DREAMS ARE ONE THING, but reality demands action - Joe Giunta decided there was only so long he could sit on the sidelines
A fan of drag and drive since the first Hot Rod Drag Week, Joe has been all too aware of the explosive growth of the sport in the last few years. He was early to the party and he decided that in 2025 it was time to dance.
A welder by trade, Joe has owned over 100 vehicles, but he wanted his drag and drive car to stand out — he wanted something Pro Street. The search ended with the ’69 Chevelle Yenko Tribute on these pages.
“One of my friends posted the car on Facebook and I ended up with it,” he said. “I only had about six months to work with, and lots of prep work to do.”
It’s the final days - You could win this all-wheel-drive turbocharged 1991 GMC Syclone! Purchase ANYTHING from our website (every $1 spent gets you an entry), and you earn entries! Click HERE to visit the Sick merch site - click HERE for more info & your chance to win the Syclone!
Visually, the Chevelle looks very similar to when Joe brought it home. The appearance betrays the many hours that went into getting the car up to spec for drag and drive, primarily safety upgrades.
“I had to take the transmission and interior out of the car to redo the cage,” he said. “There was a lot of welding and some new bars, as well as added a driveshaft loop and the SFI bell housing for the transmission. It was a rush to be done in time.”
The Chevelle came with a Dart 572 big-block Chevy, making use of an Ohio billet crank, Eagle H-beam rods and JE pistons for the internals. AFR 377 cylinder heads sit either side of an Erson hydraulic roller cam. The engine forms a stage for the star of the show, a 10-71 supercharger from The BlowerShop, standing on twin Quickfuel 950 carbs and topped by an Enderle Big & Ugly injector hat. “It’s right around 1000 horsepower on pump gas,” Joe said.
A Turbo 400 transmission and a nine-inch rear end are standard fare for this level of street machine, which also features a four-link back half.
“We came into the event hoping for 10.0s and maybe just a nine-second run,” Joe explained. “I’ve been wanting to do Drag Week for 20 years and to finally get the chance was unbelievable.”
The Chevelle steadily progressed throughout the week, with Joe staying cautious early so as not to put too much pressure on what was still a new-to-him car. But eventually he picked up a time slip for a 10.206 at 135 mph, the speed indicating that he was leaving a lot on the table in the first 60 feet. Most importantly, he finished.
“The transmission puked its clutches into the pan but it still got me through the week after changing out the fluid and filter a couple of times,” he said. “Talking with people and telling stories back and forth was awesome. Mike Finnegan even gave me a spark plug for the car during the test and tune. The people make the whole experience so great.”
Having taken the leap, Joe now looks forward to his next goals. “I know the car can run nines,” he said. Just a warning, Joe: it won’t stop there.