It's well past midnight, on a deserted industrial district back road in Houston. About a dozen cars are here, in the darkness, to witness a showdown. Groups of guys haggle back and forth, bets are made, and cash changes hands. A few moments later, the two beasts awaken, and the sound of horsepower rumbles against the quiet surrounding trees and warehouses. A phone call is made to ready the eyes at the finish line, as well as to the spotters around the block keeping an eye out for the Law. The two hot rods are pulled up to the line, VHT (sometimes in the form of Dr. Pepper) is laid down, and the tires are now creating huge white clouds of smoke and burnt rubber. The flagger readies the cars, and drops his arms. The two cars launch with the front wheels hanging in the air. Wide open throttle sounds penetrate the night sky, and we see the taillights getting smaller. Hazard lights come on in the left lane, signifying a winner. Cash changes hands again, and two more cars line up.
Those races were a normal routine for Steven "Worm Boy" Fereday, who started street racing at 17, and decided to go legit and take it off the streets back in 2003. Fereday, now 23, had earned a very successful street racing reputation in his hometown of Houston, Texas, and spent every paycheck and all of his street earnings on his 1998 Camaro Z28. It is a speed addiction many readers will identify with, as Steven has taken this Camaro that was once his daily driven high school and college commuter car, and turned it into a 7-second turbocharged monster.
Since Fereday's start in organized racing, his list of victories has grown extensively. He has won First Place four different times at LS1TECH.com national racing events, and has won First Place at three Clash of The Titan events in the True Street and True 10.5 classes. Those victories were sweet, but his most recent accomplishment is becoming the first Gen-III LSX-powered vehicle to run 7s on stock-type rear suspension, with his blistering 7.98 at 175.23 mph pass (1.29 60-ft!) at a recent event. This is not a back-halved car with a four-link or ladder bars, it's a car that still runs the Fourth Gen torque arm and lower control arm setup, as well as a GM 12-bolt rear end! Fereday regularly competes in the regional "True 10.5 Tire" racing classes, and has maintained an even more successful record on the track than he did on the street. In doing so, he has gained a few racing sponsors such as Late Model Engines, Thunder Racing, Madman Racing, and Rossler Transmissions. Even more impressive is that Steven and his buddies still do all the wrenching on this car, instead of having shops build it.