Larson Race Cars Debuts a New Chevy II Nova – Larry’s New No-Prep Kings Ride, or An Unlimited Drag-and-Drive Ride?
There are several rides that are well known in the drag-and-drive world, and one of them is Larry Larson’s 1966 Chevy II Nova. The twin-turbo, all-steel 3500-pound ride captured five Hot Rod Drag Week overall titles, produced the first 6-second pass after completing the week in 2010, and was part of the first drag-and-drive in 2005.
Larry has been absent from the drag-and-drive world for a decade, but is his newest ride signaling his return to it?
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Although we haven’t seen Larry run Hot Rod Drag Week since the debut of his radical 1998 Chevrolet S-10 pick-up in 2014, it doesn’t mean he hasn’t been active in other facets of racing.
He has participated in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) events with his Nova and the pick-up, as well as no-prep events and the No-Prep Kings series.
His latest racing efforts saw Larry initially participate in the S-10 at first, and then debut a stunning single-turbo Cadillac for use in no-prep in 2019.
That Cadillac was sold last year, leaving Larry one car down in the stable (although he still owns the all-steel Chevy II Nova and the S-10 pick-up). Recently, a photo of a new ’66 Chevy II Nova dropped on the Larson Race Cars Facebook page, and immediately the benchracing and rumors started.
The photo was captioned “Drag Week 2005 again?” Although most would think this car is a replacement for the Cadillac on No-Prep Kings, the matching paint scheme to his original Chevy II Nova begs the question: could it be the ‘next step’ for Larry to re-enter the drag-and-drive world?
The original 1966 Chevy II Nova in competition at Hot Rod Drag Week.
The new 1966 Chevy II Nova pays tribute to the original, but sporting lighter components and a supercharged mill with zoomies. Where will we see it campaigned?
Hot Rod Drag Week celebrates 20 years this September; could we see this lighter, zoomie-header, supercharged ride on the street and the track, or is this a race-only ride?
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Larry Larson, Larson Race Cars, 1320 Video, 301 Street Cars, and C. Paulshock Photography.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com