“The nostalgia of the past with the technology of present gives forth to some very
interesting resurrected driving machines.”
Written by Jim Fox Photos by Jesse Fox (3G video)
Remembering back admiring the accomplishment
As a kid growing up I remember my dad telling me stories of him driving a milk truck, delivering milk around the country side. But I am pretty certain that the milk truck he drove in the 40’s was a little different than this 1963 Divco Milk Truck, specifically was used as a milk truck, but is now powered by a 565 big block Chevy engine with twin turbos and doesn’t deliver milk, just wheelies.
Bringing attention Doing it in Style
Making this the second Hot Rod Drag Week along with participating in Sick Week 2022, it is already turning heads as it shows what it can do on the dragstrip. It was a build that took six years and solely for the purpose of doing Drive-n-Drag events. Along with being able to do wheelies and run a low 11 second quarter mile, it is fun to watch and for Nick and his Dad, fun to drive. Entertaining to say the least.
Meeting the Man Behind the Wheel
The driver and owner of this interesting ride is a carpenter by trade, whose name is Nick Cryer from Manhattan, IL. Started racing when he was eleven years old in junior dragsters came up through the racket program at Route 66 Raceway in Jolliet, IL. At age fourteen bought a “70 Chevelle” that he and his dad restored and ran through high school. Stepped into a “69 Camaro” doing 8.9 second quarter mile. Then into a 2003 undercover dragster, that he has bracket raced since 2011. When he got married, Nick and his wife, Stephanie, both drove the bracket cars for five years. When the first child showed up trying to run in bracket racing every weekend became difficult. The oldest is not interested in racing, the second one is, Nick says she has a “need for speed” and the youngest, well, just not sure of her yet. Nick still does bracket racing but not for points and they all go as a family. The stress level has gone away and the drag-n-drive events are more the focus.
Carrying on a LEGACY
Having family around at the car events is something Nick has always been used to. Up until five years ago Nick’s grandfather never missed an event at the track when Nick was there. Dad, Mark Cryer, and uncle, Bill Cryer, are what Nick refers to as the mechanics of the team. Nick says he is learning but they are the ones who keep him going. I also noticed the women folk were right there with them. Getting his girls out of school to be at the drive-n-drag was not possible so Stephanie and the girls stayed home. As you can tell drag racing runs deep in this family, one grandpa was a GM guy and the other was a Ford guy.
Summing it all up
When asked to sum up drag racing, Nick said “Frustrating and Fulfilling”, “The passion for it”. He went on to say “It’s not about the money for us”, It’s all family
“It’s not about the money,”
“it’s all family and friend based”
and friend based.’ This family understands the importance of relationship in the family. I truly believe God wants us to know the value of relationship in family and with Him.
Big Block Smart Car
A side note to this story Nick’s father, Mark Cryer plus a few others involved, built a big block smart car. Mark took a 2009 smart car, saving it from the crusher, built a chassis from scratch, put a four speed 555 big block Chevy engine in it, making 830 horse, capable of a 9.80 quarter mile at 137 mph. He told me it did really good wheelies. If you are interested in this please Goggle search or You Tube search “Big Block Smart Car”, there is a lot out there on this build.
Building the Milk Truck
The Milk Truck was built by Nick, his dad Mark and his uncle Bill. They fabricated everything themselves, starting with the front chassis, a 1995 Chevy pickup, then graphed their own chassis through the back half and originally put a 496 engine in it. The unique paint job of the old Dairy Milk Truck was as original as you could get and is definitely an eye catcher. This was what showed up at Hot Rod Drag Week 2021 and at Sick Week 2022. Has done several more since this time.
Tearing Down Making it Better
During Sick Week they cracked the block and the crank. So when Hot Rod Drag Week 2022 came around there had been some changes and they were not for sure what to expect. At this point in time Milk Truck had a 565 big block engine with twin turbos from E-bay, a turbo 400 transmission gear venter, ladder bar rear suspension with a Ford 9”and a 373 gear posi unit.
Successful Hot Rod Drag Week 2022
Beginning at World Wide Technology Raceway on Monday and Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Tuesday, they were hoping for 11.50 and ran 11.56. On Wednesday at Byron Dragway the truck ran 11.37. With great expectation they arrived at Cordova Dragway and ran 11.34 at 115mph, the best time Milk Truck had ever ran. When they showed up for Tech Day on Sunday it was hoped they could run a 10.99, just to say they had, but by this time Nick was thinking 11.20s might be the best they could do. On to Madison, IL for the final day of Hot Rod Drag Week 2022. Hinde site is always better than foresight and with that being said a very small percentage of the cars made a pass before it started raining around 12:30pm and the organizers had to call an end to the event. Milk Truck will look for the 11.20s or better maybe at Sick Week 2023.
Looking to the Future
Didn’t get to see the big wheelies Nick so enjoys doing but he reassured me that the three Cryers were going to be working on that also. Down the road maybe bringing something new in the form of a “34 Ford Coupe”. We will be looking forward in the future to this new build and what it can do, as well as continuing to be blown away with the 1963 Divco Milk Truck.
Kommentare