“Turbo Truck” - Brooke DeHony’s 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Photo Credit - Keara Rene Photography
In a traditionally male-dominated sport like drag racing, its refreshing to see a female racer challenging the status quo and giving the guys a run for their money at the track. What’s even more remarkable is when that female racer is still just a teenager. In the high plains of central Wyoming, 19 year old Brooke DeHony is quickly becoming an emerging leader in the drag racing community with her 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, nicknamed the “Turbo Truck”.
Dehony has spent much of her life immersed in the automotive world. With both of her parents, Melissa and Hooter DeHony, sharing with her their passion for drag racing, it was no surprise that Brooke would follow in their footsteps. However, how quickly she acquired the automotive and mechanical knowledge, skills, and drag racing talent is nothing short of astonishing.
DeHony’s journey into the drag racing arena began at the age of 16 when her parents gifted her the Silverado. As an ambitious teen, she aspired to prove to the world that despite her young age, she could transform her Silverado into a highly competitive race truck. And that is precisely what she did. She wasted no time swapping the stock 5.3 liter engine with a 6.2 liter LS3 which she rebuilt with Summit Pro rods and pistons to yield a 9.5:1 compression ratio. She added a Steve Morris Engines Stage 3 turbo cam and a VS Racing 78mm turbo. Dehony also installed a Holley EFI Terminator X system for precision tuning. For the drivetrain, the “Turbo Truck” sports a 4L80E transmission with a Circle D Specialties 2800 torque converter. Additionally, DeHony upgraded the rear suspension with Calvert Racing CalTracs traction bars, a Beefcake Racing shock relocation kit and Viking Performance shocks.
To complete the transformation of her Silverado, DeHony overhauled the exterior of the truck as well. Thirsty to learn the art of paint and bodywork, she enrolled in an autobody course at her local community college, Casper College. Throughout the course, she worked tirelessly alongside her father and her autobody instructor and friend, Emil Williams, to strip the black and green paint, touch up the body work and repaint the “Turbo Truck” to a sharp-looking Volkswagen Nardo Gray. DeHony also swapped the stepside with a fleetside and added a roll pan and cowl hood to finish off the Silverado’s fresh new look.
Photo Credit - Keara Rene Photography
Since completing the build, DeHony has competed in numerous no prep and bracket races at Central Wyoming Motorsports and at Bar Nunn Cash Days, a local no prep event held on public streets. She’s propelled the “Turbo Truck” to an impressive 7.3s 1/8th mile pass. Despite challenges with dialing the truck in, DeHony has an immense sense of pride with her accomplishments in building and racing her Silverado and cherishes the memories she’s made through the process. Not surprisingly, her future plans revolve around boosting the truck’s performance even more as she aspires to add a cage and swap her current turbo for an even larger one. It will definitely be a thrill to witness DeHony’s further ascent up the ranks of the drag racing world.
