Kyler Smith

I got the truck my freshman year of high school to replace my 1996 firebird with a stock V6. The price we paid for the truck would barely be enough to V8 swap my firebird so the purchase was a no brainer. The truck when I got it was stock other than the paint, and a v8 swap already done. Was nothing special, just an old grudge truck from Georgia running 6.00 and I was told by the previous owner that it was on a 425 shot (seriously doubt that) all while using the stock 10 bolt and factory bench seat. I began racing the truck in June of 2013 in my local high school class that was at my local track. I did very well my first year and ended up second in points and was able to go to Indianapolis for the Division 3 Bracket Finals where I placed 4th in the division. After finishing out the season and moving into the 2014 season, where we added a 9″ ford rear end and caltracs. I continued to race it in the high school class and also an occasional street car class. The truck at this point had been the fastest of 11.79 at 114mph in FULL street trim, tags and insurance, dot tires front and rear, wipers, turn signals, high and low beams. I entered in a Street Car race where it was a 13.00 index class. Thinking there was no way I could slow the truck down that much without pulling loads of timing I gave it a shot. To my surprise I short shifted it at 4000rpms into second and immediately into 3rd gear and it would run 13.0X. Surprisingly enough I won the event and $250 cash, couldn’t believe it. Going to the end of 2014 season I was again 2nd in the points series and was fortunate enough to go back to Indianapolis for the Division 3 Finals for a SECOND time…..where sadly I red light first round. Over that winter, the truck got a 12 point cage with a funny car addition installed and welded by my dad and it also received a powerglide and a transbrake from a th350. Summer of 2015 was the first year where I started to lose interest in it. I raced high school class again as a junior in high school up until the weekend of July 4th. We added back in all the power to it to run a no box class at another track. Made 2 passes and truck went dead on the same number both passes except the temp would shoot up to 220, truck had never done that before. Went up for first round of eliminations and truck hit 240 degrees right at the 60′ markers and I knew something was wrong. I had to forfeit the race and we immediately took it home and tore it apart to find the block had cracked the #6 cylinder. At the time I had a very good job and very helpful parents to where I was able to order a complete intake to pan 406 from Ohio Crankshaft. The motor took 6 weeks to build so I was kind of down and out at that time pretty bummed I couldn’t race. With the new motor making 200+hp more than the old we found weak links pretty quick. Did I mention this truck HATES powerglides! This truck has destroyed 3 of them, 2 busted cases and 1 slipped bad enough to slow me down 7 tenths. I spent the rest of the 2015 season getting used to the truck and tuning it and the suspension so nothing exciting. Coming into 2016 season, I could no longer race high school due to the new changes we had made to the truck so now it was time to play with the big boys. My home track is very bad I could no longer get the leaf springs to work on that track so I spent the first few months messing with those where I finally got smart and switched to ladder bars. So far this year I have won 1 event with a few more races left in the year.

The truck is a 1987 S10 Tahoe originally from Tennessee and then was taken to Georgia where it became a grudge truck and was brought to Ohio in 2013 when I acquired it. As of now it weighs around 2950 with me in it, it’s a 406 built by Ohio Crankshaft that made 600hp at 6400rpm and 542ftlbs at 5000, has a 1.76 Pro Powerglide with a transbrake, has a custom billet 8″ ultra quick converter from Gregory Chomos at R&R Torque converters, 9″ rear end with a strange center section, full spool, 4.56 gear and 31 spline moser axles with 5/8ths studs, it’s now on ladder bars with Strange double adjustable coil overs. So far has been a 10.38 at 130mph with a 1.51 sixty foot, I currently have a Mark Sullens E85 carb on the way to try and looking to win some races. This winter the truck will be backhalved but will still remain small tire so I can cut some weight and slam it to the ground.