Entertainment

“Battle for the Bottom” at HRDW ’21 to #1 on Top 25 13 Second List for ‘22

“Freiburger kept announcing and joking with Nick that he was in the battle for the bottom. So we just kept turning in the slowest timeslip to stay with that scenario.” – Jeff Kurczak

That strategy netted Jeff, his sister Karen Van Wilde, and son Nick, a 17.2638 at Hot Rod Drag Week 2021.

I needed more detail when I saw the difference in their DW ’21 finish and the 13.004 for Sick Week ’22!! Jeff laughed and sent me this in response! 2022 Top 25 13 Second List

“I followed DW since the beginning but was always working and couldn’t get the time off for it. 2021 I was off work with shoulder surgery so I had the time but with the shoulder I couldn’t build anything so we took my son’s bone stock 58,000 mile Gran Torino Sport, carb and ignition coil were the only non-stock pieces. It was a 17 second car but we got it down into the low 16’s by removing the deck lid, hood, front bumper and borrowed some front runners.

Freiburger kept announcing and joking with Nick that he was in the battle for the bottom. So we just kept turning in the slowest timeslip to stay with that scenario. My sister [Karen Van Wilde] also went with us on DW so we tried to get three passes in at each track so we all could say we made a pass but it didn’t always work out.

Once we got registered for Sick Week I didn’t want to take his Torino again and we were already in the process of building the Fairmont but I’m still limited with the shoulder recovery so I bought a $50.00 5.0 [engine] from an ’86 Mustang, got a cam from a friend, used an intake I had on the shelf then bought a new carb one day before we loaded it on the trailer to leave for SW. I had a C4 trans freshened and a trans brake installed then we had a spool, 31 spline axles and c-clip eliminators put in the rear end.

I knew the car would be consistent but never thought that consistent. We have a nitrous kit on it but we never finished wiring it up since the car was so consistent we just went with that.”

With Jeff driving, the car went 13.022, then with Nick driving went 13.021!! Day four and five saw a 12.972 and a 13.000!!!

The boys are campaigning two cars for Hot Rod Drag Week 2022!!

Jeff said it was time to reward his 26 years of work in the garbage industry! And this gift is insane!! “My Mustang that I’ve owned since new, street raced,  met my wife in, bracket raced and many other events. I’m having a 7.3 Godzilla motor built for it by Mast Motorsports, Ultimate Headers are building me headers, Whipple is supposed to ha e a supercharger ready in time. Trans Pro Transmissions is putting together a th400 and Gear Vendors will be keeping the RPM happy. I’m hoping to debut this thing at Drag Week.” If that doesn’t give you chills, there is something wrong with you!!

Will they better the 13.004 from Sick Week?

Will Jeff make the Fastest 100 with the Mustang????