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Under the direction of crew chief Howard Moon, who also calls the shots for Critchley’s ADRL and NHRA rides, Wilson managed a career-best 4.76 in the AJ 526-equipped Chevy. “It’s basically got the powertrain out of the Willys that Troy used to drive that got wrecked at Jackson, SC, last year,” Wilson says. “It’s got the same clutch, same transmission, so it’s pretty much the same as what we run in the Pro Mod cars, a two-disc AFT and a three-speed Lenco.”
Both Wood and Wilson expect to be running in the 4.50s soon and although they realize that certainly won’t set the Extreme 10.5 class on fire, they hope consistency will make them a tough opponent on raceday.
“There are going to be a few guys out there who can lay down a .30 or a .40, but I think it’ll be hit-and-miss, so if we can make them have to beat us I think we can win a few rounds,” Wilson says. “We know we’ve got the power; it’s just getting it all to work. We’re used to the Pro Mod where you give it all you’ve got, but this thing’s different and we’ve just got to learn it.”
He adds that the team’s goal is to qualify the car at every ADRL race this year “and try to go rounds from there,” but stresses his personal priority remains to get Critchley qualified and advancing through raceday. “I’m happy to be driving, but I was hired to work on Troy Critchley’s Pro Mod, so that’s my focus,” Wilson says. “We want to go after a championship with the NHRA, so me getting to drive at ADRL events is just a bonus.”
Wood admits a special affinity for the ’57 and says he’s very happy to see it back in action on a racetrack. “This one will never go any place; it’s not for sale,” he states. “This car could be converted back to something you could drive on the street again. This car kind of represents the age group that I grew up in and it’s really an icon of drag racing. It’s not one of those that came out of a fiberglass mold. This is a real ’57 Chevy and I just think it’s a cool car.”
