Interview By Mary Lendzion
Photography by the FSC staff
With his father and other family members involved in hot rods, Jacob Weigl heard a lot of interesting car culture stories in his younger years. Those stories intrigued and inspired Weigl, who went on to have a 1982 S10 pickup, which was the first car he ever raced, followed by a 1979 Malibu wagon, which he successfully races in NMCA Erson Cams Nostalgia Muscle presented by World Products.
The classic car, the category, the competition, and the close friends he made along the way mean a lot to him, and he is comfortable in the cockpit at every race.
That contributes to his success, and that was clear to see in 2023 when he earned his first NMCA Erson Cams Nostalgia Muscle presented by World Products win at the TorqStorm Superchargers NMRA/NMCA Power Festival presented by Paul’s High Performance in July at US 131 Motorsports Park in Michigan and a second-place finish in points. He also earned a win in Hot Rod Eliminator at the Wally Parks NHRA Nostalgia Nationals presented by Holley in June at Beech Bend Raceway in Kentucky.
Those accomplishments are especially meaningful to Weigl, who was racing in memory of his grandmother, Lorraine, who passed away in the spring of 2023. He attached her photo to the dashboard of his car, and he is confident that she was with him for each pass down-track.
Read on for more about Weigl, who lives in Hodgenville, Kentucky, and recently started a new job as a mechanic on Earth-moving equipment for Caterpillar, Inc. in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. When he is not racing or working, he enjoys spending time with his fiancée, Audrey Baize, who races in NMCA Erson Cams Nostalgia Muscle presented by World Products. He also can be found cruising in his 1969 Chevrolet Kingswood, which he drove in Hot Rod Drag Week in 2019.
WHEN DID YOU START TO PAY ATTENTION TO CARS?
My dad was around hot rods before I was born, and he would often tell me about his old Nova, Impala, and Barracuda, which were his daily drivers that he souped up for a little bit of street racing. He also had an uncle and a cousin who had dirt track cars, and he helped them work on them and watched them race them. My dad was in the Army while I was growing up, and we moved around a bit. I was born in Germany and spent most of my early childhood there. I went to school on the Army base, and we were there until I was in the second grade. In addition to Germany, my dad was also stationed in Colorado, North Carolina, and Kentucky throughout his military career. Everywhere my dad was stationed when he was in the Army had dirt-track racing, and we would go watch, so I was around cars and racing from an early age. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better childhood.
SPEAKING OF DAILY DRIVERS, WHAT WILL YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST DAILY DRIVER?
My 1982 S10 pickup had a V8 engine when I got it when I was a junior in high school. I saw it locally and thought it was cool, so we bought it. I was driving it to and from school, and cruising around town in it. We installed a few things to it early on, like swapped carburetors and a FlowMaster exhaust.
WAS THE S10 PICKUP THE FIRST VEHICLE YOU TOOK TO THE TRACK?
Yes, it was. I was a senior in high school when a friend I played football with and his father invited me to go to Ohio Valley Dragway in Kentucky with them, and I took the S10. I figured I might as well because I had played football throughout high school and I needed something new and exciting to do. I can remember that day very well, especially how the truck was a lot slower than I thought it would be. Right away, I wanted to make it go faster, and making it go faster became a challenge to me. We immediately did some upgrades, including to the rear gears, and we installed a new cam and set of heads. The upgrades helped a bit, and I raced the truck for about a year after that. The truck is still in the family to this day, and my dad races it once a month in the Street Car Series at Ohio Valley Dragway. I didn’t want to sell it to anyone else after all of the things we had done to it. It is special to us.
IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THE S10 PICKUP IS SPECIAL TO YOU. WHAT VEHICLE DID YOU PURCHASE AFTER THAT?
I purchased the 1979 Malibu wagon that I have now in 2003. I had always loved that style of car, and I bought it from the brother of one of the guys I used to work with. Something had broken in the car and his brother had been trying to fix it, but was getting frustrated, and made a comment about selling it. I asked how much he wanted for it, and after he told me what he wanted for it, I bought it.
WHAT CONDITION WAS THE 1979 MALIBU WAGON IN WHEN YOU PURCHASED IT?
It was just a body without an engine, transmission, or interior, but the body was clean. My dad and I had built a 383 stroker Chevrolet engine and we put that in the car. We backed it with a Turbo 350 transmission, and then I added more parts to the car, like the racing seat. Then I started racing the car in bracket categories, with just the racing seat and no interior, and I was running 7.50 in the eighth mile. I was very competitive and I won my very first bracket race in 2004 at US 60 Dragway in Kentucky.
WHAT CHANGES DID THE CAR SEE AFTER THAT?
We eventually found an interior at a junkyard in 2006. I got lucky, because that day, that junkyard had every piece of the interior that I needed, including the headliner, door panels, and trim pieces. Dad and I installed all of that, and we continued racing in the bracket category for a while before we tried the OSCA 7.50 index category at US 60 Dragway and we did that once a month.
WHAT DID IT TAKE FOR YOU TO SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION FROM BRACKET RACING TO INDEX RACING?
We definitely had to pay more attention to certain things, like the tune-up, to get my car to run as close as possible to the 7.50 index. We were primarily using the carburetor to tune, and it was definitely more of a challenge for us, but I really liked it.
WHEN DID YOU BEGIN COMPETING IN NMCA?
Almost 15 years ago, we went to watch an NMCA race at Beech Bend Raceway in Kentucky, and we found out we could race in the series, too. I raced in a bracket category the year after that and fell in love with the series. It felt like we were part of something really big. We were just going to stick with the bracket category, but then Andy Warren kind of recruited me for NMCA Nostalgia Muscle. He told us that I should try it, and he was confident that I would like it, so I did, and he was right. I liked it. I think 2010 was the first year I raced in Nostalgia Muscle, and it was at Beech Bend Raceway. Andy was helping me. He showed me where tech was, and how to do this and that. I loved everything about it, from the style of racing and competition to the people. That same year, we went to the race in Memphis, too, and even though it was a new experience, and I had never raced at that track, I started to feel a little more comfortable and confident. The following year, I committed to racing at more of the events on the tour. I really liked the series and had fun going out of state to race.
HAS YOUR APPROACH TO RACING STAYED THE SAME, OR CHANGED THROUGH THE YEARS?
Honestly, my approach has stayed the same. I’m pretty relaxed before a race and during a race, and that is beneficial. But if I’m not running well, I tend to be hard on myself, and that hasn’t eased up over the years.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO RACE AGAINST YOUR FIANCEE, AUDREY BAIZE?
I had seen Audrey around the track, but we didn’t start talking until we were both racing in the NMCA, and we started dating in 2019. We definitely go into each race not wanting to race each other until the final round of eliminations, but we both know that if we do have to race each other, it is all part of the experience. We raced each other twice in 2023, and we each do the very best that we can. We each want to win, despite the fact that we are racing each other. At the track, my dad and I have our system between rounds, and she and her dad have their system between rounds, but we do support each other 100 percent.
YOU PULLED OFF AN IMPRESSIVE SECOND-PLACE FINISH IN 2012 AND AGAIN IN 2023. WHAT DID IT TAKE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN?
It took a lot of effort, that is for sure. The Nostalgia Muscle class is tough, and you have to be ready for anything, but in addition to the effort, it takes some luck. You have to be lucky sometimes, too. I was consistently in the 10.75 or 11.00 index all year, and I was really happy to be able to win in the category for the first time at the NMCA race in Michigan and to achieve a second-place finish in 2023, especially since I wasn’t able to race in North Carolina because of work. It was emotional, and it made me want to do it again. If I had been able to go to that race, and if I had done better at the race in Ohio, there is a chance I could have earned the championship.
DID THAT GIVE YOU EVEN MORE INSPIRATION OR MOTIVATION FOR THE 2024 RACING SEASON?
Yes, it sure did. I definitely want to earn more wins and ultimately a championship, but I know that will take a lot of effort. It will take good lights, consistency, and making the right decision on the top end. Everybody in Nostalgia Muscle is hard to beat. I would like to increase my car’s performance and move up to the 10.50 index in 2024, so we plan to get a new set of AFR heads and some other things.
WHO SUPPORTS YOU ALONG THE WAY?
I have so much help and support from my parents, Steve and Sue Weigl, and my fiancée, Audrey Baize. I also want to thank Jim Wheeler of Service First Warehouse, Brian Paitz or FueLab, Sam Murphy of Sam Murphy Racing Engines, Brad Goodman of Brad’s Transmissions, TRZ, World Products, Ride Wright Tire, Wicked Grafixx, and Bradco Engineering. These people and companies make my racing possible, and I can’t wait for the 2024 racing season.
(Interview will be published in the February 2023 issue of Fastest Street Car)
Photography by the FSC staff
With his father and other family members involved in hot rods, Jacob Weigl heard a lot of interesting car culture stories in his younger years. Those stories intrigued and inspired Weigl, who went on to have a 1982 S10 pickup, which was the first car he ever raced, followed by a 1979 Malibu wagon, which he successfully races in NMCA Erson Cams Nostalgia Muscle presented by World Products.
The classic car, the category, the competition, and the close friends he made along the way mean a lot to him, and he is comfortable in the cockpit at every race.
That contributes to his success, and that was clear to see in 2023 when he earned his first NMCA Erson Cams Nostalgia Muscle presented by World Products win at the TorqStorm Superchargers NMRA/NMCA Power Festival presented by Paul’s High Performance in July at US 131 Motorsports Park in Michigan and a second-place finish in points. He also earned a win in Hot Rod Eliminator at the Wally Parks NHRA Nostalgia Nationals presented by Holley in June at Beech Bend Raceway in Kentucky.
Those accomplishments are especially meaningful to Weigl, who was racing in memory of his grandmother, Lorraine, who passed away in the spring of 2023. He attached her photo to the dashboard of his car, and he is confident that she was with him for each pass down-track.
Read on for more about Weigl, who lives in Hodgenville, Kentucky, and recently started a new job as a mechanic on Earth-moving equipment for Caterpillar, Inc. in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. When he is not racing or working, he enjoys spending time with his fiancée, Audrey Baize, who races in NMCA Erson Cams Nostalgia Muscle presented by World Products. He also can be found cruising in his 1969 Chevrolet Kingswood, which he drove in Hot Rod Drag Week in 2019.
WHEN DID YOU START TO PAY ATTENTION TO CARS?
My dad was around hot rods before I was born, and he would often tell me about his old Nova, Impala, and Barracuda, which were his daily drivers that he souped up for a little bit of street racing. He also had an uncle and a cousin who had dirt track cars, and he helped them work on them and watched them race them. My dad was in the Army while I was growing up, and we moved around a bit. I was born in Germany and spent most of my early childhood there. I went to school on the Army base, and we were there until I was in the second grade. In addition to Germany, my dad was also stationed in Colorado, North Carolina, and Kentucky throughout his military career. Everywhere my dad was stationed when he was in the Army had dirt-track racing, and we would go watch, so I was around cars and racing from an early age. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better childhood.
SPEAKING OF DAILY DRIVERS, WHAT WILL YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST DAILY DRIVER?
My 1982 S10 pickup had a V8 engine when I got it when I was a junior in high school. I saw it locally and thought it was cool, so we bought it. I was driving it to and from school, and cruising around town in it. We installed a few things to it early on, like swapped carburetors and a FlowMaster exhaust.
WAS THE S10 PICKUP THE FIRST VEHICLE YOU TOOK TO THE TRACK?
Yes, it was. I was a senior in high school when a friend I played football with and his father invited me to go to Ohio Valley Dragway in Kentucky with them, and I took the S10. I figured I might as well because I had played football throughout high school and I needed something new and exciting to do. I can remember that day very well, especially how the truck was a lot slower than I thought it would be. Right away, I wanted to make it go faster, and making it go faster became a challenge to me. We immediately did some upgrades, including to the rear gears, and we installed a new cam and set of heads. The upgrades helped a bit, and I raced the truck for about a year after that. The truck is still in the family to this day, and my dad races it once a month in the Street Car Series at Ohio Valley Dragway. I didn’t want to sell it to anyone else after all of the things we had done to it. It is special to us.
IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THE S10 PICKUP IS SPECIAL TO YOU. WHAT VEHICLE DID YOU PURCHASE AFTER THAT?
I purchased the 1979 Malibu wagon that I have now in 2003. I had always loved that style of car, and I bought it from the brother of one of the guys I used to work with. Something had broken in the car and his brother had been trying to fix it, but was getting frustrated, and made a comment about selling it. I asked how much he wanted for it, and after he told me what he wanted for it, I bought it.
WHAT CONDITION WAS THE 1979 MALIBU WAGON IN WHEN YOU PURCHASED IT?
It was just a body without an engine, transmission, or interior, but the body was clean. My dad and I had built a 383 stroker Chevrolet engine and we put that in the car. We backed it with a Turbo 350 transmission, and then I added more parts to the car, like the racing seat. Then I started racing the car in bracket categories, with just the racing seat and no interior, and I was running 7.50 in the eighth mile. I was very competitive and I won my very first bracket race in 2004 at US 60 Dragway in Kentucky.
WHAT CHANGES DID THE CAR SEE AFTER THAT?
We eventually found an interior at a junkyard in 2006. I got lucky, because that day, that junkyard had every piece of the interior that I needed, including the headliner, door panels, and trim pieces. Dad and I installed all of that, and we continued racing in the bracket category for a while before we tried the OSCA 7.50 index category at US 60 Dragway and we did that once a month.
WHAT DID IT TAKE FOR YOU TO SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION FROM BRACKET RACING TO INDEX RACING?
We definitely had to pay more attention to certain things, like the tune-up, to get my car to run as close as possible to the 7.50 index. We were primarily using the carburetor to tune, and it was definitely more of a challenge for us, but I really liked it.
WHEN DID YOU BEGIN COMPETING IN NMCA?
Almost 15 years ago, we went to watch an NMCA race at Beech Bend Raceway in Kentucky, and we found out we could race in the series, too. I raced in a bracket category the year after that and fell in love with the series. It felt like we were part of something really big. We were just going to stick with the bracket category, but then Andy Warren kind of recruited me for NMCA Nostalgia Muscle. He told us that I should try it, and he was confident that I would like it, so I did, and he was right. I liked it. I think 2010 was the first year I raced in Nostalgia Muscle, and it was at Beech Bend Raceway. Andy was helping me. He showed me where tech was, and how to do this and that. I loved everything about it, from the style of racing and competition to the people. That same year, we went to the race in Memphis, too, and even though it was a new experience, and I had never raced at that track, I started to feel a little more comfortable and confident. The following year, I committed to racing at more of the events on the tour. I really liked the series and had fun going out of state to race.
HAS YOUR APPROACH TO RACING STAYED THE SAME, OR CHANGED THROUGH THE YEARS?
Honestly, my approach has stayed the same. I’m pretty relaxed before a race and during a race, and that is beneficial. But if I’m not running well, I tend to be hard on myself, and that hasn’t eased up over the years.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO RACE AGAINST YOUR FIANCEE, AUDREY BAIZE?
I had seen Audrey around the track, but we didn’t start talking until we were both racing in the NMCA, and we started dating in 2019. We definitely go into each race not wanting to race each other until the final round of eliminations, but we both know that if we do have to race each other, it is all part of the experience. We raced each other twice in 2023, and we each do the very best that we can. We each want to win, despite the fact that we are racing each other. At the track, my dad and I have our system between rounds, and she and her dad have their system between rounds, but we do support each other 100 percent.
YOU PULLED OFF AN IMPRESSIVE SECOND-PLACE FINISH IN 2012 AND AGAIN IN 2023. WHAT DID IT TAKE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN?
It took a lot of effort, that is for sure. The Nostalgia Muscle class is tough, and you have to be ready for anything, but in addition to the effort, it takes some luck. You have to be lucky sometimes, too. I was consistently in the 10.75 or 11.00 index all year, and I was really happy to be able to win in the category for the first time at the NMCA race in Michigan and to achieve a second-place finish in 2023, especially since I wasn’t able to race in North Carolina because of work. It was emotional, and it made me want to do it again. If I had been able to go to that race, and if I had done better at the race in Ohio, there is a chance I could have earned the championship.
DID THAT GIVE YOU EVEN MORE INSPIRATION OR MOTIVATION FOR THE 2024 RACING SEASON?
Yes, it sure did. I definitely want to earn more wins and ultimately a championship, but I know that will take a lot of effort. It will take good lights, consistency, and making the right decision on the top end. Everybody in Nostalgia Muscle is hard to beat. I would like to increase my car’s performance and move up to the 10.50 index in 2024, so we plan to get a new set of AFR heads and some other things.
WHO SUPPORTS YOU ALONG THE WAY?
I have so much help and support from my parents, Steve and Sue Weigl, and my fiancée, Audrey Baize. I also want to thank Jim Wheeler of Service First Warehouse, Brian Paitz or FueLab, Sam Murphy of Sam Murphy Racing Engines, Brad Goodman of Brad’s Transmissions, TRZ, World Products, Ride Wright Tire, Wicked Grafixx, and Bradco Engineering. These people and companies make my racing possible, and I can’t wait for the 2024 racing season.
(Interview will be published in the February 2023 issue of Fastest Street Car)