“Jigsaw” - Matt Stutzman’s 1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS
It’s an undeniable fact that to be successful in drag racing, one must have cheetah-like reflexes, precision throttle control and gear shifting, mastery of tuning, and most importantly, a fearlessness that allows one to propel a powerhouse of metal down the track at ungodly speeds. Most racers spend a good portion of their lives laser-focused on their pursuit of greatness in drag racing, often forgoing other passions or talents to devote their full energy into improving their racing game. Yet for drag racer Matt Stutzman, of Libertyville, Iowa, hitting the top ranks in the drag racing world at just 41 years of age pales in comparison to his other phenomenal achievements. Stutzman is a paralympic medalist in archery, having competed in both the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games with plans to compete in the 2024 Paris Paralympics. And in 2022 he won the World Para Archery Championships in Dubai, UAE. In addition, he holds the world record for the longest accurate shot in the sport. And as if his talents and epic achievements aren’t astonishing enough, there’s one more thing you should know about Matt Stutzman; he does it all with no arms.
Stutzman, aptly known as the “Armless Archer”, has had a passion for fast cars and racing since he was a child, but he didn’t enter the world of drag racing until 2012. He had always dreamed of some day being a respected racer. Like many other amateur racers, Stutzman began his drag racing career in amateur bracket racing, mostly at his local drag strip, Eddyville Raceway Park. Fast forward to 2024, Stutzman and his 1968 SS Camaro, a.k.a. “Jigsaw”, have accelerated to the top ranks of drag racing, joining the four second club with aspirations even faster times.
“Jigsaw” is powered by a 540ci big block Chevy engine. NAPA Auto Parts Machine Shop in Carrol, Iowa, machined the block to a 4.50” bore to accommodate a set of JE Pistons with a compression ratio of 12:1 and installed Oliver Racing Parts rods and an ISKY Racing camshaft. The motor is also equipped with a Callies crankshaft with a 4.250” stroke and Dart Pro 1 cylinder heads spitting out to stainless steel Zoomies headers from American Racing Headers, installed by Jonny’s Fab Shop out of Pella, Iowa. Stutzman also opted for a Jesel Valvetrain and an MSD ignition. And in classic Stutzman all-out style, he added a Blower Drive Service (BDS) blower for a little extra boost along with a pair of Rupert’s Alky Carburertors 1050 Dominators.
Backing the blower-boosted motor is a powerglide transmission built by Advance Transmission with a Transmission Specialties torque converter. “Jigsaw” was also fitted with a Strange Engineering 9” floater rearend with 4.88 gears.
The patriotic-themed vinyl wrapped exterior of Stutzman’s ‘68 perfectly contours the fiberglass shell of the car. With sharp American Racing wheels wrapped in Hoosier tires within the carbon fiber wheel tubs and the behemoth big block erupting through the hood, “Jigsaw” is both aesthetically pleasing and powerfully intimidating.
The interior of “Jigsaw” is more like an industrial flight deck than a typical Camaro interior. Enshrouded by an Tim McAmis NHRA-certified 6.0 cage, the interior features a carbon fiber race seat, an MPI steering wheel, an Outlaw Pro Biondo Racing shifter, a UDX RacePak dash and a DJ Safety seatbelt, fire system and parachute release.
Stutzman masterfully operates all functions of his ride using only his feet: with his left foot running the pedals and his right foot, in a custom Stand 21 SFI 20 foot sock, controlling the steering wheel. He also has the incredible ability to use his right toes to control the line lock, tranny brake, fire suppression system and parachute. A custom lever allowing Stutzman to quickly release his seatbelt has also been installed in “Jigsaw”. Regarding the perceived difficulty with drag racing his car without arms, Stutzman shared that “The thing is easy for me to drive. It doesn’t care that I have no arms.” Just like his extraordinary talents and unmatched perseverance, Stutzman also possesses an admirable quality of humility.
Stutzman has made serious waves in the world of drag racing as he’s competed in numerous 1/4 and 1/8th mile races from heads-up no-prep to specialty contests. Through his superb combination of high performance parts and carefully calibrated tuning, along with his elite driving skills, Stutzman has jetted “Jigsaw” to his personal best time of 4.92 seconds at 148 MPH in the eighth mile with a 1.1 second 60’ with only 6 PSI of boost. Not surprisingly, Stutzman and “Jigsaw” reeled in a 2nd place title in the 4.50 class at the last Builder’s Brawl race of 2023. As an avid traveler, Stutzman has enjoyed hitting race tracks throughout the country. Most frequently, he competes at Eddyville Raceway Park in Iowa, Cordova Dragway Park and Midstate Dragway, both in Illinois, and Ozark Raceway Park in Missouri. With his dream of being a respected racer already realized, Stutzman’s new dream is to go even faster. Between breaking world records and earning Olympic medals for para archery, Stutzman still plans to frequent the track and has his sights set on hitting 4.50 seconds and competing in the NHRA Top Sportsman class.
While Stutzman shared that there were just too many people who have helped with the build and with racing to mention, he wanted to give a big heartfelt shout out to all of his friends, family, and sponsors who have been instrumental in helping him achieve his dream of becoming a respected drag racer. One friend and fellow racer in particular, Bruce Micetich, has been instrumental to Stutzman’s success in the drag racing arena and is one for whom Stutzman is forever grateful.
