Before Street Outlaws, Larry Larson Made History as America’s Fastest Street Car

Five-time Drag Week Overall/Unlimited winner Larry Larson is the inaugural member of the HOT ROD Drag Week 200 MPH Club with his 1966 Chevy II Nova.

It has been a decade since Larry Larson competed in a HOT ROD Drag Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, but his name continues to carry reverence and respect in the ranks.

The chassis builder/shop owner from Missouri is a five-time Overall/Unlimited champion, and he held the record for most Overall wins until 2023, when Tom Bailey captured an unprecedented sixth title.

He’s also the first racer to run in the 6s during Drag Week and the first member of the prestigious HOT ROD Drag Week 200 MPH Club.

Larson accomplished the first 200-mph run on the final day during the 2009 competition, running 204.63 mph at Muncie Dragway to close out a wild week against his nemesis Jeff Lutz. He finished with a 7.54 average, earning his second Overall/Unlimited title while driving his famed 1966 Chevy II Nova.

The Nova has seen a few different engine combinations over the years, but none was more dominant than the Moran Motorsports-built, twin-turbocharged 565ci big-block Chevy. He used that powerplant for every victory, a streak that began in 2008 and went five straight years through 2012.