Doug Cook’s 1972 Nova Clocks a 7.00 at 202 MPH Blast in Testing!
It’s taken just over two-and-a-half years since his last drag-and-drive with his storied 1972 Chevrolet Nova, but Doug Cook can finally see the finish line.
If you ask him, he’s not there yet, but with just a handful of full passes on his recently revamped Nova, Doug can crack a smile and know his initial goals aren’t far off.
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The Nova has a handful of runs in the last few months, and before Friday night testing at Bradenton Motorsports Park, Doug was working on getting the car to make the runs he wanted.
The Harrell Engine and Dyno (HED) fifth-generation LT Chevrolet platform, fed by a pair of 79-millimeter turbochargers from Garrett, was making the power Doug needed. Now it was just to work out the final details, and put the power to the ground.
After a couple test sessions, Doug made the decision to attend The Reunion two weekends ago at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Campaigning in the Street Car Shootout class, Doug’s Nova clocked a pair of 7.2-second time slips in qualifying, but spun the tires in round one of eliminations.
“We went through three transmission and converter swaps in three days,” said Doug. “Just a reminder, if you’re building a combo and it isn’t an exact mirror of a known good one, get ready to work a lot.”
In the two weeks since his last pass at The Reunion, Doug continued to work on the Nova, taking what he learned and making the necessary changes.
Finally, Doug and his Nova made an appearance at a test session yesterday at Bradenton Motorsports Park. And on just the fifth full pass on the car, the Nova delivered a solid run, a 7.004 at 202.39 MPH with a 1.189 60 foot time.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Motion Raceworks, Mike Pryka and Doug Cook.
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