Brandon Goodnow Jumps Into Modified Class with Single Turbo Pick-Up Build
Some say that imitation is a sincere form of flattery. For Brandon Goodnow, riding with his father Chris Goodnow on two Hot Rod Drag Week events, and last year’s Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, convinced him to jump from the passenger seat to the driver seat.
Starting with a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck, Brandon converted the factory rear suspension to a custom 4-link connected to a Moser 9-inch rear end. QA1 coil over shocks have their place at all four corners, and the brakes have been converted to a 5-lug setup with Wilwood brakes front and rear.
For motivation, Brandon rebuilt a 5.3-liter LS-based engine with an upgraded camshaft and springs, then topped it with a Holley Hi-Ram. A VSR 80-millimeter single turbocharger “the size of a watermelon” according to Brandon provides the boost, and the ponies are transferred to the back via a Jake’s stage 4 4L80E overdrive transmission.
Sick Week 2023 Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive will feature hundreds of America’s fastest street cars, racing and cruising through Florida and southern Georgia.
Sick Ward tickets / Individual day spectator tickets are available here.
Despite a fresh build with no time, Brandon is optimistic about its first outing. “My main goal is to complete the week, and hopefully run in the 10-second range,” said Brandon. “Maybe even tickle the 9s?”
But regardless of the time, Brandon’s drag-and-drive experiences have him coming back for more. “It’s a challenge like no other,” he said. “There is nowhere else where you will find a competitor sitting in a Walmart parking lot, with a motor torn apart and rebuilding it, just to get to the next race track.”
- Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Brandon Goodnow.