Steve Morris and the World’s Quickest Wagon Aiming for 5-Second Time Slips in 2023?
With nearly 25 years of ownership, it’s safe to say Steve Morris and his ‘Boostmaster’ 1993 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon have a lot of history. Originally purchased by Steve in 1999, the wagon made an appearance on the first Hot Rod Drag Week in 2005, but didn’t survive long. “On the first or second pass, it kicked the connecting rods out of it,” Steve said.
The wagon eventually moved to running in drag radial classes with a ProCharger-fed combination.
In 2013, Steve decided to make a big change to the car, envisioning more of a Pro Mod build. That vision was debuted at last year’s Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
Still sporting a nearly all-steel configuration (with a fiberglass hood), Steve knew the 3600-pound wagon would need a lot of power to get the car into the 6-second range.
572 cubic inches of Steve’s powerful SMX-based engine was coupled together with a pair of 98-millimeter turbochargers, getting the wagon to a best of 6.82 at 215 mph at last year’s Sick Week. Unfortunately, transmission troubles on day four and five kept Steve from a possible Unlimited Iron class win.
Since then, Steve has worked to refine the combination and get the station wagon to quicker and faster time slips. The best pass in 2022 came from a heads-up race at US 131 Motorsports Park in Michigan in summer 2022, when Steve delivered a 6.53 at 229 mph with a 1.15 60 foot.
Not long after the new personal best, Steve switched from the existing twin turbochargers to a pair of Harts 110-millimeter turbos. “The turbo upgrade got me to the same elapsed times with 10 pounds less boost,” Steve admitted.
What has Steve changed for the 2023 edition of Sick Week? “I have a spare transmission, so I will be prepared there,” he laughed. “And we’ve switched from the roof rack of 2022 to a small trailer.”
But as far as e.t. predictions, Steve made some bold predictions. “I’d like to run fives, Lord willing,” he said. “It’d be really hard to do; it’s my ultimate goal. But I’d be happy with 6.20-6.30s this year.”
- Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Steve Morris.