Had 46-year-old Doug Engels been born 10-15 years earlier, inevitably he would have competed in Modified Eliminator, a popular NHRA category in 1967-81. 
Although his latest super sanitary ‘57 Corvette is a Super Stocker, it allows him to race vicariously in Modified.
That is Engels’ intent. “It seems like so many of the cars from the Modified era were cut up and turned into Super Gas cars, and several became Pro Street cars. What happened to them all? There were hundreds of them,” said Engels, a resident of Watertown, S.D., who has raced 30 years with a variety of cars. His most noteworthy was a D/Econo Dragster in Comp with which he won 12 divisional and five national events, including Indy in 2008, before selling the car to New Yorker Vinny Barone.
As for Engels’ ‘vette, it is the real deal. It was raced in Modified by Division 6 hitter Jim Warter of Washington and eventually sold to California engine builder Bob Panella of Pro Stock Truck and Pro Stock fame. The car remained disassembled 20-plus years before Engels bought it five years ago.
Had 46-year-old Doug Engels been born 10-15 years earlier, inevitably he would have competed in Modified Eliminator, a popular NHRA category in 1967-81. Although his latest super sanitary ‘57 Corvette is a Super Stocker, it allows him to race vicariously in Modified.
That is Engels’ intent. “It seems like so many of the cars from the Modified era were cut up and turned into Super Gas cars, and several became Pro Street cars. What happened to them all? There were hundreds of them,” said Engels, a resident of Watertown, S.D., who has raced 30 years with a variety of cars. His most noteworthy was a D/Econo Dragster in Comp with which he won 12 divisional and five national events, including Indy in 2008, before selling the car to New Yorker Vinny Barone.
As for Engels’ ‘vette, it is the real deal. It was raced in Modified by Division 6 hitter Jim Warter of Washington and eventually sold to California engine builder Bob Panella of Pro Stock Truck and Pro Stock fame. The car remained disassembled 20-plus years before Engels bought it five years ago.
“I’ve always had a fascination with old Corvettes,” said Engels, who has owned Doug’s Auto Repair in Watertown since 1989. “I still have a soft spot for cars, such as the history of each car, and just the car – period. Drag racing used to be all about car people. The younger crowd treats drag racing like a video game and the car is just a tool.”
Engels’ Corvette, which runs in SS/BX or SS/GM, debuted at the Topeka event in May and received the Best Engineered Award. At the Joliet race in BX trim the car qualified No. 1 at 9.44, well under the 10.55 index, before Engels was undone by a round-two .001 redlight. He stated the car has 9.20s potential.
A 261-inch Chevy V-6 engine by Rick Watters Racing in Glendale, Ariz., puts out 650 horsepower due in part to a Dave Hughes intake and Tom Slawko heads. That power is transferred through a Pro Trans three-speed automatic, Coan converter, and 6.20 rear gear. The 6,500-RPM starting-line speed leaps to 9,600 for each shift and at the stripe.
Larry Larson of Oak Grove, Mo., did the chassis, and the paint is by Wagner’s Classic Cars in Bonner Springs, Kan., based on a design by Scott Brown Graphic Designs of Odessa, Mo. “It turned out nice, and it drives beautifully,” said Engels, who noted the interior is nearly stock and all the lights work. “It’s gotten a lot of attention. People really like to see the way it was originally. The more it looks like stock, the better it is to guys in the right age group.”
Engels has two other Corvettes. Set to debut next spring in Super Stock is a 1960 with a 283-inch engine and four-speed run in Modified by current Comp racer Jerry Arnold of Michigan. Engels’ other Corvette is a street-driven ‘58 with a tube chassis, small-block, five-speed, and 4.88 gear. The car has clocked 8.48 at 160 on the strip.
Super Stock holds strong appeal for Engels. “Comp is the neatest class, but the indexes are all so beat up, and you have to have the time, dedication, and money,” he said. “Super Stock works good for me, and it’s the only thing left where you can go out and showcase a car that means something to you.”
And, Engels is finding his new Corvette means something to a lot of people.
