Wollongong racer Simon Kryger is synonymous with nitrous Pro Street cars. While he’s been known to change his mind with regard to what he’s building, racing and selling, nobody can question his commitment to drag racing, with solid results over the years thanks to hard work and perseverance.

First published in the August 2022 issue of Street Machine

Like many, Simon started racing back in the APSA days, campaigning a nitrous-fed, small-block Chev-powered Torana. He then moved to a Clevo-powered Cortina before turning his attention to a monster 864ci combo that has seen active duty in a number of cars. This motor has produced a 6.50@221mph pass in another of Simon’s Toranas, making it the quickest nitrous-powered door car in Australia.

His passion for the bottle and for Toranas has made him the go-to guy for a number of racers looking to go down a similar path, and like so many other drag-racing families, it was only a matter of time before he got one of his two daughters behind the wheel.

The LX Torana you see here was initially being built for Simon’s eldest daughter Caitlin, but in the end she didn’t want a bar of motor racing – there’s generally one smart one in every family! Courtney, on the other hand, was happy to step up.

“She’s just like me,” laughs Simon, “which may not be a good thing.”

The car of choice was always going to be a Torana, and after half a dozen similar builds and years of development, there was a fair chance it was also going to be a big-block, small-tyre car. This one will fit right into the OG275 radial class, which has a 4.60 index.

Like most serious builds, it meant a trip to the chassis shop. In this case, it was Matt Marsh from Pro Street Industries who took the reins on what has turned out to be a pretty serious small-tyre car that could easily double as a streeter.

The car had already had bits done to it, but the list of new work to be completed by Matt was lengthy, including a new front half-’cage, mini-tubs, fuel cell and seat mounts, removable fibreglass dash, sheet-metal nine-inch with Race Products floater kit and Strange 3.4:1 centre, solid control arms with Heim joints, Menscer shocks, and a Gazzard sway-bar.

As luck had it, Kon from Wollongong Automotive Services had a family member selling a complete drop-in 590ci, Shafiroff-built big-block Chev, along with everything to suit a Torana, including crossmember, pipes and sump. It had already run into the mid-eights, and Kryger had Kon freshen up the motor and make it a little more nitrous-friendly.

The low-deck motor is a nice piece with a Lunati crank, Oliver conrods, SR20 heads with Jesel rockers and belt drive. It’s a wet sump deal, topped with a Brodix intake and plate system by Simon, using Induction Solutions solenoids.

“With the pistons we had to run with this low-deck deal, I can really only run a baby shot of nitrous, and I’ve done a bit of a home-fix for the three cylinders that typically go lean,” says Simon.

The carb is 1250 Dominator and an ICE 10amp booster is coupled to a MSD Grid for ignition. The nitrous system is tuned with a hand controller by USA-based Induction Solutions.

Backing up the 1000hp-plus mill is a built Powerglide with a Sonnax 1.65:1 first gear and a 10.25in SDE nitrous converter. The car is mostly steel and glass, with your typical fibreglass add-ons – bumper bars, bonnet and bootlid. Without the added weight bars, the car is 3200lb race-ready; with weight bars it comes in at 3500lb.

On its maiden outing at Sydney Dragway, the LX belted out a 9.1@158mph over the quarter in aspirated trim and a 4.90 over the eighth, standing up on the bumper! It will easily run to the 4.60 index in the radial 275 class. In the flesh, it sounds awesome and the 275-shot of gas is certainly going to bring it to life.

“For now it’s about getting Courtney some seat time,” says Simon. So far, his daughter’s been driving the car but not racing it, but once she’s eased in, she’ll run it aspirated for the season.

“We want to be able to do Powercruise and a number of events, and right now we have it on a 28×10.5in tyre for some of the no-prep events,” says Simon. “Courtney has just turned 18 and we’re excited about getting some new blood into the sport. Come September, we will have her in the car full-time and at every meeting we can.”

In anticipation of the upcoming no-prep events, Simon has made significant changes to his other Torana, with the boys at Street Car Fabrications pulling 200lb from the car. To date, it’s run 4.20 over the eighth, but a transmission change to a three-speed with lock-up converter, the addition of a fifth nitrous kit and a change to EFI should make a huge difference.

“I’d like to think the car can run into the 3.90s,” says Kryger. “Our goal is to get the car to the USA next year for one of the No Prep Kings events, but it’s one day at a time.”

Stay tuned for more on both of these cars!