We have been championing the cause of drag racing in South America for years around here at BangShift. Every country down there has at least one strip and places like Brazil and Argentina have thriving car culture and specifically drag racing culture that we think is awesome. We ended up finding this video that highlights the muscle of Argentina and we wanted to show it to you. Why? These guys have some amazing stuff! Our favorites are models like the Ford Falcon which use a slightly updated nose on the older sheetmetal from the cowl back. The falcon has classic lines and they are likely the same ones used for many, many years.
There are some dragsters and some big tire cars but mostly these are weekend warrior machines that are either driven during the week by their owners or that are driven to the strip, jacked up, slicks installed, and off to the races that we go.
Remember, companies like FuelTech started in South America (Brazil, specifically for them) so that stands as proof as to the seriousness of the culture and the horsepower making prowess of their people. Yea, a lot of these cars have worked up inline six engines but we know that there are big V8 mills of their own construction in this region and we also know that guys are more and more importing traditionally constructed American drag racing engines down to those parts as well.
This is more awesome proof of the global nature of drag racing and we think that it is a pretty fun watch!
You guys could do an article about Kaiser of Argentina, the Renault Torino, and their evolution of the Willys Tornado 230.
That’s a car I’d love to import if I could. And the motor is fantastic.
Most of these cars appear to be lacking in the safety department. Several of them don’t even have floors, let alone a visible roll cage. Could their speeds be attributed to, and in-lieu-of the wellbeing of the operator?
Not trying to be a negative-Nancy, but I don’t think most of these cars would pass muster here in the states.