“I’m one of those guys who grew
up loving drag racing.” That simple
statement is how Dennis Chillik would describe himself, nothing overly spectacular
about that statement, right? Unless of
course, you know what a love like that can mean!
Dennis served in the U.S. Air Force, and in November of 1967, while stationed at Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda, Michigan, the young Airman and his new bride, Carol decided it was time for their 1st new car purchase. Together they decided on a Torino GT and special ordered one, brand new for $3,160! It is easy to make a playful reference that they must have felt like new parents awaiting the arrival of their 1st child as they did not take delivery of the Torino until June of 1968. Fast forward 47 years and that car is still very much a part of the Chillik family, so the reference may not be so far off.
The Torino spent its 1st couple years as the couple’s daily driver, devoted to all the transportation needs of both Dennis and Carol. But in 1970, when Dennis was discharged from the U.S.A.F., the Torino’s role in their lives became less about necessity and more about fun. Hardworking fun but fun just the same! Over the next 7 years the Torino would become a weekend warrior. Towing the family’s camper, flat towing Dennis’ younger brothers ’55 Chevy to the track so they could drag race it. It also transported some very precious cargo in those early years, 3 of Dennis and Carol’s 4 children were brought safely home from the hospital in that Torino.
By 1977, life was changing for the Chillik family, the children were growing and his work schedule had become very demanding, so priorities had to change. Dennis built a new garage and the Torino would go into hibernation, spending the next 15 years quietly nestled in the corner of that garage, awaiting the day they would come calling again.
Dennis’ lifelong love of cars and of drag racing was something he instilled in his two sons, Brian and Tim, now in their early 20’s. It was the boys turn to take their dad down a path where a simple love becomes an all-out passion. For starters, they felt it was time to awaken the Torino from her 15 year slumber. Dad gave in to the boys’ wishes and the car came out of hiding, but it would be a little while yet before it would see the ¼ mile.
Around 1993, they finally began venturing out to Dragway 42 with the car, all 3 Chillik men would load up in the Torino with the race tires in the trunk. Drive to the track, swap them out, go racing, swap them back and drive home. Many a race day was spent this way until one day Dennis borrowed a trailer from a friend, and there was just no going back! He purchased his 1st open trailer shortly thereafter. The Torino was now experiencing what it was like to be a true racecar and the battle scars that come with it. In 1994 the cars original engine said enough is enough and called it quits, they had also broken the 4 speed transmission twice at this point!
Overtime came calling for Dennis once again, so with the Torino now armed with Tim’s 406 FE and a new C6 tranny, he gladly took over behind the wheel for the next few years. In 1996, Tim ran in the NHRA Craftsman Tools ET series at Dragway 42, he made the bracket finals team and the Torino was off to Indy. The team placed 2nd by just one point but despite the loss it was a great time for the family and a very proud moment for Dennis.
The adventure lasted almost a decade, but in 2000 the old girl needed a time out. Having blown up a second motor, an 428 Cobra Jet engine that was built during they had Tim’s engine on loan. The Torino would once again go into storage and Tim’s project car would come out. Over the next few years the boys worked on Tim’s Mustang and once it was race ready, it was again time to focus on an old friend!
In 2005, The Torino emerged from her 5 year slumber. After 37 years of hard work and dedication the old girl was due for a makeover, and a makeover she would get!! It was time for the Torino to become a dedicated drag car! The Chillik’s gutted the car down to the shell and sent it to a friend, Fred Brady of Wadsworth, OH, who builds racecars part time. The car was then back halved narrowed 9 inch rear end ladder bar suspensions with stretched wheel openings and big tubs. The shock towers were removed from the front end and he installed tubular A arms and coil-over shocks outside engine compartment with rack and pinion steering, allowing for plenty of room for the 572 BBF engine. A 12 point mild steel cage was also installed and certified to 8.50.
In 2006 the car was taken to Scott Pry's Body Shop in Massillon, Ohio. The body was completely stripped and all original metal used. He painted the car its original candy apple red color, it took Scott over a year to complete but only because Chillik did not give him a deadline to meet, and was happy to allow him to work it in between other projects.
In the meantime the Chilliks were busy assembling the 572 Big Block Ford that would now power the car.
Add in engine breakdown details please
The car’s rebuild was officially complete in the summer of 2008. It was time to once again go racing!! Dennis is honestly at the track with his boys anytime he can be. Brian races a SBC dragster and Tim still races his SBF Mustang in UMTR and also alongside Dennis in the Renegade Racing Association 9.90 Index class. Dennis has been racing with the Renegade Racing Association since 2013. Pro-tree racing can be wickedly intense off the line, so it didn’t take long for Dennis to upgraded to a Rossler TH400 Terminator 3 to ensure he had every advantage when it came to cutting down that .400 tree!
Dennis Chillik, just one of those guys who grew up loving drag racing, but also a man who is strong in his beliefs and in his commitments, something that tends to be rare now a days. He married his wife Carol 48 yrs ago, bought his Torino GT 47 yrs ago, and recently retired from Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company after 44 years of employment. Neat little side story, Dennis spent his last 29 years at Goodyear building race tires, the tires are all stickered with the name of the employee who built them. At one time, all four Goodyear tires on the Torino were personally built by Dennis.
At 68 years old Dennis and Carol are happily retired, but retirement for them of course means more time for family and it also means more time to race their 68 Torino GT!!!
“I would like to thank my two sons, Brian and Tim, for their help and support on this project and others throughout the years. Without their help I probably wouldn't have ever taken on a project of this magnitude. I also want to thank my wife, Carol, for her continued support and for tolerating our family racing. She goes to as many of the races as possible and enjoys watching racing on TV as well.”
Dennis served in the U.S. Air Force, and in November of 1967, while stationed at Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda, Michigan, the young Airman and his new bride, Carol decided it was time for their 1st new car purchase. Together they decided on a Torino GT and special ordered one, brand new for $3,160! It is easy to make a playful reference that they must have felt like new parents awaiting the arrival of their 1st child as they did not take delivery of the Torino until June of 1968. Fast forward 47 years and that car is still very much a part of the Chillik family, so the reference may not be so far off.
The Torino spent its 1st couple years as the couple’s daily driver, devoted to all the transportation needs of both Dennis and Carol. But in 1970, when Dennis was discharged from the U.S.A.F., the Torino’s role in their lives became less about necessity and more about fun. Hardworking fun but fun just the same! Over the next 7 years the Torino would become a weekend warrior. Towing the family’s camper, flat towing Dennis’ younger brothers ’55 Chevy to the track so they could drag race it. It also transported some very precious cargo in those early years, 3 of Dennis and Carol’s 4 children were brought safely home from the hospital in that Torino.
By 1977, life was changing for the Chillik family, the children were growing and his work schedule had become very demanding, so priorities had to change. Dennis built a new garage and the Torino would go into hibernation, spending the next 15 years quietly nestled in the corner of that garage, awaiting the day they would come calling again.
Dennis’ lifelong love of cars and of drag racing was something he instilled in his two sons, Brian and Tim, now in their early 20’s. It was the boys turn to take their dad down a path where a simple love becomes an all-out passion. For starters, they felt it was time to awaken the Torino from her 15 year slumber. Dad gave in to the boys’ wishes and the car came out of hiding, but it would be a little while yet before it would see the ¼ mile.
Around 1993, they finally began venturing out to Dragway 42 with the car, all 3 Chillik men would load up in the Torino with the race tires in the trunk. Drive to the track, swap them out, go racing, swap them back and drive home. Many a race day was spent this way until one day Dennis borrowed a trailer from a friend, and there was just no going back! He purchased his 1st open trailer shortly thereafter. The Torino was now experiencing what it was like to be a true racecar and the battle scars that come with it. In 1994 the cars original engine said enough is enough and called it quits, they had also broken the 4 speed transmission twice at this point!
Overtime came calling for Dennis once again, so with the Torino now armed with Tim’s 406 FE and a new C6 tranny, he gladly took over behind the wheel for the next few years. In 1996, Tim ran in the NHRA Craftsman Tools ET series at Dragway 42, he made the bracket finals team and the Torino was off to Indy. The team placed 2nd by just one point but despite the loss it was a great time for the family and a very proud moment for Dennis.
The adventure lasted almost a decade, but in 2000 the old girl needed a time out. Having blown up a second motor, an 428 Cobra Jet engine that was built during they had Tim’s engine on loan. The Torino would once again go into storage and Tim’s project car would come out. Over the next few years the boys worked on Tim’s Mustang and once it was race ready, it was again time to focus on an old friend!
In 2005, The Torino emerged from her 5 year slumber. After 37 years of hard work and dedication the old girl was due for a makeover, and a makeover she would get!! It was time for the Torino to become a dedicated drag car! The Chillik’s gutted the car down to the shell and sent it to a friend, Fred Brady of Wadsworth, OH, who builds racecars part time. The car was then back halved narrowed 9 inch rear end ladder bar suspensions with stretched wheel openings and big tubs. The shock towers were removed from the front end and he installed tubular A arms and coil-over shocks outside engine compartment with rack and pinion steering, allowing for plenty of room for the 572 BBF engine. A 12 point mild steel cage was also installed and certified to 8.50.
In 2006 the car was taken to Scott Pry's Body Shop in Massillon, Ohio. The body was completely stripped and all original metal used. He painted the car its original candy apple red color, it took Scott over a year to complete but only because Chillik did not give him a deadline to meet, and was happy to allow him to work it in between other projects.
In the meantime the Chilliks were busy assembling the 572 Big Block Ford that would now power the car.
Add in engine breakdown details please
The car’s rebuild was officially complete in the summer of 2008. It was time to once again go racing!! Dennis is honestly at the track with his boys anytime he can be. Brian races a SBC dragster and Tim still races his SBF Mustang in UMTR and also alongside Dennis in the Renegade Racing Association 9.90 Index class. Dennis has been racing with the Renegade Racing Association since 2013. Pro-tree racing can be wickedly intense off the line, so it didn’t take long for Dennis to upgraded to a Rossler TH400 Terminator 3 to ensure he had every advantage when it came to cutting down that .400 tree!
Dennis Chillik, just one of those guys who grew up loving drag racing, but also a man who is strong in his beliefs and in his commitments, something that tends to be rare now a days. He married his wife Carol 48 yrs ago, bought his Torino GT 47 yrs ago, and recently retired from Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company after 44 years of employment. Neat little side story, Dennis spent his last 29 years at Goodyear building race tires, the tires are all stickered with the name of the employee who built them. At one time, all four Goodyear tires on the Torino were personally built by Dennis.
At 68 years old Dennis and Carol are happily retired, but retirement for them of course means more time for family and it also means more time to race their 68 Torino GT!!!
“I would like to thank my two sons, Brian and Tim, for their help and support on this project and others throughout the years. Without their help I probably wouldn't have ever taken on a project of this magnitude. I also want to thank my wife, Carol, for her continued support and for tolerating our family racing. She goes to as many of the races as possible and enjoys watching racing on TV as well.”
