One Step Back Resulted in Two Steps Forward for Sean Lemire and His 1972 Chevrolet Nova at Hot Rod Drag Week 2025
Sometimes being able to see the big picture, even if it means regrouping and not attending an event, can be the right move for a competitor.
In the case of Sean Lemire and his 1972 Chevrolet Nova, he was lined up to attend a pair of drag and drive events in 2024, but the Nova didn’t make the trip. Lemire chose to work on a few issues instead, and when he and the Nova made their first appearance at Hot Rod Drag Week in 2025, it was a memorable one.
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The Massachusetts resident build the ’72 Nova with a nod towards both classic looks and cubic inches and modern power adders. Lemire started with a Dart Big M base, and the current engine displaces 509 cubic inches of big block brute.
A John Bewley spec’d solid roller camshaft tells the valves in the Air Flow Research (AFR) cylinder heads when and how long to open and close, and a pair of Forced Induction billet S476 turbochargers add the extra air. Holley EFI controls all the functions.
The 4-digit powerplant is backed up by a Turbo 400 3-speed transmission, with a PTC converter housed in the bellhousing. That sends the power to a 9-inch rear end housing 3.25 gears, and a 3.5-inch exhaust that travels the full length of the car.
When we first talked with Sean, he was running a rear mount radiator, allowing a bit more room in the engine bay for the turbos and intercooler. But after some driving, he made the decision to make a change to bring the radiator back to the engine bay.
That change also necessitated a change to the intercooler, with Lemire solved with a Shearerfab intercooler custom built to an Edelbrock tunnel ram intake. He also upgraded to a 14-volt charging system.
After the Nova and Lemire waited an extra year for his Hot Rod Drag Week debut, they rolled into Maryland and delivered a 9.26 at 149 mph on Day One. “We made some changes to the tune up, but forgot to adjust the 3-step offset,” said Lemire. “I waited too long at the line because the rpm wasn’t right, resulting in a 1.5x sec reaction time.”
Because anything over a second on reaction time is added to the time slip time, Lemire’s 8-second run instead became a 9.26, putting him in third place in the Super Street Big Block Power Adder class. “Our main focus was finishing the event,” said Lemire, and they moved on to Day Two.
That second day would return a better 8.66 at 163 mph pass, and the rest of the week was mostly trouble-free, as Lemire collected four time slips between an 8.67 and an 8.57. This not only allowed him to complete his first drag and drive with the Nova, but also capture the Super Street Big Block Power Adder class victory with an 8.76 average.
“Getting to attend Hot Rod Drag Week for the first time and doing a drag and drive with the Nova was really all that I wanted to accomplish,” Lemire said. “A week-long vacation with hot rods and friends, and it was exactly that. This just tops it off.”
Now, in addition for planning for another drag and drive in 2026, Lemire is considering a roll cage upgrade. “If I never painted the car, I’d be looking for another one, unless I find a ‘62-64 Nova beforehand,” said Lemire. “But the floors in my car need a lil bit of work, so during the update we can address that at the same time.”
Will this Nova be ready for the step up for seven second runs in 2026?
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sean Lemire.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com