Built for Drag and Drive – Brought to you by our friends at @Sweet Patina – dives deep into the cars built for drag and drive events. Weekly updates include engine builds, vehicle builds, racer spotlights and more.
Drag and Drive style events are a mix of drag race and road rally. Vehicles and Racers travel along a set route, in their race car, with only the supplies they will need to race at multiple dragstrips over several days and several hundred miles.
Darcy Hanlan – Darcy owns the Coalstang, and you can find the full build on his youtube channel and Instagram of the same name. The car takes budget build to the next level, like when he purchased the car for $1000, he turned around and sold the engine/trans for $850. Or purchasing the ’94 12-valve donor truck for $1500 and selling the body for $950. He says the “initial build was quick. Nothing fancy. Just stuffed it in there as fast and cheap as possible. That’s why i first chose to do non-intercooled. Less fabrication and less weight. I didn’t even have a fan or alternator for the first few months i drove it…” He’d charge the battery to run the heater or headlights, saying the battery would last about three days. He adds, “to go fast on a budget, the magic is being lightweight. It’s easier on parts and I don’t need as much horsepower” The car has been 10.6 at 136 mph. “my car currently makes 650whp on 57 pounds of boost and I spray 175 shot of nitrous.” Darcy’s limited to a 6.40 because of safety and says with the new transbrake, he should be able to run that easily.
Most of the car is built with hand me downs and used parts. “Powerdriven Diesel provided a billet input shaft that they had twisted in a 1500+ hp truck, it works perfect in my car”
He ends by giving a “huge shout out to my cousin Dean and his son Eric Branham for helping me put the car together. Team z and Powerdriven diesel for parts and advice. when I built the car I thought it would be really cool because this 12 Valve can drive right across North America and not break a sweat.”
Tony Buerckert – Miles of Mayhem will be the cars 3rd drag and drive event and Tony’s 5th.
He said he’s owned the car since 2019 and had it out for the first time in 2020.
When I asked why he built that car, he replied, “I choose the car because i have always loved the Belair family of cars and because it’s something that not everyone builds. mostly because it’s heavy and most don’t want a 4 door which I love more my family.”
Powertrain is a LS with a 98/103 precision turbo and a powerglide trans backed by a gear vendor [Overdrive] for all the highway miles.
Suspension in the front is a bolt on Mustang II clip and rear Calvert split monoleaf and Caltrac bars.
Still deciding what class to run, thinking of running the 5.8x index class but a part of me wants to set it loose and try for low 5s all week.
Shout out to my wife and kids, my old man (Jake Bueckert), Keith and Brazier Race & Machine.
Drag-N-Drive.com is dedicated to the Drag and Drive lifestyle culture! We will visit with participants of events like Summit Racing Midwest Drags, Hot Rod Drag Week, Rocky Mountain Race Week 1.0 and 2.0, Sick Week, and many of the other events that are beginning to happen!
If you are new to Drag and Drive events, think of it like Two Lane Blacktop (you know, the old movie with the horrible ending). The participants of these events will drive their car from track to track, on public roads/highways, allowed only to use the parts/tools they bring with them in the car or in a trailer towed by the racecar. You must be self sufficient to compete in this type of endurance drag racing! There are no trucks with trailers that are following you to pick you up when you break.