Immersed in small-scale and actual-scale cars, it started at home as his dad, Nick, spent a good amount of time spinning wrenches on vintage cars–old convertibles, mostly. Tony would help his dad and soak in tons of automotive repair and restoration knowledge. That interest carried on through his high school days working on a dragster owned by Mr. Hofer, his auto mechanics teacher. “That really got me into the performance side of cars,” Tony says. “I loved working on that race car with Mr. Hofer, and I’m proud to say that we are still friends to this day.”

It was that influence which led Tony to a ’69 Camaro–although not this exact one, as the one he bought in the early ’90s fell victim to a freak accident. From that car he salvaged what he could and incorporated the surviving parts into this car, which Tony bought back in 1997 as a shell, or in his words, “it was basically just a roof,” Tony chuckles. “Everything I learned about cars from my father enabled me to restore this Camaro.”

Right out of the gate, Tony wanted this Camaro to be fast … real fast, but also a driver. He didn’t want to be limited to quarter-mile passes plus the length of the trailer ramps. Building the car into the champion as it’s configured today has been a steady progression. In the early ’00s, the goal at first was to build a 10-second street car. With that goal reached, 9 seconds became the new target. Again, it was easily achieved with his newly installed nitrous setup. In time, 8 seconds was achieved. Looking ahead at the 7-second goal, Tony started taking the car more seriously than he ever had. A new rollcage was built, adding a track-legal cushion and peace of mind for future power upgrades. A Gear Vendors Overdrive unit added the creature comfort of overdrive, making his Camaro a true highway cruiser for those endurance-testing drag-and-drive events like Hot Rod Drag Week and Sick Summer. Nearly 20 years later, as one of the fastest cars in the Midwest, Tony pierced the 7-second threshold with his quickest pass to date at 7.93 seconds at 177 mph. While this car is most definitely a driver, including the hitch for its small support trailer, make no mistake, Tony’s ’69 Camaro is still a top contender in the NMCA True Street class.

The car has gone through numerous engine combinations, including a naturally aspirated 383ci small-block, a 327 that was followed up by another 383ci small-block fed with nitrous. In 2014 Tony went the turbo route with another small-block engine combo that was converted to run on E85. “I’ve put in a ton of work on this car over the years and continue to do so today,” Tony confesses. “It’s the never-ending chase to go quicker—something I really enjoy.”

The root of its power comes via a 400ci small-block Chevy-based Dart block stuffed with a rotating assembly consisting of a Crower crankshaft, Callies rods, and Diamond pistons. The specs on the camshaft remain under wraps as part of the “drag racers code of ethics” manual–it’s a drag racer thing. The 98mm Precision turbo shoves air into an Edelbrock throttle body, with waste management handled by a pair of custom-fabbed 1⁷/₈-inch R&R Fabworks headers and 5-inch exhaust. Ultra Tech Racing (Mishawaka, Indiana) and Performance Tech (Wakarusa, Indiana) handled the machinework and Tony assembled the beast himself. What all that means is that this completely badass F-body makes over 1,700 hp, which Tony expects to go even higher once he installs dual rails and 16 injectors, which is currently in the works. “The fuel injectors I had been running couldn’t keep up with the fuel demands,” Tony reveals. “Talk about a thirsty beast.”

Up front resides a Smith Racecraft chromoly tubular subframe with TRZ spindles, Afco springs, and double-adjustable shocks along with a Smith Racecraft rack-and-pinion steering system. Out back you’ll find split monoleaf CalTrac springs enhanced with CalTrac traction bars and Santhuff’s double-adjustable shocks and a TRZ antiroll bar to keep both tires firmly planted on the ground.

Weld V-Series 15-inch wheels are bound in Mickey Thompson rubber all around with a set of Wilwood disc brakes up front and Aerospace Components binders employed out back. A Stroud parachute was incorporated to help slow down this beast from one of its 7-second runs.

Rodney Massengale and the crew at RPM Transmissions beefed up that GM Turbo 400 trans with a Reid case while a PTC torque converter contributes to consistent launches. A Cheetah shifter provides precise shift points and keeping the rpm right in the sweet spot. A Moser M9 rearend houses 3.45 gears, aluminum centersection with a spool, and Moser 40-spline star flange axles–plenty of hard-core artillery to get all that power to the ground and survive the process.

Once you get past the 6.50-certified R&R Fabworks 25.3 chromoly ’cage and RJS Racing Equipment five-point harness, the interior conveys a somewhat stock arrangement consisting of black loop carpet and the appropriate stock Camaro door panels and white vinyl bucket seats. The center console is still present, and the stock dash houses a Classic Dash insert, which plays home to the Holley touch screen display. The factory steering column and steering wheel do their part in retaining that timeless ’60s aura.

Tony took on the bodywork chores prior to spaying on a brilliant layer of Axalta Royal Blue Metallic with white Z/28 racing stripes. The scheme pays tribute to the car’s original muscle car heritage–although now its performance is light-years ahead of its showroom days.

“I’ve had so many fun times with this car over the years and I enjoy racing it and sharing memories with my friends and family,” Tony reveals. “If I had to choose one special day it would have to be the Cancer Awareness race since I lost my dad to cancer. I wanted to win that race for him, and that’s what I did. That was by far the greatest moment I’ve had with the car.”

Tony laughs at the amount of money it costs to go fast in an old Camaro, but he also knows it requires a bit of insanity, solid sponsor relationships, and an understanding family. “I have to thank my wife, Jenny, and my sons, Nicholas, Alex, and Christian,” Tony says. “I also couldn’t do this without my close friends who help on the car, including Dave Reppert and Sam Colalillo. In addition, Tony Maez from T. Maez Inc., Rich at R&R Fabwerks, Norm at Ultra Tech Racing Engines, and Jim at Performance Tech have all been a huge help with my program.”

Tony has some upgrades coming soon that will help get the car into the mid 7s—more proof that he’s a true drag racer at heart. One who does whatever it takes to go quicker and faster, all the while playing with toy cars for a living. Jealous much? Yeah. Just a little.