Car of the Week: Wendy Kreps' 1979 Chevy Malibu

Welcome to the BTE Racing Car of the Week series, where we feature our customers and fans, and the cars (and trucks) they love to race. Today, it’s all about Wendy Kreps from Vinemont, AL and her 1979 Chevy Malibu.

Credit: Hobbie Lee Photography 

How did you get into drag racing? 

All it took was a ride-along in the passenger seat on a warm-up pass for me to decide that drag racing might be pretty fun!

When and where was your first race?

I bought my first car in 2005, an ’80 Malibu, and ran my first race in footbrake class at Baileyton “Good Time” Drag Strip, Baileyton, AL in the summer of 2006.

 

What model/year do you race now?

A ’79 Malibu

 

Does your car have a nickname?

Fearless. The short story behind that: A wreck destroyed my ’80 in 2012. I bought this car two weeks to the day after the wreck and came back in 2013.

 

What's under the hood?

A stock GM block 383 with forged internals, currently undergoing an upgrade to AFR heads and a composite intake

 

Which BTE products do you use in your vehicle and why do you use BTE?

I have run a convertor serviced by BTE for the past 5 years. Their quality and service is the best in the business. I have changed configurations a few times over the years and BTE has never failed to nail the convertor set-up for my combination.

 

Someone you look up to in racing?

The two people I look up to the most are Michelle Furr and Luke Bogacki. Not only are they very good racers in the NHRA Super Gas/Super Comp classes, they are wonderful, humble people who represent the sport so well.

 

If money were no object, what would you drive?

Believe it or not, I wouldn’t trade my car for anything, she’s a solid ride! I would, however, step up and try running in the NHRA or IHRA semi-professional classes. Last year (2014) was my rookie year running top-bulb and I did well in some sizable fields locally, so I hope to graduate to running some bigger stakes races in 2015.

 

What is your pre-race ritual (if you have one)?

I don’t have any pre-race rituals, but I do wear a certain necklace to every race and I keep a small laminated copy of my favorite prayer in my car where I can see it.

4 Tips To Help You Get The Most Out Of Our Tune-Up Services

BTE is in the business of manufacturing and distributing new high performance parts for your racing vehicles, but we also service your current parts for optimum performance. Now is the best time to get your torque converters and transmissions tuned up; before the season gets underway in a few months. Just FYI: They don't have to be from BTE, we service all types of equipment.

To get the most out of our tune-up services, here are some easy tips to follow to ensure you get your equipment back in perfect condition and in plenty of time before the first big race of the year.

1. We will work our hardest to return your product as quickly as possible. However, please understand that hundreds torque converters and transmissions arrive at our facility this month for service. While we do them as fast as we can, we also need to take the time to do it right. Make sure you send your parts in to allow plenty of time for delivery to our facility, time for our mechanics to do the job right and time for the shipping company to get your parts back to their original location.

2. When sending in torque converters, please use FedEx or UPS. While the USPS is sometimes less costly, their deliveries are sometimes inconsistent. Also -- and this is very important -- please drain as much oil from the torque converters as possible and wrap them securely. The package carriers can dispose of leaky boxes! Don't let this happen to you.

3. Transmissions should all be shipped on FedEx freight. We have great shipping discounts, so call us before shipping to make sure you can share in the low freight costs.

4. It's simple, but it happens sometimes: Don't forget to include your name and contact information with any product sent to us for annual checkup. Otherwise, we won't know how to get in touch with you if we have any questions.