Drag Illustrated Issue 140, January 2019 | Page 58

DIALED IN Great Dane Four decades of racing for Dane Pearson and his Corvette Story & Photo by Van Abernethy A mong the most enduring acts in Super Stock drag racing in the South- east is Dane Pearson’s super-cool 1966 Corvette, a car he’s owned since 1978. Although Pearson has raced the car extensively for approaching four decades, this vintage American hot rod also has a storied past as a street cruiser. “This car was actually sold new at a Chevrolet dealership in Spartanburg, South Carolina, when my friend, Greg Dodkin, received the car as a high school graduation present, but he chain-smoked in the car and drove it like a maniac!” Pearson explains. During its life as a graduation present, the ‘Vette was raced extensively – and not only on the streets, but also in parking lots and occasion- ally even taken to the now-defunct Spartanburg Dragway. “I don’t think Greg ever did empty that ash tray, though,” Pearson laughs. The car originally featured a convertible top and was equipped with a 327ci, 300-horse engine with a 4-speed. After enduring years of abuse the car was eventually left for dead behind Dodkin’s house, but that’s when Pearson happened by in late 1978 and asked about buying it. “When I first asked about buying the car, Greg really wasn’t the least bit interested in selling it, but then he called me two weeks later and told me his wife was pregnant and asked if I still wanted to buy the car, so I gave him $1,200 for it. To this day, the car is still titled in my name. I’m kinda tickled about that,” Pearson laughs. The original engine and transmission were both toast when he dragged the car out of Dodkin’s backyard, so Pearson worked night and day replac- ing those components so that he could be ready to race the car early the following year at the season- opening IHRA Winter Nationals in Darlington, South Carolina, in 1979. Pearson also replaced the original rag top with a hard top that he bought from a friend who just happened to have one. “In the beginning, I had a partner named Glenn Strange, who eventually left racing to become a professional magician. He still performs to this present day. We were known as ‘Pearson and Strange,’” Pearson recalls. By 1980, the duo was winning races with the Corvette, with Pearson driving to his first-ever win in Fayetteville, North Carolina, followed by another victory the following week in Roxboro, North Caro- lina. “I was racing E-Econo Modified back then, clocking high 10’s in the quarter mile at probably 120 mph...felt like I was flying, too!” he smiles. He’s won a bunch of races with this car, in- cluding multiple victories in the Classic Gear Jammer series. His current drivetrain combo is a 280ci engine built by Tim Freeman and Jeff Guenther, and is anchored by a Liberty 4-speed with Advanced Clutch. The car has been redone four times in the last 40 years, most recently by Darrell Lail Race Cars in Maiden, North Carolina. Pearson clocked an all-time best recently at Geor- gia’s Silver Dollar Raceway, stopping the timers in 8.91 seconds at 152 mph. “When I cross the finish line, she’s winding in the range of 10,200 rpms,” Pearson says. These days, Pearson particularly enjoys racing in the NHRA Lucas Oil eighth-mile divisional series, where the dream of winning an NHRA Wally keeps the racing dream in high gear for the Spartanburg native, who turns 71 his next birthday. Chassis man Darrell Lail jokes about how he plans to go get Pearson out of the nursing home some day and take him racing. “Racing is a lot of work,” echoes Pearson, “but as long as I’ve got friends like Darrell Lail and Greg Lauder to go with me I’m gonna keep on racing as long as I can!” DI DI DI DI DI DI DI 58 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com DI DI DI Issue 140