Fourth Place Robert Gale Astoria, Il '67 Chevrolet Camaro
This is the first time at the contest for Robert Gale, but wheelies are a routine part of racing for him, so he figured he'd go to the Byron playground and give it a shot. On the first pass, Robert shifted the Jeffco into Third before coming down. On the second pass, the Camaro barfed a wheelie bar and came down hard. After pulling to the side and checking the gauges, he figured everything was OK and went back for more. The last try got a little out of hand, so he called it a day. "I realized I was on one tire before I crossed the centerline."
Tech Specs
Engine: This is really close to an old-time Pro Stocker. It's an iron 468 big-block Chevy with Dart 355 CNC heads. "It's a small engine with a good cam and a good head, so we are getting good power. If it worked for Pro Stock, it should work for us."
Power-adder: None
Transmission: The Jeffco four-speed has multiple shift levers, so there is a lot going on in the car. To get Third gear in the air, Robert has to let go of the Second gear rod and grab Third.
What did you break? "We bent a wheelie bar then straightened it and went to another contest and won Longest Wheelie."
Quarter-mile: The Camaro has seen 9.20 at 150 mph.
What do you do to prep for a wheelie? "Didn't change a thing."
Was it worth it? "Oh yes, we had a cookout that weekend, and I made $1,000 for making two passes."