NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

For nearly a year, Mike Finnegan and Jon Chase have had a difference of opinion and it won’t be settled until they meet mano-a-mano as part of the Kall Out Kings match race held during the upcoming Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by Protect the Harvest at Auto Club Pomona at Raceway. Well-known figures in the hot rodding world, each with a massive social media following, Finnegan and Chase each own a vintage ’55 Chevy gasser and therein lies the problem.

Who's got the better hot rod?

That question will be answered once and for all when Finnegan and Chase square off in a best-of-three grudge match during the traditional NHRA season-opener. The stakes are high with the loser having to shave his beard in front of the Pomona crowd. The victor will not only have bragging rights (and intact facial hair), but will also be the recipient of a special Kall Out Kings trophy constructed by Cold Hard Art.

The seeds of this not-so-civil rivalry were sewn last May when Chase used his Instagram (@jchase7452) and YouTube accounts to challenge Finnegan (@finnegan999) to a duel. The challenge was quickly accepted and the back and forth barbs began.

“Whoever wins two of those races gets a killer trophy and a pair of clippers to remove the beard of the other competitor,” said Finnegan. “I hope Jon takes his family Christmas card pic right before grabbing a lane next to me because that beard of his is gonna be gone about eight seconds later. He’s going to look like he’s 15 again. His name is Chase because that’s what he’s going to do. Jon Chase will be chasing me down the track.”

“I think it’s funny that Mike is so confident that he’ll have no problem destroying me,” Chase countered. “I wouldn’t be surprised if his car blew up before the lights and I cruised right by him. When he shaves, the world will finally see his chin, both of them.”

While Finnegan and Chase are serious about winning the match, they’re also quick to mention that despite what some of their internet followers might think, they have a mutual respect for each other that transcends their rivalry. They are indeed friends, at least until they roll into the water box in Pomona.

As an introduction, Finnegan is best known as the host of Roadkill, the popular automotive-themed internet show produced by Motor Trend and Hot Rod. He has earned legions of fans with Blasphemi, his Hemi-powered vintage ‘55 Chevy gasser.

“I didn’t expect this project to ever come this far,” said Finnegan. “Originally, I just wanted a cool car. I had no plans to drag race it. I was into boat racing. Once I went down the track for the first time, I thought it was way too slow. After that, I spent every dollar I could spare making it fast. We finally got that done last summer, right about the time Jon called me out.”

In its current configuration, Finnegan’s car is equipped with a supercharged 528-cid Hemi engine mated with a clutchless five-speed manual transmission. Finnegan’s efforts to improve the car’s performance have been rewarded. Putting any street legal car into the eight-second zone is no mean feat, but he was able to do it last September at Atlanta Dragway during the Hot Rod Magazine Drag Week event. An eight-second time slip came with a steep price tag when Finnegan wounded an engine on the next run. He’s still scrambling to have the car ready for the Pomona match.

“I’m up against it right now, I dropped a valve and destroyed the motor in Atlanta,” said Finnegan. “We rebuilt it and changed camshafts but between SEMA and the PRI show, I haven’t been able to make a single pass. When we load up for Pomona, it still won’t have the blower on it, and we need to do some wiring. Hopefully we get one day of testing in Phoenix because I need it. Yes, I’ve been in the eights, but I’ve only done that once. Before that, I had a 9.40 car.”

Chase is the Brand Director and artistic leader of the popular Hoonigan brand, and he’s dubbed his classic ‘55 Chevy Tri 5 by Fire. Chase purchased the car in 2013 and it was a near-basket case including a bullet hole in the door. He quickly whipped the car into shape and participated in the 2015 Hot Rod Power Tour, where he first met Finnegan. Since then, the car has undergone a complete makeover with the addition of a ladder bar suspension, NHRA certified roll cage, and most recently, a Chevy LS engine topped by a Magnuson supercharger that he hopes will give him the edge against Finnegan.

“This car is a constant struggle but we’re making good progress,” said Chase, who admits that he’s also in a race against the clock to get the car finished. “Our plan is to get it buttoned up, get it do the dyno, and hopefully do some testing before Pomona. The combination is sort of a melding of old school and new school. It’s a post car with straight axle which is straight out of the 1960’s but the 383 LS and a Magnuson supercharger are current technology. I’m bringing the two schools together even though some of the purists can’t stand it. There’s been so much hate over this car on the internet, but I don’t get it. I’m fine with it because that’s not real-world thinking. This is a car that should make great power and be able to go anywhere. I’m looking for reliability and that vintage look.”

Finnegan and Chase both admit their love of ’55 Chevies was fueled by 1970s cult classics Two Lane Blacktop and American Graffitti. Ironically, both of their cars are similarly integrated into modern car culture. Finnegan’s car has such a large fan following that is has been re-created as a radio control scale model by Traxxas while Chase’s shoebox has been scanned by Forza and is included in the Horizon 3 and Forza Motorsports 7 video games.

“Jon has admitted he was sick and tired of people who played the video game ‘re-skinning’ his car to look like mine,” said Finnegan. “He was also ready to throw his phone across the room every time a fan saw his car online and accused him of copying me, as if we are the only two people to turn a ’55 Chevy into a Gasser. I couldn’t believe he called me out and I also respect the brashness of it; I would have done the same thing.”

 “I’ve driven Blasphemi across America,” Finnegan said. “I take my kids out for ice cream in this car. I’m also serious as a heart attack about making it truly fast. I’ve broken more parts than I care to remember over the last two years in the quest for lower ETs while competing at events like Hot Rod Drag Week, but I have never been called out to grudge race in this car. It all goes down during qualifying at the Winternationals. To be able to go down the track in Pomona with a car that I built with my friends is epic. I can’t imagine anything cooler. This is definitely a bucket list item.”

Likewise, the prospect of racing in Pomona, which has been in operation since 1953 and has hosted the Winternationals since 1961, isn’t lost on Chase, who resides in Southern California.

“To be honest, it’s going to be mind-blowing; a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Chase. “In the end, whoever wins will have bragging rights and the loser is going to have a rough day. If I lose and have to shave, I’ll just look a bit younger. This is a big deal for me but it’s also a big opportunity for us to take our loyal Hoonigan followers and turn them into drag racing fans. For the most part, our fans are younger and they’re into video games and that means road racing and drifting. That shouldn’t be the case because drag racing is easily the most accessible motorsport out there and once you get people exposed to is, especially a nitro car, they’re going to become fans.”

Friday, Feb. 8 will be the day that talk turns to action with the first round of the best-of-three match scheduled for 12:20 p.m. directly following Pro Stock qualifying. Round two will be on Saturday, Feb. 9 also at 12:20 and, if necessary, the third round will take place later in the day on Saturday, approximately 3:20 p.m. or following the final round of Pro Stock qualifying.