Written by Mary Lendzion
Photos by NMCA and courtesy of Nicole Liberty
2023 was a big and beneficial year for Nicole Liberty.
In June, the Michigan-based racer moved from her proven 1999 Firebird to a 2003 Cavalier built by Jerry Bickel Race Cars to ramp up her already extraordinary efforts in NMCA ARP Nitrous Pro Street and Milan Dragway’s Outlaw 632, and she wasted no time getting to know the new-to-her car.
She clocked a best of 4.217 and 170 mph in the eighth-mile with a nitrous enhanced 632 cubic-inch Chevrolet built around a Dart block by her uncle, Vince Khoury of Khoury Racing, and paired with MBE heads and a three-speed transmission from Liberty’s Gears, which is owned by her father, Craig Liberty, and where she works as a design engineer.
And, with standout Pro Mod racer Steve Summers helping her with her switch from a carburetor to a HalTech engine management system, she went on to wrap up an impressive third-place finish in NMCA ARP Nitrous Pro Street and a championship in Milan Dragway’s Outlaw 632.
“I was thrilled with how the car performed overall last year,” said Liberty. “It really was a dream for us to bring out the new-to-us car mid-season and just continue to excel with it. I don’t think I could list anything I was unhappy with. That sounds impossible, but we had a very healthy engine in a great-working car, and that’s exactly what we were looking for to be competitive.”
Over winter, Liberty decided to go in a different direction for 2024.
“We are coming out with a single .036 jet combination using a freshly built Khoury Racing big-block and a 3-speed Liberty,” said Liberty. “The 60-foot is huge for the smaller jet combinations and we want to see .95 or better this year. Steve and Colin Summers will be with us again this year. We loved having them on board last year and we are glad to have them back.”
Liberty and her team have been working tirelessly to have her hot rod ready for the first NMCA points race of the year, the 16th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by Sipple’s Speed and Performance, April 11-14, 2024 at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina. She is also looking forward to the second NMCA points race of the year, the NMRA/NMCA Race for the Rings, May 2-5, 2024 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois, where she hopes to earn a third ring. Beyond that, she is charging for an ARP Nitrous Pro Street championship, and her fellow racers and race fans can expect her to be as purposeful and persistent as ever.
“We picked up NGK as a sponsor this year after switching to their spark plugs last season and fixing an issue we were having with our old ones,” said Liberty. “We’re excited to work with them as we already know we like their products.”
Photos by NMCA and courtesy of Nicole Liberty
2023 was a big and beneficial year for Nicole Liberty.
In June, the Michigan-based racer moved from her proven 1999 Firebird to a 2003 Cavalier built by Jerry Bickel Race Cars to ramp up her already extraordinary efforts in NMCA ARP Nitrous Pro Street and Milan Dragway’s Outlaw 632, and she wasted no time getting to know the new-to-her car.
She clocked a best of 4.217 and 170 mph in the eighth-mile with a nitrous enhanced 632 cubic-inch Chevrolet built around a Dart block by her uncle, Vince Khoury of Khoury Racing, and paired with MBE heads and a three-speed transmission from Liberty’s Gears, which is owned by her father, Craig Liberty, and where she works as a design engineer.
And, with standout Pro Mod racer Steve Summers helping her with her switch from a carburetor to a HalTech engine management system, she went on to wrap up an impressive third-place finish in NMCA ARP Nitrous Pro Street and a championship in Milan Dragway’s Outlaw 632.
“I was thrilled with how the car performed overall last year,” said Liberty. “It really was a dream for us to bring out the new-to-us car mid-season and just continue to excel with it. I don’t think I could list anything I was unhappy with. That sounds impossible, but we had a very healthy engine in a great-working car, and that’s exactly what we were looking for to be competitive.”
Over winter, Liberty decided to go in a different direction for 2024.
“We are coming out with a single .036 jet combination using a freshly built Khoury Racing big-block and a 3-speed Liberty,” said Liberty. “The 60-foot is huge for the smaller jet combinations and we want to see .95 or better this year. Steve and Colin Summers will be with us again this year. We loved having them on board last year and we are glad to have them back.”
Liberty and her team have been working tirelessly to have her hot rod ready for the first NMCA points race of the year, the 16th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by Sipple’s Speed and Performance, April 11-14, 2024 at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina. She is also looking forward to the second NMCA points race of the year, the NMRA/NMCA Race for the Rings, May 2-5, 2024 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois, where she hopes to earn a third ring. Beyond that, she is charging for an ARP Nitrous Pro Street championship, and her fellow racers and race fans can expect her to be as purposeful and persistent as ever.
“We picked up NGK as a sponsor this year after switching to their spark plugs last season and fixing an issue we were having with our old ones,” said Liberty. “We’re excited to work with them as we already know we like their products.”