Of Mustaches And Mountains
BY MICHAEL NARXAdam Crego is a staple of Rocky Mountain Race Week competition, having attended almost every event in his dark blue ’68 Nova.
Adam and his wife Connie Crego purchased the Nova in late 2013, running it with a nitrous fed 540ci big block and a Mike’s TH400. Entering the 10.0 Index class at the 2015 event, with Billy Costello co-piloting, the guys managed to average 12.579 after smoking a transmission. They completed the event in last place, but they had finished their first drag-and-drive!
For 2016 and 2017, Adam rode with friends Michael Frustaci and Tom Therren in a 1962 Chevy II Nova with a 5.3 and 4L60 as Roadweekers (before Roadweek was a thing).
Returning with the Nova in 2018, with Connie as co-pilot, Adam moved to the Pro Street class with the same 540, but now with a F2 Procharger and ATI TH400. They struggled throughout the week to make a solid pass. The car destroyed a driveshaft in Topeka before detonating the engine in Arkansas, leaving them unable to finish the event. The fastest pass before failure was a 13-second slip.
Back for Vengeance
Back again for 2019, with Connie as Co-pilot (and moral support), Adam entered Pro Street with the Nova and finished competition for the first time in four years with a 9.788 average. His best pass of the week was a 9.486 at Kearney, NE. Even more remarkably, he did all of this after dropping a valve!
“I can't pick a favorite year as they have all been a blast, but 2020 1.0 was the most challenging to complete,” Adam said.
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Winning Combo
As they attended more and more Race Weeks, Adam, Connie, Billy and the Nova began to refine the package. They had an amazing 2021, completing both Rocky Mountain Race Week events with their fastest averages yet. For 1.0, the guys took home some hardware with a second-place finish in Pro Street with a 9.0804 average and a quickest run of 8.844.
With the car sorted out and running great, Adam and Billy entered 2021 2.0 on a mission to win. They were the only car in their class to turn in an eight-second pass on each day of the event. The car was bracket race consistent with the fastest pass submitted an 8.749, and the slowest pass an 8.803. The car also ran an 8.48 at 160mph, but was only certified to 8.50, so they were unable to submit the pass. Coming good on a team bet, everyone had new mustaches later that night.
Faster for 2022
Adam and Billy are registered for both RMRW events for 2022, with a goal of running a 7.99 in the car.
“With more boost, bigger injectors and methanol,” he said. “The thing that keeps us coming back is meeting like-minded people and making new friends in every town we roll through.”
Rocky Mountain Race Week 2022 begins in Great Bend, KS on June 18. Race Week begins on September 4 in Oklahoma City.
