Mean Green – A Race-Winning ’72 Nova Is Back on the Track and the Street After a Re-Vamp for 2023 Season
A car or truck project is never done, according to some. There’s always an upgrade, a change, something that you decide to tackle in the off-season or on the next rainy day.
In the case of Michael Pryka, his 1972 Chevrolet Nova was about to get a second re-vamp in less than four days, and it all stemmed from a day on the 2022 edition of Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
The Nova nicknamed MeaNova, which the senior Pryka has owned since 2007, had just returned to the track and the street from an engine swap from old school carbureted small block to late-model LS-power in mid-2021.
Michael Pryka and son Mike joined the Sick Week 2022 event, and were rolling along on day three when a chance encounter with a deer put a serious dent in their travels. Thankfully, they were able to repair the damage enough to finish the week, and Michael even completed racing the 2022 Chevrolet Performance series, finishing number two in points in the Rumble index class.
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Both had a full-scale plan ready when their 2022 season had concluded, and the Nova was dropped off at Autokrafters Race Cars and Restoration for a full roll cage, as well as fix the body work and get some fresh paint.
The upgrades weren’t only in the safety and looks department, as the driveline also got a boost. AES Racing Engines built a LS3 based on a 6.2-liter block that checks in at 416 cubic inches. The block holds all kinds of goodies from Callies and Diamond, a Smallwood Race Development camshaft actuates the valves at the right time.
A pair of Brodix cylinder heads pair with a Edelbrock Super Victor intake and 4500-style Wilson throttle body to mix the fuel and air. A Turbo 400 transmission with a Greg Slack converter and an aluminum 4-inch PST driveshaft to found out the driveline upgrades.
“Our goal was to have the car ready for Sick Week 2023,” Mike Pryka said. But when delays arose, they dropped back to plan B: Sick Summer Presented by TBM Brakes, not too far from Michael Pryka’s Bartlett, Illinois home base.
The Nova only got a handful of checkout runs less than two days before tech in and registration day at Sick Summer, but based on the results, the Prykas had their act together for the return of MeaNova.
The car clicked off a series of 9.7-second runs, the best being a 9.72 at just a touch below 137 mph on the final day of Sick Summer, earning them a 9.74 average and the title of Quickest Super Street Small Block Naturally Aspirated.
“We are definitely super happy with the new setup on the car,” said Mike Pryka. “Hopefully we can get it even more dialed in soon with some testing.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine and Mike Pryka.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com