tune
National Trail Raceway
2650 National Rd SW
Hebron, OH 43025
September 12 – Day One Racing
National Trail Raceway
2650 National Rd SW
Hebron, OH 43025
September 13 – Day Two Racing
Summit Motorsports Park
1300 OH-18
Norwalk, OH 44857
September 14 – Day Three Racing
US 131 Motorsports Park
1249 12th St
Martin, MI 49070
September 15 – Day Four Racing
Lucas Oil Raceway
10267 US-136
Indianapolis, IN 46234
September 16 – Final Day Racing
National Trail Raceway
2650 National Rd SW
Hebron, OH 43025
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