“Spectrum” - Dylan Christensen’s 1973 Chevrolet Nova
The monumental challenges inherent with building a drag car and tackling the endless cycle of tweaking, tuning and rebuilding the car in the pursuit of quicker ET’s can be overwhelming, even to the most veteran drag racer. Yet, 26 year old Dylan Christensen, of Syracuse, Utah, not only embraced these seemingly overwhelming hurdles as he completed his first ground-up restoration on his 1973 Chevy Nova and fearlessly confronted his first battles at the track, he has emerged as a fierce competitor in the ruthless heads-up and no-prep scenes of drag racing.
When Christensen first acquired the Nova, nicknamed “Spectrum”, his intentions were to use a naturally aspirated engine and turn it into merely a street machine for fun times with family and friends. However, he quickly had a change of heart and decided to pursue his lifelong dream of racing competitively at drag strips throughout America.
“Spectrum” was in rough shape, to say the least, when Christensen first brought it home. Many of the body panels were rusted and it would require a full ground-up restoration to transform the car into the masterpiece that he had envisioned. Despite having no prior experience in undertaking such a project, Christensen boldly began his first build.
Christensen and his friend Jake Perkins, of JDP Custom Design & Fab, went to work replacing the rusted panels on the Nova with fresh sheet metal. Christensen then swapped the factory front end and hood with aftermarket fiberglass components from Unlimited Racing Fiberglass. Using his employer’s shop, he and Jake took on the challenge of knocking out all of the bodywork and giving “Spectrum” a new coat of white paint with a pair of black rally stripes for a sharp contrast. Christensen added a set of Race Star Industries double beadlock wheels in the rear with a pair of JEGS racing wheels up front and Mickey Thompson tires all around.
Continuing the build, Christensen fitted the chassis of “Spectrum” with high performance upgrades. A Quick Performance rear axle and center section were installed along with a fabricated 9” rear end. He also added an S&W Race Cars frame to the back half of the car. Christensen upgraded the suspension by installing QA1 double adjustable shocks up front with QA1 double adjustable coilovers and a ladder bar in the rear. Wilwood disc brakes were also added to the front while the rear was fitted with factory Expedition discs.
With the end goal of a highly competitive drag car in sight, Christensen went to work building a powerhouse under the hood. He employed Jensen’s Auto Service in Ogden, Utah to bore his 5.3L LS junkyard find to 5.7L. Jensen’s also installed a set of Brian Tooley Racing (BTR)rocker arms and Manley Performance pistons to pair with the factory 241 heads with Speed Engineering 2 3/4” stainless steel headers. The rest of the rotating assembly was all replaced with Manley components along with ARP bolts all around. In addition, Christensen added a BTR 234/239 cam. And to give the LS a massive boost of power, Christensen slapped on a 98mm turbo from Pulsar Turbo Systems. He also equipped “Spectrum” with a Holley HP EFI system which was professionally tuned by Courtney Green at CG Racing. An FTI Performance stage 5.5 powerglide racing transmission with a Hughes Performance bolt-together torque converter complete the drivetrain upgrades.
Perkins custom fabricated the sheet metal interior of “Spectrum” while Christensen’s brother, Brady welded in the 8.50 certified roll cage. Christensen then furnished the car with a Kirkey Racing Fabrication seat, a RaceQuip seatbelt, a TCI Automotive Outlaw shifter, Holley gauges and a Motion Raceworks chromoly steering column and wheel. All of the wiring for the car was completed by Christensen and Sean Dautel, a member of his racing crew.
After finishing the momentous accomplishment of building his first drag car, which took about two years, Christensen eagerly hit the track with “Spectrum” for its maiden racing voyage. His first real drag race, and the race in which he earned his NHRA competition license, was the LS Fest West at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, one of Christensen’s now frequented tracks. Since obtaining his license, he’s competed in numerous heads-up and no-prep races across the country. As with any drag racer, Christensen has grappled with various issues with “Spectrum”. Most recently at the Las Vegas Speedway, Christensen’s weekend of racing came to an abrupt halt when a faulty yoke caused the driveshaft to knock out the tailshaft of the transmission, the driveshaft safety loop and the transmission cooler, bending the driveshaft in the process. Yet, in classic Christensen style, he brazenly pushes forward: viewing such obstacles as merely minor setbacks while his perseverance and lofty future goals for the car remain unwavering.
Christensen couldn’t be more proud of his journey through building and racing “Spectrum”. Despite the hesitations of some who doubted his ability to achieve his dream of building his first drag car and becoming a respected racer, he maintained his focus and now reaps the rewards. In fact, Christensen has competed in several of the prestigious Discovery Channel’s Street Outlaws No Prep Kings events, even earning his own episode with Farmtruck and AZN on Street Outlaws Locals Only. Looking to the future, he plans to race at as many of the biggest no-prep and heads-up races in the country as he can, possibly trying out radial racing at some point too.
Christensen has had the support of numerous friends, family and local businesses throughout his racing journey. Joshua Minson, owner of Redtide Canopies, has been a lifesaver for Christensen, coming to the rescue on several occasions with new parts when things break on the Nova at the track. Defender Trailers has not only set Christensen up with his first car hauler and provided excellent customer service, but has even gone so far as to assist with repairs on the car. Christensen also wanted to give a huge shout out to Cortney Green with CG Racing for his wizardry with tuning “Spectrum”. Austin B. Ford, owner of Clifford Performance, has been instrumental in keeping Christensen’s truck running in top shape so he can trailer the Nova to races. In addition, Christensen credits Leya Czupich from A Shade Above Window Tinting for the high-quality window tint that gives “Spectrum” an aesthetic edge. He also wanted to offer his sincere thanks to XPEL, whose generous sponsorship hooked him up with a paint protection film to protect the fresh new paint on the car. Shannon Taylor Racing has been critical to Christensen’s success as well. Taylor has been a fantastic friend and mentor and has always offered his support in Christensen’s racing adventures. Finally, Christensen wanted to offer his heartfelt gratitude to his family and friends that have helped him along the way.
