ʻO Dan Fletcher (Dan Fletcher) kekahi o ʻekolu mau kānaka i ka moʻolelo o ka heihei kauō.Ua lanakila 'o ia ma mua o 100 NHRA lanakila, ho'onoho 'ia ma mua o nā ka'ao he nui o ka ha'uki, a ho'okūkū pū me John Force a 'o Frank Manzo (Frank Manzo) i hui kū'oko'a.ʻO ia wale nō ka mea i kahili ʻelua i ka West Swing.
Mai ka lanakila mua o Super Stock i lanakila ai ma Columbus i ka makahiki 1994 a i ka lua o ka Super Stock ma ka NHRA National E-sports spark plug ma 2020, ʻo ke kaʻa i lanakila nui ai ʻo Fletcher, ʻo ia kēia hōʻailona 1969 Chevy Z / 28 Camaro.ʻO ia ke kaʻa lanakila loa ma ka mōʻaukala NHRA a me ka Chevrolet lanakila loa ma nā kaʻa kaʻa a pau.ʻAʻole lanakila ʻē aʻe i nā hoʻokūkū ma kekahi ʻano hoʻokūkū.manawa.He aha ka mea kūikawā o kēia kaʻa i lanakila i nā lanakila he nui ma ia kahua hoʻokūkū?He kanaka anei?He mīkini a ʻaʻole paha he kaʻawale ma waena o lāua?
I nā manawa he nui, ʻo ke kī i ka kūleʻa e hoʻomaka ma mua o nā mea ʻē aʻe, a hiki ke huli ʻia ka moʻopuna heihei o ka Z/28 i ka lā mua.Ua hānau ʻia ʻo Camaro ma ke ʻano he Crossram air intake, 302-lita, V-8, ʻehā-wikiwiki kaʻa.ʻO kēia ʻano mīkini i hana ʻia no ka hoʻokūkū, a me ke ʻano o ke kaʻa e hoʻopau ʻia nei i ka mākeke o ka ʻohi i kēia lā.
Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Fletcher: "Ua kūʻai maoli koʻu makuakāne i kahi kaʻa hou, hoʻokele iā ia i ka home, a hoʻopau i kona ola holoʻokoʻa."ʻO ka mile mile wale nō āna i ʻike ai ma ke alanui, ʻo ia ka mile mile e pono ai ke hele mai ka mea kūʻai aku.Paʻi ʻia kēlā me kēia mile ma nā mokulele huki ma ka ʻāina.
Na ka makuakāne o Fletcher i hoʻokele i ke kaʻa i ka hana hoʻololi ʻia i ka makahiki 1970, a laila hoʻopaʻa ʻia no kekahi manawa.I ka hoʻokokoke ʻana o Fletcher i ka makahiki hoʻokele, ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia ua huki ʻo ia i kona makuakāne i ke kahua heihei i ka makahiki 1980 a ua hoʻohuli ʻo Camaro i kaʻa kaʻa, a laila hoʻohana ʻo ia i ka makahiki 1990.Hoʻololi ʻia e komo i ka hoʻokūkū Super Stock.I ka nīnau ʻana e pili ana i ka mea huna o ka kūleʻa o kēia kaʻa, ʻōlelo ʻo Fletcher he hui ʻino ʻole ia o ka "hana ikaika a me ka hoʻomanawanui."Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia ua loaʻa iā ia kāna ʻoihana ʻoihana mai kona makuakāne.Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Fletcher: "Manaʻo wau he kanaka hana ikaika loa wau, akā e hoʻohilahila koʻu makuakāne iaʻu.""He kanaka paʻakikī loa ʻo ia a me ka kikoʻī kikoʻī."ʻO ke ʻano o ke kanaka ʻike maoli i nā mea e pono ai e lanakila ai ka lanakila.Kanaka.
No laila, he aha nā kikoʻī nui iā Fletcher a me kāna Camaro?Hoʻopili ʻo ia i ka hana o ka hana ʻana i nā kaʻa i ʻoi aku ka wikiwiki a ʻoi aku ka wānana, ʻaʻole i nā ʻāpana.He bulldozer kēia me nā uhi hoʻoheheʻe he nui ma luna.ʻAʻole hiki iā mākou ke ʻike i ka nui o nā ʻāpana wikiwiki i hoʻokani maikaʻi ʻia ma Camaro, ʻaneʻane ʻaʻohe mea a mākou e wehewehe ai he "exotic".
Ua haʻi mai ʻo Fletcher iā mākou: "He mea hana wau i kahi maʻamau, a ke hoʻāʻo nei au e maʻalahi nā mea āpau."Ua ʻae ʻo ia he nui kāna mau hoaaloha e kūʻai i nā mea maikaʻi loa no kā lākou kaʻa, akā ʻaʻole ʻo ia kēlā kanaka.Ua lōʻihi kona hoʻokele ʻana i kēia kaʻa a hiki mai ʻo ia me nā ʻāpana kiʻekiʻe, akā he kakaʻikahi loa nā kumukūʻai kiʻekiʻe loa ma kēia kaʻa.“ʻAʻole wau ka luna o ka pule.ʻAʻole au maʻamau.He cliché wale nō wau," i ʻōlelo mai ai ʻo ia iā mākou.
Ma waena o kēia mau hale kiaʻi hoʻokuʻu ʻia, ua hoʻokomo ʻo Chevrolet i kāna mīkini hoʻokūkū lua quaternary 302cid Crossram.Mai ia manawa, ua lilo ia i home o nā ʻenekini liʻiliʻi a nui a me nā ʻenekini SB2 NASCAR.Aia i kēia manawa he ʻenekini COPO 350-cylinder i lako me ka LS7 alumini block, LS3 cylinder head a me Holley Hi Ram ea puka makani.Ma hope o ka hoʻohui ʻana i ʻelua gaskets e hana i ke ala kahe maikaʻi loa, hiki ʻole ke hoʻokomo ʻia kēia inlet ea ma ka paia mua.Ma lalo o ka pahu hau.ʻOi aku ka nui o nā kaula zipa a me nā mea hoʻohui pū ma mua o kā mākou i manaʻo ai ma kēia kaʻa, akā e like me kā Fletcher i hoʻomanaʻo mai ai iā mākou, "E hoʻomaka mau kaʻu mau mea."
Hiki iā ʻoe ke ʻike i ke koko maloʻo ma ka laina AN i hana ʻia e Fletcher no kēia kaʻa.Ua hōʻike ʻo ia he pono wale ʻo ia e hoʻololi i kahi laina no ka hoʻololi ʻana mai ka carburetor liʻiliʻi āna e pono ai i ka mīkini LS.Ua kamaʻilio pū ʻo Fletcher e pili ana i nā papa mākau āna i aʻo ai e pili ana i ke kaomi wahie.ʻAʻole hiki i ka mea hoʻoponopono ke hoʻomalu i ke kaomi wahie a hiki i kona hoʻololi ʻana i ke kaʻa i kahi puka komo -8 AN a me ka paipu hoʻihoʻi -10 AN nui.Wahi a kā mākou helu helu, i nā makahiki, ua hoʻāʻo ʻia ma ka liʻiliʻi o ʻekolu mau ʻano hoʻonohonoho ʻokoʻa o ke kaomi wahie ma luna o ka pūnāwai kumu.
Mālama mākou iā ʻoe i ka pilikia: ʻo ka odometer he 653 mau mile wale nō.ʻAʻole ia he helu maoli.Ua haʻi mai ʻo Fletcher iā mākou ʻaʻole i hoʻopili ʻia nā uwea no nā makahiki he mau makahiki, a ke piʻi nei ka nui o nā kaula i kēlā mile mile.Ua pau ka dashboard, ka pedal a me nā ʻāpana pedal i nā hoʻokūkū a puni ka ʻāina.Ma hope o nā mea a pau, ʻo kēia ke keʻena home o Fletcher.
I nā makahiki 2000, ua hoʻohana ʻia ke kaʻa me ka 396-cylinder a me ʻekolu-wikiwiki hoʻoili ʻana, akā ma waho aʻe o kēlā, ua hoʻohana ʻia kēia kaʻa Hearst i nā kaʻa no kahi kokoke i 30 mau makahiki.ʻO Biondo Racing ka mea hoʻohana uila e pili ana i nā hoʻololi 1-2.I kēia manawa, aia kahi ATI Powerglide ʻelua-wikiwiki ma lalo o ka tunnel, akā manaʻo ʻo Fletcher e pono ke kaʻa i ʻekolu mau wikiwiki e hoʻohana ai i ke kāʻei mana o ka mīkini.
ʻO ka mana o ka hoʻololi ʻana i ke kaʻa me ke ʻano o kahi ʻāpana wikiwiki kahiko a aia i loko o ke kaʻa i ka wā i hoʻomaka ai ʻo Fletcher i ka heihei.Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Fletcher i kona hāʻule ʻana mai ke kaʻa huakaʻi i ka makahiki 2003 a "haʻi i koʻu ʻaoʻao ʻākau holoʻokoʻa", pono ʻo ia e noʻonoʻo i kahi ala e haʻalele ai i ka laina hana me kona lima hema wale nō.No laila, ma waho aʻe o kēia pihi ma ka papahele, aia kekahi pihi ma ka huila hoʻokele."I kekahi manawa hoʻohana wau i kēlā pihi, i kekahi manawa ʻē aʻe."
ʻO ka pepa metala ma ke kaʻa he mea kahiko, a ʻo ka makuakāne o Fletcher i hoʻokaʻawale mua i ke kaʻa i ka makahiki 1980.Ua hoʻomanaʻo ʻo Dan ʻo ke kaʻa āna i ʻike ai ma luna o ka pākaukau pīniki he mea paʻa.Ua hana hou ʻia kēia kaʻa e Gary Wisecarver o Rustburg, Virginia.No nā makahiki he 25 i hala iho nei, ʻo nā kaila Mickey Thompson ka huahana nui o ka hoʻolālā, akā ʻo Weld Wheels kahi huahana hou i 2019. Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Fletcher: "Makemake mau wau iā lākou, akā ʻaʻole hiki iaʻu ke loaʻa mau."I ka nīnau ʻia ʻana e pili ana i ka hiki ke hoʻoponopono i nā laka pālua V-series i 7075 alumini lug nuts, ua ʻae ʻo ia no nā keiki lākou.Manaʻo, akā i kēia manawa, ua māʻona ʻo ia.
Hoʻokomo ʻia kahi pālua ʻelua i hoʻolako ʻia me Optimo Yellow Top i loko o kahi pahu wahie i hoʻolako ʻia me Aeromotive-Pump a me kahi pahu counterweight i hana ʻia, hiki iā Fletcher ke hana me ka ballast i ke kaʻa.I ka nīnau ʻana inā he mau bolts ʻaʻole i wehe ʻia mai ke kaʻa, ʻōlelo ʻo ia e hāʻule nā ​​​​bolts bumper hope e hōʻeha wale i ke kaʻa-ua hana ʻia kēia ma 2019.
Hoʻopaʻa ʻia ka 33.0 / 14.5R15 M / T Pro Drag Radials i ka honua me nā 40-spline Ford 9-inch rotating 5.38 gears o Strange, a ua hoʻolako ʻia me nā wili kila e hoʻomaikaʻi i ka lōʻihi.I ka wā i uku ai ʻo Penske i ka uku kākoʻo ulia pōpilikia o Super Stock, ua haʻalulu ʻo Penske.
Ke nānā nei i ke kaʻa, ʻike ʻia he ʻano hoʻohālikelike kēia no ka mea hoʻokele-he ʻoiaʻiʻo lākou e pili ana i ka hemahema, a noʻonoʻo ʻia ko lākou iho a me ke ʻano hana ma hope o ka ʻoiaʻiʻo.ʻO kā lākou hoʻoikaika ʻana iā ʻoe e noʻonoʻo hou i ka ʻāpana aʻe āu e hoʻohui ai i ke kaʻa, ʻoiai inā ʻaʻole maikaʻi loa, e holoi i ka ʻāpana āu i hoʻohuli ai.No ka laʻana, e nānā i ka ʻōnaehana wahie.Loaʻa nā pahu pahu brushless kiʻekiʻe loa i loko o nā wahie, akā ʻaʻole ʻoe i ʻike.He kaula wili lima kēia, i hoʻopaʻa ʻia me kahi zipa e huki ai i kou manaʻo.ʻAʻohe mau hose laina ʻo Teflon a i ʻole nā ​​mea hoʻohui ʻo-ring clamshell.ʻO ia wale nō, ua hōʻoia ʻia nā mea kahiko AN ʻulaʻula a me ka uliuli ma ka mokulele ma mua o ka hele ʻana o ke kaʻa i waho.Eia nō naʻe, ʻaʻohe mea primitive i ka hoʻolālā, no ka mea, ua hana ʻia ka pipeline e hōʻemi i ka helu a me ka nui o nā mea e hoʻolako ai i ka wahie i ka mīkini a ʻae i ka mea hoʻoponopono e hoʻokele pono i ke kaomi wahie."ʻO nā paipu wahie a pau āu e ʻike ai ma lalo o ka puʻupuʻu he mau ʻāpana aʻu i hoʻohana hou ai i ka basement," wahi a Fletcher."No ka paipu wahie ʻeleʻele hou, ʻaʻohe aʻu mea, akā inā loaʻa iaʻu nā ʻāpana ma ka lima a loaʻa nā lua o ke kaʻa (mai nā hui ʻē aʻe o ka hoʻokele kaʻa), e hoʻohana wau i kaʻu mea."
ʻO kekahi kumuhana hou o Fletcher ʻo kona pale ʻana iā "ʻAʻole wau he kanaka waiwai."I kāna ʻōlelo ʻana "ʻaʻole ia he kanaka hoʻomākeʻaka," ʻo ia ka manaʻo maoli.Inā hiki iā ia ke hoʻohana i kāna mea e hoʻokō ai i kāna mau pahuhopu, e hana ʻo ia.Inā paha e hana ana ia ma kāna trailer 20-makahiki, a i ʻole ke kaʻa ʻana i kāna RV 17 makahiki, a i ʻole e hahai ana i nā ʻāpana i loko o kahi pahu pahu 1-ton āna i hoʻihoʻi mai ai mai kāna mea hana mīkini i ka lā a mākou i kamaʻilio ai me ia.
Ua aʻo maikaʻi kēia kanaka a me ka mīkini i ka hana ʻana i nā mea i loaʻa iā lākou.ʻAʻohe pōkā kupua ma ʻaneʻi.ʻIke ʻo ia i ka loaʻa ʻana o nā ʻāpana pono e pane.Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia: "He nui ka poʻe i nalowale ke hoʻomaka lākou e hoʻololi i nā mea, a i kekahi manawa paʻakikī ke ʻimi i kahi ala e hoʻi ai.ʻO wau hoʻi.Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia ʻo ka hapa nui o ka manawa e hoʻāʻo ai ʻo ia e hana i kahi mea hou, a i ʻole e hana i kahi mea maikaʻi aʻe, e hoʻihoʻi ia i lalo.No laila, ua lohi a me ke ʻano o ka ulu ʻana o nā kaʻa.
Ua aʻo nā poʻokela mai kā lākou mau hewa a me nā kūleʻa, a ʻo Fletcher's 2019 a me 2020 NHRA mau makahiki kāna mau pāʻani lōʻihi loa me ka ʻole o Wally.'O ia ke kumu o ka hui 'enekini LS hou i ke ka'a?Malia paha, akā ʻaʻole ʻo Fletcher i hoʻopiʻi koke i ka hewa i kekahi ʻano o kāna kaʻina hana.Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Fletcher: "ʻO kēia paha ka ʻāina maloʻo lōʻihi loa aʻu i loaʻa ai.""ʻO ka makahiki i hala ka manawa mua aʻu i lanakila ʻole ai i kahi pāʻani i 25 mau makahiki."Hoʻokokoke ʻo ia a holo maikaʻi, akā e like me kāna ʻōlelo: "ʻAʻole i ʻike ʻia."
ʻAʻole ʻae ʻia kāna manawa 2020 e komo i kāna wahi.No laila, ua aʻo ʻo ia i ka hui ʻana o ke kaʻa a me ka torque converter hui e holo i nā helu i koi ʻia.E hoʻomanaʻo e pili ana ʻo ia i nā ʻāpana āna i hoʻohana ai mai ka makahiki 2019, a ke hana nei ʻo ia i kahi hoʻomaʻemaʻe a pale aku i nā ʻano hou.Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Fletcher: "Inā hoʻololi ʻoe, ʻaʻole ʻoe e maikaʻi loa ma ia mea.""I ka hopena, pono ʻoe e noiʻi hohonu, a laila hana i kahi ʻōnaehana hana a hoʻomaʻamaʻa.Ua holo maoli au i ka kaʻa like no 40 makahiki.i luna.”
He aha ka mea i hiki iā ia ke nānā aku i ka mīkini hoʻokahi i nā makahiki?ʻO kona makuakāne.ʻAʻole kēia 69 Z/28 he kaʻa Super Stock wale nō.He mau kaikunane a me kona mau kaikuahine.ʻO kāna ola kēia.ʻO kāna hoʻoilina hoʻi kēia.ʻO kāna pilina me ia he mea hoʻohanohano i kona makuakāne, a ua mau nō ia i kona ola ʻana.Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia: "ʻO 69 Camaro kekahi o nā kaʻa kaulana loa, akā noʻu iho, he keiki hoʻokahi wau.Mai ka wā i hoʻokele ai koʻu makuakāne i ka home, kokoke i kona ola ʻana.“E noʻonoʻo mau ana.Inā ʻole kēlā kaʻa, poina, a laila poina.Inā ʻaʻole kēia kaʻa, ʻaʻole wau e ʻike i ke ola.
ʻAʻole no Chevy ka makuakāne o Dan Fletcher, no Mopar ʻo ia.Ma mua o kēia, ʻo kāna kaʻa ka 440-powered '67 Coronet R/T, e holo ana ma C/Stock Automatic.ʻO ka '69 Z/28 Camaro kāna koho lua no ka mea ʻaʻole i loaʻa iā ia kāna kauoha no ka '68 Hemi Dart i ka hoʻouna ʻehā-wikiwiki āna i makemake ai.Ua kāpae ʻia ke kauoha, a ua kau kekahi hoa o ka mea kūʻai Chevrolet kūloko i ka makua kāne o Dan me ke kaʻa pony.No laila, kokoke loa mākou e hui pū me Dan Fletcher i ka Hemi Challenge?"Ua noʻonoʻo wau iā ia i nā manawa a pau," wahi a Fletcher."ʻAʻole kēlā mau kaʻa Hemi i nā kaʻa bracket revolving piha."E hoʻololi anei ʻo Fletcher i ka combo engine a hahai i ka hoʻolālā pāʻani like me kēia Super Stock Camaro?"ʻO wai ka mea ʻike," wahi a Fletcher."Inā kūʻai koʻu makuakāne i kēlā kaʻa, ʻokoʻa loa ka mōʻaukala."