The Gold Standard – On the Heels of Bryant Goldstone’s Third Sick Summer Overall Win, He Details the AMC’s Future and Timeline of New Corvette
Bryant Goldstone has accomplished a lot in his racing career, and put together an impressive resume in the drag and drive segment of it as well.
After nearly fifteen years of proving the streetability and on-track performance of both his 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, and his familiar 1973 AMC Javelin, Goldstone continues to rack up victories, including his back-to-back Rocky Mountain Race Week MEGAWEEK and Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks event wins in June of 2025.
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It was last December, at the 2024 edition of the Performance and Racing Industry show (PRI) in Indianapolis, that Goldstone revealed his newest ride, a former Pro Mod ’53 Chevrolet Corvette that Goldstone is prepping for drag and drive duty. The AMC had been a faithful servant, but it appeared Goldstone was ready for a new challenge.
“The past year was a tough one,” Goldstone said at PRI in 2024. “The Javelin earned its keep.” That being said, it was hard to ignore the benefits the Corvette brought to the table. “The Corvette has a better engine bay, and it should be a good bit easier to work on.”
Knowing the AMC had its limitations on weight, wheelbase and a few other factors, Goldstone stated the Corvette would be readied for competition in 2025, but wouldn’t debut it until it was sorted and ready.
“I’m coming for Tom Bailey,” Goldstone admitted. “To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. 2025 might not be the best year, with trying to get a new car sorted out. But I’m excited about the challenge.”
The Corvette got a twin turbo combination for the power to get Goldstone competitive in the Unlimited class, then made a trip to HCR Innovations in South Carolina, where fellow drag and drive competitor Devin Vanderhoof would get it wired and plumbed.
That meant the AMC Javelin, with four drag and drive event wins in the 2024 season, rolled into the 2025 season as the weapon of choice. Goldstone didn’t start his season the way he wanted at Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, suffering a rare Did Not Finish, only the third in the sixteen drag and drive event appearances for the AMC.
It didn’t take Goldstone long to rebound, as he re-wrote the Rocky Mountain Race Week (RMRW) record books during MEGAWEEK. The Javelin averaged 6.68 to claim the title of the quickest average in RMRW history, in route to winning the Unlimited class title in both the A and the B groups. Goldstone also claimed the Fast As F*** 16 Shootout title.
Although originally, he didn’t plan to attend the following week’s Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks event, Goldstone made the trip. He efforts were rewarded with a third-straight Ultimate Iron class win, the only man to win the class since Sick Summer started in 2023.
Goldstone also claimed the Sick Summer overall win for the quickest average for the third time, and his third Sick Summer guitar from Rick Johnson at Gear Vendors Overdrive, along with a bonus guitar for co-pilot Rob Sanders, something Johnson updated for 2025.
“It was a crazy couple weeks,” said Goldstone. “The AMC is going to the Havlik’s (FSC Shootout) event next, and then it’s going to Devin (HCR Innovations) to get re-wired.”
This puts the Corvette prep front and center, and Goldstone stated it was just a few nights of tinkering in the garage away from being ready for fire up. And with US 131 Motorsports Park less than two hours from him, the Corvette will get some testing time soon.
Where does that leave the AMC Javelin for the future? “The AMC is not getting retired,” said Goldstone. “It will still see some events. I’ve had it for nearly 40 years, so it’s not getting shelved.
“I don’t think I can do much better with the car. It might be able to run low 6.30s or maybe even a high 6.20 if conditions are perfect.” But, even if the Corvette is completed and tested, Goldstone hasn’t ruled out bringing both cars to the next drag and drive, if not also in 2026. “If you have them both, why not bring the arsenal,” he stated.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, Rocky Mountain Race Week and Bryant Goldstone.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com