About Nitro Coupes
Let's digress to talk about this racing niche and the cars. First off, Nitro Coupes are exclusive to the Super Chevy racing series created by Roger Gustin. That is, while you could, in theory, run these cars in another class if outfitted and tuned differently, in Super Chevy they run on a nitro methanol/alcohol mix. The nitro component is allowed up to 30% of the brew and you had better have your brew right or that winning run can go down the toilet after inspection.

You will also hear these cars referred to as "doorslammers" or "door" cars. Needless to say, they have operating doors. From a distance, they resemble a funny car in looks and attitude and but the bodies are not one-piece. The nose is removed to gain access to the motor. The transmission and clutch are inside the car.

Maximum displacement is 526 cubic inches, all motors are blown and the fuel management system is state of the art. Sitting behind the motor is a 3-disc clutch and a 3-speed air-shifted transmission.

Out back, traction is handled by an adjustable multi-link setup that is one of the keys to getting the right mix of slip and grip. The other key pieces here, other than the driver of course, is the clutch. Tuning is critical. A good "clutch man" is essential. With varying track conditions, coming up with the correct recipe can be problematic.

Needless to say, they also go fast. With 2500 h.p., and up, on hand, a good run will produce a quarter mile elapsed time in the low six-second range and in the high 220's m.p.h.

Above, we implied that it takes dedication and determination to compete in this series. It also takes another "d" - dollars. Motors can run around $40,000, clutches and trannies $4,000 and $6,000 so you can estimate the value of a completed carbon fiber-bodied car. Then, let's throw in a trailer, spare motor perhaps and travel expenses. It ain't cheap and there's no guarantee of sponsorship. What people do for love.

Time to Race
Before long, an announcement is made and things start to get very organized in the pit area. We head for the stands. The stands fill up fast and it's obvious from the reaction of the crowd as the team announcements are made, that they're there to see the Nitro Coupes. Eventually, the first pair of Nitro Coupes appears and are fired-up. There goes that hair on the back of my neck again. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely! We're talking about long, classic, burnouts with the cars emerging from a cloud of smoke and sounds that hits you hard but are essential to the whole experience.

As they stage, the Nitro Coupes have that twitchiness associated with huge horsepower and a shorter wheelbase. You'd better be paying attention at this point because when they launch, they hustle down the track. After the first pair passes, the stands were buzzing and a major ovation welcomed the cars as they made their way back in the return lane. The crowd loved it big time.

As they pair off, it becomes obvious that, with a small field and competitive cars, a team must have to continually look for those miniscule improvements that collectively will put you out in front of the pack.