The Time Machine - Rebuilding a Classic Chevelle for a Drag-and-Drive Sick Summer Debut
Drag-and-drive events can bring together a bunch of different rides on different performance levels, but unite them all to survive the drives and racing to complete the event.
And in some cases, it can bring vehicles back to life after they’ve been on the sidelines for many years.
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In the case of a storied 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport, it would mark a significant change for Sean Smyth at a drag-and-drive.
We saw Sean participate at last year’s Sick Summer Presented by TBM Brakes in a turbocharged Lexus, and although Sean has a new ride in the works, he put it aside to bring a car with a cool history back to life.
“My buddy Lou Dalgaard’s dad bought it in 1976, and raced it for years,” said Sean. The Chevelle was parked in the mid-1980s when the family started expanding, and then the car was sold in the 1990s when Lou was just a kid.
“They stayed in contact with the new owner (Ted) and when the opportunity came up to buy it back, Lou jumped on it,” said Sean. Unfortunately, Lou’s father had passed away by this time, and with no time to work on the car, it remained in a trailer from the time he purchased it back until March 2024. That when Sean brought the car to his shop and started the process of getting it ready for this year’s Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks.
With just three months to go through a car that had not only been sitting for over a decade under Lou’s ownership, but also the unknown past with the previous owner, Sean and Lou dove in with both feet. “We're going to have to temporary some stuff for Sick Summer,” said Sean. “But I already planted the seed to rewire the whole car after.”
The car had sported a multitude of combinations, but a real-deal Super Sport needed a big block engine, and that’s what the car would employ for Sick Summer. The three months of thrashing on the car netted it firing up for the first time on Saturday, one day before Sean and Lou rolled to Sick Summer.
“Any idea how many times people have towed a car to tech, having never driven it, and made the week still,” Sean said. “It’ll see the street for the first time in probably 20 years on the drive to Cordova on Monday.”
With 12:1 compression and a steady diet of E-85, Sean and Lou had hopes of 10-second time slips from the Chevelle. But on day one at Byron Dragway, the ‘Time Machine’ returned an 11.47 at 110 mph, and they packed up to hit the road to Cordova Dragway for day two. “Plenty of room to improve throughout the week,” said Sean.
Day two slowed the Chevelle to an 11.98 at 111 mph, and Sean turned it in to hit the road early. “We are still fighting a fuel issue that slowed us down today, but we're still going,” said Sean. They survived the drive with a little help from the Taylor family, when Dennis helped Sean and Lou with a valve cover gasket repair kit.
Their problems persisted on day three at Tri-State Raceway, netted the Chevelle the slowest pass of the week at 12.63. “Not the run we wanted, but it's WAY too hot to try again,” Sean said. “Time to turn the car around and get going on our almost 200 mile trip.” They completed the drive without incident and prepped for day four.
Great Lakes Dragaway would be the site of a discovery on the Chevelle, in the form of a burnt spark plug wire. With a fresh one in its place, the Chevelle came to life with an improved 11.81 at 114 mph. “We did a whole lot better with 8 cylinders today,” said Sean. “The MPH is showing were on the right track.”
They packed up to make the final drive, and planned for an exciting day five. “The car got some fresh oil, a quick once over, we finally connected the trans brake, and got a spicy tune up,” said Sean. “Still trying to decide if we make a safe pass, or just go for broke on the first hit.”
The result of the first pass on day five back at Byron Dragway? An 11.29 at 118 mph on the first pass, their best of the week. They went back for more, and the end result was an 11.20 at 118 mph, an 11.82 average, and a completed first drag-and-drive for the Chevelle.
“This event meant a lot to Lou, and finishing it was just the cherry on top,” Sean said. “We both felt like this was a total win on Monday just driving the car to the track. That was an emotional moment for Lou, as were many more throughout the week.”
“We met so many more people this year compared to last year. We spent more time at check points, and in the hotel parking lots. We just talked to a lot more people this time around. Even though we were dying in the car (from heat and the noise), we had an absolute blast all week. I think the highlight was Lou’s family coming out to Byron Dragway on the last day and seeing the car for the first time, while we also ran our best times of the week. I can’t wait to do it all over again next year; probably in a different car again!”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine and Sean Smyth.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com