Canada’s “cool car” competition heats up from within the province of Ontario…
There are some new chapters being written for some of Canada’s most creative drag cars — which are being given new life.
Within Eastern Canada’s “fast street car” racing genre – a partnership between Luch Querin and Wade Stevens is bringing back one of the most popular “Outlaw” cars ever for Canada.
Querin, (the reputed owner of LE Chassis Engineering in Woodbridge) and Stevens (Maximum Performance – Queensville ON) have conspired to give a ’68 Chevelle formally raced by Rocky DiLecce a new lease — within the Canada’s Heads Up circuit.
This configuration Chevelle in fact did first debut on a limited basis during last year’s COVID constraint season, is now being more fully developed this summer.
“This was the Outlaw 10.5 (OSCA) championship winner that Rocky raced so successfully,” Luch Querin confirmed. “I bought the car (which formally had a supercharged 526 CID Al Billes motor) – but now we switched it over to one of Wade’s 632 CID nitrous-injected engine programs. I also went through the car extensively — and we took a lot of weight out of it. We wanted to have something we could run locally and that we could have fun with — it’s so cool to have a car with so much history behind it too.”
Luch did reveal that the team’s Chevelle is an original car from GM, that over the years has seen a migration to a lot of lightweight parts.
“It’s different from most in the Super Street 10.5 class — it’s anything but a “cookie cutter!”, he laughed.
The team has made some great strides with their project already in 2021 – including being a race winner in the low 4 secs capable (1/8th mile) machine. They did win a CHU title at Cayuga Dragway in June.
Phil Sampson, who has been a long time competitor within southern Ontario’s Top Sportsman class, is on the comeback trail in 2021 after an absence from that class of about 5 years.
Sampson, from St. Marys ON, but who owns and operates a body shop in London ON, has reclaimed a very famous ’53 Studebaker — purchasing what was the former Doug Blowes Pro Mod machine. This car has history that is very deep, including a chassis by Australia’s Murray Anderson, it’s original owner Al Billes and intermediate owner Ralph Andreacchi.
Since getting the car in early 2020 – Phil has performed a major overhaul to the car and chassis while converting it to nitrous-oxide machine for Top Sportsman class competition.
“It’s been fun developing the next phase for such a famous race car,” Phil said. “Wes Goddard has had his hands all over it – he’s put a lot of late nights and man hours into it. We do have an all aluminum 763 CID Brodix motor. With that big of motor we’re going through some of the trials and tribulations. We have a 3-stage nitrous system – but we’re using only one stage for now, while we get our feet wet making it quick and competitive.”
Phil’s slick looking and now very low profile “Stude” will for the most part stay close to home in Canada this summer however if the Canada/USA border closure predicament changes – he has not ruled out a trip into Michigan or Ohio later this season.
While Phil’s return to T/S is a new development – he and his wife Jessica have been active within Ontario’s drag racing scene with a ’34 Chevy ET bracket car and also a ’68 Camaro Outlaw Street car. Their son, Lucas Sampson, is also a developing Junior Dragster driver.
Paul Coull, who first began to dabble within the Top Sportsman class ranks 5 years ago has upped his racing anti for 2021 with a significant upgrade.
Coull (from Drumbo ON) has sold off his ’99 Chevy Monte Carlo and replaced that with the outrageous ’37 Chevy which was formally owned by Gary Mater (Petrolia ON) and run with a turbocharger in Pro Mod. Coull will instead run his supercharged alcohol-burning engine program which has been transferred over.
“I made the deal with Gary last October,” Paul revealed. “Then the car went to Wes Goddard (Hellbilly Race Cars) who spent 7 months making it all right and safe – because that’s what Wes does. The car was originally built by Brian Robbins (from Michigan) back in 2005 – but had been sitting idle for the last few years.”
“It’s a much superior car to what I had been running,” Paul added. “We have a target for it being a consistent and competitive 6.5 secs car and we’ll mostly race in Canada – because supporting our local series has to be a priority.”
Paul’s popular “Too Coull” Racing team is very family involved — including his wife Linda Fendley Coull and his children Kayla Coull and Dylan Fendley.
Post/Photos by Bruce Biegler
