The Pro Stock drag racing class was created because racers wanted to push naturally aspirated door cars to their absolute limit. Racers like “Dyno Don” Nicholson were at the forefront of the movement and built innovative cars to compete in the class. Dyno Don’s 427 Cammer-powered 1970 Ford Maverick was a terror in the early days of Pro Stock and it earned a reputation as a front runner.
Dyno Don was a fierce competitor who excelled at both driving and tuning race cars. It didn’t matter if it was an NHRA national event, or a match race at a small track, Dyno Don was there to win. Dyno Don even made his mark in the early years of Funny Car racing setting records and winning events.
When Dyno Don’s Maverick hit the NHRA circuit, it immediately made a big impact. The car was constantly being worked on and changed to find every bit of elapsed time possible. There wasn’t any stone that Dyno Don was willing to turn over to run quicker and faster.
The car was campaigned in Pro Stock for one year before it hit the match race circuit. This car was a stone cold killer in the match race world racking up over 45 wins. Eventually, the Maverick was sold and raced by its new owner until the engine gave up. The car sat for many years in a barn before it was sold and brought back out to the track again. The car has been restored by Doug Kenny to its glory days when Dyno Don piloted it.
You’ll want to watch this video from REVan Evan’s YouTube channel where host Evan Smith talks with Doug to get the full history of this car. Make sure you watch the entire video so you can hear the big-block Ford fire up and roar like a lion.