A 6.16! I still can’t get over that, even though our whole goal with building the truck is to run in the 5’s. And on that last pass, I’m not sure it would have gotten there. It was quicker than the 6.16 at some points on the track, and we know that the 6.16 pass should have been faster and quicker since we did the last hundred feet with the chutes out. But would it have been a 5? I don’t think so. My best estimated guess is that it would have been a 6.0 something. Still stupid quick, but not yet at the 5 second mark. Hell, we ran 6.16 with only 4 quarter mile passes! And it’s weird, because Larry and I have been so focused on this thing for so long, that my brain doesn’t even take a break to soak it all in. It’s in perpetual tuning mode. This is what it’s like to drive a 6 second S10 cross country.

IF YOU MISSED PART 1, CLICK HERE

IF YOU MISSED PART 2, CLICK HERE

IF YOU MISSED PART 3, CLICK HERE

IF YOU MISSED PART 4, CLICK HERE

IF YOU MISSED PART 5, CLICK HERE

IF YOU MISSED PART 6, CLICK HERE

IF YOU MISSED PART 7, CLICK HERE

IF YOU MISSED PART 8, CLICK HERE

IF YOU MISSED THE ENGINE BUILD, CLICK HERE

After the final runs in Tulsa, we started packing stuff up and ate some good grub from HeavyD’s Barbecue, and then grabbed beers to head to the awards ceremony. The tent was PACKED, but we had beer and weren’t afraid to use it. Rick Johnson actually found us some seats closer to the front, and we sat about a third of the way back from the front, with Larry, Sherry, Tim, and Daphne sitting next to me. It was amazing how quickly the coma tried to set in after having two beers and sitting down for the first time in a week. I was literally falling asleep in my chair and Daphne was making fun of me. Later I would actually see video that people shot of me nodding off. I did wake up in time for Freiburger to introduce and congratulate Larry and I at which point Larry walked up front and thanked a few folks and talked to Freiburger about “the run”. At that point, being the attention whore that I am, I had to get up and go thank even more sponsors and say a few thank you’s myself. Then it was back to the chair to take a nap.

I know I told you yesterday that I would give you the ET the truck should have run on that last pass, but the truth is I don’t know for sure. That’s why the educated guess. Will we run 5’s with it? You bet your sweet ass we will! Where? A lot of folks want us to come back to Tulsa to make the historic run, and Larson and I both love Tulsa Raceway Park and especially Todd, Keith, Cookie, and Jimmy. Those guys rule. Of course there is some sentimental attachment to the Street Car Super Nationals in Las Vegas as well, since that’s where Larry first ran in the 6’s with his Chevy II, and it will be the last big race of 2014. The truth is we just aren’t sure yet. The truck is back at Larry’s shop getting touched up, and licking it’s wounds. We have some small things to finish up that didn’t get done before Drag Week, and we’ve already pulled the engine out and sent it back to Proline to get checked out.

If you believe some of the rumors from the internet during Drag Week, that’s like our 5th engine or something. Guys were online spouting complete and utter BS about how we had swapped engine and stuff, which I found both incredibly dumb and insulting, while also being a compliment. Dumb, because it’s just stupid to think we have spare engines. Insulting, because that means you think we actually blew our junk up each day on Drag Week. Complimentary, because you actually believe that with all the other crap we were dealing with we could have swapped an engine. Even in the truck, which is super easy compared to a lot of cars, that’s a job I wouldn’t want any part of on Drag Week. Oh, and it’s against the rules!!! Unless we literally threw the rods out of it, so as to catastrophically damage it, the rules state you cannot swap the block and heads. I have long argued that this is a stupid rule by Hot Rod, and have been told by Freiburger  and the gang that I’m the stupid one. The thought behind the rule is that they don’t want folks putting a 300 horse 350 crate engine in their Unlimited Car for the drive each day, and then swapping it for a twin turbo Proline 481X each morning to go racing. I say screw that! I want to see that stuff! Talk about a show, I want to see someone pull that off. I say if you have the balls to try, and the skill to pull it off each day, then go for it!

But I digress.

The engine is back at Proline, and we’re pretty sure that some stuff in it is going to need to be touched, after all we did run the piss out of it with no testing at all. On a couple runs we had some aluminum on plugs, which isn’t what you want to see, and we know the timing got whacky when we had our trigger wheel issue in Great Bend. But, it wasn’t throwing parts out on the track, and was still running fine when we pulled it into the pits for the last time, so we are looking forward to a fairly clean bill of health from the “doctors” at Proline.

Right now we are in the middle of figuring out where this thing is going to land for the SEMA show and PRI, but rest assured you’ll be able to see it there and at a race track near you in the near future and into next year.

We have TONS more content coming that centers around the truck or the parts that we chose for it, and there is some super cool stuff in that list. We’ll have tech and stories and insider secrets to some of the stuff you have all been asking about, so stay tuned in the coming weeks as this stuff starts popping up on BangShift. Next week we’ll show you a series of photos that show it from it’s earliest inception to the present, along with some fun stuff from the build.

And speaking of the build. Besides all the great companies that support us on the truck, we have to also thank all the guys and gals that were responsible for making this dream come true for Larry and I. Daphne and Sherry not only supported us when we weren’t there to support them, but also fed us and listened to us, and put up with us even when we sucked during this whole process. And the guys at Larry’s shop. I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate all the help from ALL of you. Troy, John, Ray, Tim, Mike, Eddie, and Garrett who spent so much time doing bodywork, only to have to see it chipped up after Drag Week, thank you. Scott Brown, thanks for the artwork. Bob Brown, thank you for the cleaning, the laughs, and for swearing my coffee tasted great even before drinking it. Tom McGilton, for being you. When that Camaro of yours hits the track, watch out. It will be the truest street car out there. Scott and Rafa, thanks for helping with everything, we appreciate it. Dave and Dustin, thanks for helping finish “our trailer”. You guys rule and I really appreciate the help in the final hours. Tim, Larry and I couldn’t have done it without you, and I owe you a bottle of really good Gin as a thank you. Well probably several cases of really good Gin, but I’m broke now so you’ll have to be cool with just one bottle. And you have to share it with me. Jeff Stacy, you are the man. I thought you were just a nice business guy when I met you, but I was wrong. You are one funny son of a bitch, and a hoot to be around. We couldn’t have done it without you. You took sponsorship to a whole new level. Thank you. Rob McGaffen for shooting awesome photos of this thing. Sorry we didn’t bring you along, we should have. I know I’m forgetting really important people, and when you look at this list and think that I suck for not mentioning you, know that we are thanking you too. And all the kids and fans and parents and racers and whoever that came to get a hero card and who came to say congratulations or who asked if they could help, thank you. And thank you to the naysayers, who said we wouldn’t make it happen. Seriously, no hate from my side. If you guys hadn’t said we couldn’t do it then we probably wouldn’t have.

And to Larry Larson. Thanks for listening years ago when I said I wanted to build something light and stupid. And thanks for calling me last year and starting out with “I have a stupid idea, what do you think?” I mean it’s not like I was going to say no, but thanks for giving me the option to say yes.

Stay tuned, we have more coming. Oh, and we’re hoping to have video of the engine on the dyno at Proline after they get it freshened. That should rule.

Hmmmm. I guess all these stories and all this stuff haven’t really given you all one definitive answer to the question  “What is it really like driving a 6 second S10 cross country, even after all of this?”

How do I put this so everyone will understand…

Oh yeah…

It’s awesome!