Aussie drag racer Grantley Schloss turned plenty of heads in America in October with a spectacular Pro 275 class victory at No Mercy 15 in Georgia – one of the biggest, most competitive and prestigious radial racing events in the world. Schloss ran a PB of 3.69@201mph in a ProCharged, Noonan Hemi-powered Chevy Nova to take a holeshot win over Mo Hall in the final.

Remarkably, Schloss hadn’t even intended to compete in the event, and now the Queensland racer – known locally for his tough LX Torana – has a full US program ahead of him and more invitations still flowing in.

Schloss’s journey to No Mercy glory was set in motion by a simple desire to improve his ETs with his existing car. “We wanted to go quicker in our Torana, but to do so, we had to start cutting it up, as it’s still a street-registered, full glass and steel car,” he said. “Andy and Danny at Spot On Performance said it was too good to cut up, so they reached out to [Queensland racer] Steven Ham, and he reached out to some contacts in the US. A few hours later, I was sent a picture of this Nova owned by Roger Holder.”

Holder had previously held several world radial records with his Camaro, so Schloss’s interest was piqued. “Within 24 hours, I booked tickets to check it out,” he said. “The intention was to ship it back to Australia with the help of Pro Line Racing, but after looking at it and taking a scenic drive through Georgia on the way to Pro Line, we instead ended up talking about how we could race it in America, and how Pro Line could support us to do that!”

Built by Reece Brothers Race Cars with suspension by RK Racecraft, the ’67 Chevy Nova Schloss ended up driving is powered by a Pro Line-built Noonan 4.9 Hemi with a 140-1 ProCharger and FuelTech FT600 EFI system. Backing up the mill is an M&M lock-up TH400 transmission. Once the goal to race in America was in place, the Pro Line team freshened the car up from front to back, rebuilding the motor, converter, gearbox and rear end to pretty much make it a brand-new driveline.

Once the car was sorted, Schloss and the Spot On crew headed Stateside to try their luck. “We flew back over to test it out at Alabama International Dragway, and then without knowing how many cars would be in the Pro 275 No Mercy field, we went there with the idea of testing and seeing if we could make the cut,” Schloss explained. Before he knew it, Schloss had made it to the top 16. “It just kept going from there,” he marvelled.

Remarkably, the Nova retains a steel roof and quarters with the standard factory dimensions, so the speeds and ETs achieved by the team at No Mercy – especially on a 275 tyre – were all the more impressive.

“I can’t even say it is a dream come true, because we never dreamt or even thought for a moment that it was a possibility,” said a stunned Schloss of his win. “We are all just awestruck to think we had gone over there and raced in one of the biggest and most prestigious radial drag racing events in the world, and we actually won it.

“I have to say a special mention to Pro Line Racing and their tuner Brandon Stroud – he is one of the best tuners in the world, and obviously once again he has proven that! Thanks also to my crew – Spot On Performance & Fabrication and Wollongong Automotive Services – and my family. It was great having my wife Samarah and eldest son Byron with me there for the trip.”

Schloss and the team left the Nova in the States with Pro Line, but have since headed back over to compete in the first round of the Radial Outlaws Series in Orlando, Florida, with plans to continue racing in that series over the coming season.