Currently, LaBrecque has another Chevy factory small block under the hood, this time built by Greg Walker at Walker Custom Performance in Dallas, GA, but still with the Benton combination, right down to the concrete reinforcement. Engine temps are kept under control with a CSR pump keeping the water flowing through a big Griffin radiator that’s backed up by an electric fan. LaBrecque says the car typically goes to the line at about 140 degrees and finishes at 160 to 170 degrees, though sometimes it will reach as high as 180 to 190, depending on the weather.
“It actually ran cooler by about 15 degrees when we had ceramic-coated headers,” he says, “but those got kind of flattened and bent when we did that big wheelstand at Atlanta Dragway last year.”
One of the few concessions LaBrecque has made to non-stock weight saving is the rack-and-pinion steering he had installed by Cajun Race Cars. He cautions other racers considering a similar swap, however, that they have to understand a rack-and-pinion setup is not going to have the same depth of turn as a manual steering box. “You’re kind of limited on how far you can turn,” he says.
Remarkably, LaBrecque’s Nova was legally tagged and insured right up until last year and actually saw street use as recently as 2004. “We had a race down at Emerald Coast (FL) in 2004 with ORSCA and after the race we went on a vacation to Pensacola for a few days, so
while we were there I rolled the racecar out of the trailer and drove it up and down the strip. Everyone loved that, it sure brought a crowd—and it was legal to do that—that’s what made it fun.”
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LaBrecque proudly points out that he “could go get it licensed again tomorrow,” with only the return of the car’s windshield wipers needed to make it truly street worthy. “All the lights, high and low beams, horn, turn signals, it all works,” he says. “We did take the wipers and motors out, but all that stuff is at home in a box. Everything that came off the car we still have.
“I’m keeping it in this class because it’s a street class,” he continues. “It’s designed for street cars and I’m keeping it that way. That’s why I’m keeping my shocks where they are, in the front and the rear of the (rear) axle, I’m not gutting the car to get down in weight; I can honestly come out and say that we’re racing a street car.”
LaBrecque freely admits to being somewhat discouraged by the trend in EZ Street toward high-end racing engines and trick suspensions, enough so that he flirted with the idea of returning the Nova to the street after last season’s conclusion. But on the other hand, he clearly relishes the opportunity to knock off some of those big-money racers, and he’s done it often enough to earn the nickname “Giant Killer,” first bestowed on him by Limited Street team owner Jeff “Biggun” Deavers.
“We’re never expected to win,” LaBrecque says. “We’re running a 383 stroker, competing against 615s and 632s that are running nearly six tenths quicker than we are. But we still manage to find a way to go a couple of rounds at most races, so I’m pretty proud of that. I know that some people think, ‘Oh, we’re just running Bob,’ but they better be careful because the Nova steals one every now and then.”
