BACA DRAGSTER HEADED FOR HOLLAND

From Tog, editor at eurodragster.com comes the news that Dutch Top Fuel dragster racer Lex Joon has acquired David Baca's 2003 car and will ship the car to Holland in late January or early February. The car comes turnkey with an engine between the rails and two spares.

"Everything is A-1 quality and there are a lot of nice touches," said team manager Gerda Dijkstra. "We have titanium headers and titanium valve covers. We have the very latest Racepak datalogger, and we'll be the first in Europe to run a setback blower!"

Joon's MPM Oil-backed team will be trying for the FIA European Championship in 2005. (file photo by Darr Hawthorne) [11-9-2004]

CHANGES AT GM RACING

At the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas GM Racing Director Doug Duchardt introduced the new Chevy Cobalt Phase 5 for entry-level racers in sport compact racing.

"Chevrolet has been the cornerstone of drag racing since the debut of the GM small-block V-8 nearly 50 years ago," said Duchardt. "Now Chevrolet will revolutionize this distinctly American sport again with the introduction of the Cobalt Phase 5. Developed and tested by GM engineers, this racecar is an example of what sport compact performance enthusiasts can do to create their own Cobalt race cars."

The Phase 5 Cobalt has a turbocharged 2.2-liter Ecotec engine that's been modified to produce 535 horsepower while retaining 65 percent of the production engine parts. The same team of GM Racing engineers who developed the championship-winning front-wheel-drive racecars driven by Nelson Hoyos and Marty Ladwig created the car.

The Agent also hears of a re-alignment within the GM Racing sport compact stable as GM will still support the PRO-FWD of Nelson Hoyos, but since GM will no longer build the Pontiac Sunfire, Marty Ladwig will be hunting for new backing. Ladwig1s car was the first seven second front wheel drive, unibody-car running 7.97 at 184 mph. It sounds like Ladwig will race the same GM Ecotec-powered Pontiac, but without corporate support in 2005.

Lisa Kubo has also announced her intent to move up to the PRO-Rear Wheel Drive class for 2005, however it will be without Jim Epler and Saturn Motorsports.

Since the NHRA Sport Compact Series has had such little spectator support this year, the Agent also hears that the remaining GM sponsored cars will be encouraged to run in the NOPI-NDRA, IDRC and Battle of the Imports series at the option of the individual teams. The anticipated fan exposure of the NHRA series has just not materialized this year.

It was also announced last week that Chevrolet will not provide engines for the Indy Racing League after the 2005 racing season. (photo courtesy GM Racing) [11-9-2004]