♪♪
Announcer: GOOD EVENING, RACE FANS.
[ CHEERING ]
WELCOME TO THE KICKOFF OF THE 1952 RACE SEASON
HERE AT KENNEDALE SPEEDWAY.
BE SURE TO VISIT OUR CONCESSION STANDS FOR A SNACK
AND YOUR FAVORITE BEVERAGE AND SETTLE IN
FOR AN ACTION-PACKED NIGHT OF RACING!
♪♪
ALL EYES TONIGHT ARE ON THE NUMBER 4 CAR,
THE 1952 CHEVY COUPE BUILT BY GAS MONKEY GARAGE
AND DRIVEN BY RICHARD RAWLINGS.
I GUESS YOU GOT POWER?
[ ENGINE STARTS ]
[ ENGINE REVVING ]
Announcer: RAWLINGS IS PUTTING IT ALL ON THE LINE WITH THIS CHEVY COUPE,
AND WE'RE ALL WAITING TO SEE IF NUMBER 4 LIVES UP
TO THE GAS MONKEY LEGEND.
THE PACK IS APPROACHING THE STARTING LINE,
AND THEY'RE OFF AND RACING!
[ CHEERING ]
[ ENGINE REVVING ]
♪♪
[ ENGINE REVVING ]
Richard: I TOOK THE '52 CHEVY OUT ON THE TRACK
TO TEST OUT HOW WELL IT PERFORMS AND TO SEE HOW IT FEELS
TO BE AN OLD-TIME NASCAR RACER FROM BACK IN THE DAY.
♪♪
IF YOU'RE GOING TO JUMP INTO NASCAR LIKE I DID,
YOU GOT TO PAY TRIBUTE TO YOUR ROOTS,
AND IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU'RE HEADED,
YOU GOT TO KNOW WHERE YOU CAME FROM.
Announcer: AND IT'S RICHARD RAWLINGS
IN THE GAS MONKEY CHEVROLET FOR THE WIN!
♪♪
Richard: REAR-WHEEL DRIVE, A MONSTER V-8,
MANUAL TRANSMISSION --
THAT'S THE STUFF OF STOCK CAR RACING LEGENDS.
♪♪
I WANTED TO BUILD A BADASS OLD-SCHOOL RACER FOR A WHILE,
AND NOW, SEEING IT ON THE TRACK,
I KNOW IT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION TO BUILD THIS CAR INTO ONE.
♪♪
BUILDING ANY KIND OF RACE CAR, YOU NEED POWER,
HANDLING, AND BRAKING.
UGH! DANG!
WHEN IT CAME TO THE MOTOR, WE NEEDED A LOT OF POWER
AND BULLETPROOF RELIABILITY.
HERE WE GO. GOING UP.
SO WE WENT WITH A 383 CHEVY SMALL-BLOCK STROKER
TURNING OUT MORE THAN 400 HORSES.
AW, SNAP.
IT'S COUPLED TO A NEW FIVE-SPEED TRANSMISSION
TO PUT ALL THAT POWER TO THE GROUND
AND GET OUT OF THE CORNERS WITH NO HESITATION.
[ CHEERING ]
HOLLEY HOOKED US UP.
TO SQUEEZE EVERY BIT OF POWER OUT OF THAT SMALL-BLOCK,
WE TURNED TO HOLLEY FOR THE CARB, FUEL PUMP, HEADERS,
AND EVERYTHING ELSE WE NEEDED TO MAKE THAT CAR
PERFORM LIKE WE ASKED.
♪♪
OF COURSE, WITH A LOT OF HORSEPOWER,
YOU NEED A LOT OF STOPPING POWER.
THERE'S NO ONE BETTER THAN THE TEAM AT WILWOOD,
AND THEY CAME THROUGH WITH A KILLER SET OF BRAKES.
YOU CAN'T WIN WITHOUT THE RIGHT HANDLING,
SO WE DIDN'T HOLD BACK ON BUILDING THE SUSPENSION.
WE WENT WITH RIDETECH COILOVERS
COUPLED WITH AN INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION
FROM JIMENEZ BROTHERS CUSTOMS.
THIS THING HANDLES LIKE IT'S ON RAILS.
♪♪
AIN'T NOTHING LIKE A GOOD REAR END,
AND THE DUTCHMAN'S REAR AXLE WITH EXTREME-DUTY WHEEL BEARINGS
WAS THE PERFECT FIT.
HOLY COW.
♪♪