Check out this ‘old school’ IHRA racer at PBIR

Old school? No argument.

John Hudson's 1956 Chevrolet Hot Rod was built in the 1980s by the late, legendary Lil' John Butera – "God rest his soul," says the current owner and driver, John Hudson, of Daytona Beach, Florida.

"As a kid," Hudson says, "I used to go to the track and help out the owner. Then he got sick and couldn't race anymore. Nobody wanted to give him what the car was worth." So his old friend made Hudson an offer he couldn't refuse.

"He said, 'Give me this much, and I'll give you everything I have for the car.' Thirty years' worth. That was in 2010. So I went back to doorslammers, and I've been in love with it ever since."

The baby blue '56 has a 605-cubic-inch Dart V-8 under the hood. "It's pretty mild. Small camshaft, easy on the valve train." The car is so well-sorted that maintenance is minimal – Hudson checked everything under the hood when he arrived at Immokalee Regional Raceway last weekend for the first-ever Summit Sportsman National Championship two-day event, "and I haven't opened the hood since."

Hudson is one of literally dozens of drivers and owners at Immokalee who had high praise not only for the Summit Sportsman National Championship, the 30-race, 15-weekend series that will crown champions in eight classes, but for the live TV on ESPN3 that began at Immokalee, and continues this weekend at Palm Beach International Raceway, round three and four of the Championship.

"I love it," Hudson says. "It's a great deal. It gives the Sportsman racers some exposure – after all, we're out here trying to keep our programs going, and spending or own money to do it. I feel like the IHRA is really looking out for us."