Alex Covington and the Roadster Shop staff are still celebrating after winning the 2011 Optima Batteries Goodguys Street Machine of the Year competition in Columbus at the Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus this past weekend. Our congratulations go out to the crew and all that contributed to the project. We had an opportunity to see the car under construction at their shop during a visit for the Carbon Customs Run to Music City event several weeks back, and never imagined the car would be competing in Columbus. The Roadster Shop’s Jeremy and Phil Gerber were responsible for the build, and Alex Covington couldn’t be happier with the result. “These guys did a great job, and I just couldn’t be happier!” said Covington during the winner’s ceremony.
The Chevy II, named the “Innovator”, certainly turned heads. With a grill, taillights, and headlight bezels that looked like circuit boards, the cars styling is certainly extreme. Project manager Jeremy Gerber told us that the only stock sheetmetal on the car was the roof. It doesn’t surprise us after looking at it. Body lines, rocker panels, and features that Chevrolet never invisioned are present on the ’67 and leave no doubt as to why the car is named the Innovator.
The car is a runner too, and relies on 720 horsepower from a GM LSX combo which is then channeled through a new Roadster Shop Fastrack chassis setup. Phil Gerber ran the car through the Goodguys Autocross course three times during the weekend, and was the quickest of all Street Machine of the Year competitors despite only having one mile on the car prior to the weekends event.
Again our congratulations go out to Alex, his family, and the entire Gerber team for once again putting the Roadster Shop front and center in everyone’s mind.
That’s hideous
I can’t wait to see this roll across the stage at Barrett Jackson and see how little the owner recoups on his investment.
What did this car nose out to win? How stiff was the competition?
All the collective talent required to build a car like this and then finish it off with a grille like that …. I’d want to punch somebody in the throat.
Fugly!
More evidence that pro-touring/LSX-in-everything fad has “jumped the shark.” Or maybe the entire Meadors clan has macular degeneration . . . .
aesthetes such as BRIAN “BoxCAR OF TOMORROW” FRANCE are probably stoked . . . .
Do you think I could get the Roadster Shop to water jet me a new grille for my electric razor?
11. Pontiac Aztek designers apparently are not jobless and homeless as some feared.
10. Hooking up 750 horsepower on 35-series radials feels as slimy as a handshake with Casey Anthony’s lawyers.
9. “IROC-Z” side skirts reignite nostalgia for the 1980s.
8. Almost black and white paint job is perfect for future use as a DARE car (“Kids, this car is your brain on drugs . . . .”)
7. “Murdered” dubs won’t unnecessarily distract car theves suffering from A.D.D.
6. The Grump won’t get it confused with his old “Jenkins Competition” Deuce.
5. Shrouded front wheels provide the tight turning circle of a 1949 Nash Airflyte.
4. Slamming a ’60s econobox on giant rims with an LS crate mill underhood has NEVER been done before . . . .
3. Slab sides pay homage to millions of beautiful SUVs.
2. Hidden Inca message in the grille repels insects.
1. The LSX will never get homesick for its shipping crate.
I actually like this Nova, but I am biased towards Novas. The grille is something different. It looks better than the ugly cookie cutter billet replacements. I enjoy the fact that it is ticking people off. The industry always needs a controversial car to keep things moving forward. Besides SMOTY is almost without question reserved for over-the-top builds. Now that it has won I want to see it on a course/track at full tilt.
It’s like they made a list of everything that makes those cars cool and twisted it until it looked ugly enough to run for smoy, then painted it a stupid color to cinch the win..
Gay guy would drive that!