This past week, Helluvachevy and the 1970 Chevelle YETI finally found a place to call home—the Drag Track at RAD Torque Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Social media has been buzzing with questions like, “What will the YETI do?” and “Can the Kid handle the power?” Well, folks, we’ve got some answers.
The team was lucky enough to get two full test days last week. Day one was all about the learning curve. As Chevy’s father, Rob Reeves, wisely said, “Don’t be a hero, keep it straight and get a feel for it.” And get a feel he did. A huge jump from his Top Dragster, Chevy’s first pass with the virgin beast was a beautiful burnout and a quick 60ft pass with a bit of tire shake. After some (lots) of tinkering from Crew Chief Dean Bettenson, the second pass came out of the gate with grace and style. His mom even shed a tear.
Multiple runs throughout the day cleared out the cobwebs. Some tire shake, pulling right, and chutes with an attitude were all to be expected in an untested car. But the team was stoked to grab a bunch of great 600 ft. passes with 4.01 at 189.89 MPH just shy of the 1/8th. For a car that’s been sitting and waiting for prince charming to come along, she performed like the tart she really is. CJ Race Cars knows how to build an incredible machine. Chevy’s brother Colin and his Team at Dynamic Range were on site throughout the entire day, recording every minute on the track and in the pit, come along for the Wild Ride on the Helluvachevy YouTube channel.
On a perfect Sunday afternoon, day two at the track was even better, with more eyes looking to get a first glance at the kid in the car. Casey Plaizier, the sexy speedster graced us with his presence, bringing along his Dragster to get prepped for chasing the NHRA circuit. Because, you know, why not add a little more horsepower to an already thrilling day?
Good friend and fellow Top Dragster racer Darryn O’Conner joined the team for the day as well, Darryn, a guy who’s no slouch when it comes to big engines. If there’s one thing Darryn knows, it’s how to make an engine purr—or roar, depending on his mood. This man has a knack for turning wrenches and making horsepower happen, and he does it all with a smirk that says, “Yeah, I know what I’m doing.” With Dean and Darryn under the hood, it was time to start turning up the heat. With quite a few wrinkles ironed out, Crew Chief Dean was ready to let Chevy put her to the test, with three passes in the 3.90s. With a huge weather front approaching, the crew scrambled to get the car turned around for one more pass before the rain was expected to hit. The weather gods were in our favor, finishing the day with a 3.92 at 195.31 MPH.
Ah, what a day it was—filled with friends, laughter, and the sweet smell of burning rubber. Good buddy and fellow Top Dragster racer Dalton Gareau graced us with his presence too. As the YETI’s resident ‘Snowflake,’ Dalton was getting his hands dirty—kind of (mostly cookies).
Dalton, bless his heart, was there to lend a hand, or at least look like he was. We all know how crucial it is to have someone around who can hold a wrench and look pretty at the same time. The day wouldn’t have been the same without his rugged charm and his endless supply of ‘witty’ comments.
We’d be absolutely broken-hearted to leave Dalton behind when we hit the road next spring. So, keep your fingers crossed that he joins the team with his sexy disco small tire. Because, let’s face it, every racing team needs a bit of sparkle and sass, and Dalton brings that in spades.
The YETI is back at the shop, and Chevy has headed south to Tennessee for one more Dragster weekend at the races before the snow flies. “If we’re lucky, we’ll get another test day or two in before we need to put her back to bed for the winter,” says Chevy. The plan is to test, test, and test some more. Expect the car to travel stateside in early spring for more testing before the first NPK event in April.
Stay tuned, because this is just the beginning of one helluva ride!
