Drag Illustrated Issue 136, September 2018 | Page 110

S
ixteen-year-old Vance Usilton has been patiently
waiting his turn to experience the euphoria that is “Black
Magic,” a 1967 Chevy II that’s been a part of his family for
many years. Usilton is excitedly gearing up to make some
full pulls down Delaware’s U.S. 13 Dragway, an IHRA-
sanctioned quarter-mile facility located in the town of
Delmar, where his father, Hank Usilton, has raced a variety of cars for
three decades.
The classy Black Magic Nova is a fan favorite with its throwback paint
scheme, which amazingly, was applied 35 years ago. “This is the same
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paint job that the previous owner, Paul Hastings, put on the car years
before my dad bought it,” Vance says. The body was gently removed about
10 years ago and Hank outfitted the car with a chrome moly chassis, af-
ter which, he carefully reattached the body. The car weighs 2,375 pounds
with Hank in the driver’s seat, slightly less when Vance is buckled in. It’s
motivated by a 406 c.i. small-block Chevy and has gone as quick as 9.18
seconds at 145 mph down the strip in Delmar.
Admittedly, Vance believes he got a late start in Jr. Dragster racing at
age 14, when so many of his peers began much earlier. “My first year was
humbling, especially when it came to taking care of the car, but I learned
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Issue 136