Regardless of the scenario, it’s just about not possible to take away the aggressive nature from a world-class athlete. Whether or not it’s on the NBA basketball court docket, the place he performed as a Energy Ahead for 12 seasons, or on the drag strip, Tom Hammonds runs extensive open.
The native Floridian was named Rookie of the Yr within the Atlantic Coast Convention whereas enjoying at Georgia Institute of Know-how and he was chosen within the first spherical by the Washington Bullets, however he didn’t go away his need to win on the court docket.
Together with basketball, Hammonds has a love of vehicles, and his present ardour is that this lovely 1969 Camaro that he wheels in NMCA Edelbrock Xtreme Steet. Actually, even throughout his enjoying days, Hammonds discovered time for drag racing. “I began racing on the NMCA Quickest Avenue Automotive shootout in 1992 with my ’69 Camaro road automotive. We had one of many featured vehicles, however it was extra of a pastime. I stored including components, making adjustments and it obtained faster and faster,” he instructed us.
Avenue-legal drag racing was enjoyable, however ultimately, he set a goal on NHRA Professional Inventory, coming into the ranks in 1994. “I started racing Professional Inventory half time between 1994-2001 in the course of the NBA low season, however I took a break from 2002 to 2006 to deal with my South Carolina Chevrolet dealership,” he stated. “I obtained concerned with GM and had a automotive dealership, however ultimately I bought it and went again racing full time from 2007 by way of 2010 with my very own engine program. Then the economic system tightened up and GM pulled out of motorsports,” he acknowledged.
Impressively, Hammonds logged three runner-up finishes and certified as excessive as second at Gainesville Raceway in NHRA competitors. “My work ethic transcends into something I do,” stated Hammonds. “After I was racing Professional Inventory we had bumps and burses, however we at all times realized.”
Even when not on court docket or observe, Hammonds couldn’t suppress his aggressive nature. He took that need to win and directed his power to the mat, the place he superior in Brazilian Jujitsu incomes his Black Belt in simply 7 years and changing into a five-time world champion within the Extremely Heavy division.
Whereas Jujitsu supplies an incredible bodily take a look at, Hammonds missed the pace and acceleration of being behind the wheel. “I obtained bored with going gradual,” Hammonds stated jokingly, “I missed drag racing and wished to get again in competitors, however I didn’t need to do it with an enormous crew, I wished to do it myself, that was the important thing. I wished to get again to my roots and NMCA is the place I began. I graduated to Professional Inventory, however I at all times loved my time after I was racing NMCA.” He then made the transfer and returned to the straight-line sport with one other ’69 Camaro.
Hammonds focused NMCA Edelbrock Xtreme Avenue, a class designed for full-bodied vehicles with energy adders that sometimes run mid-to-high 4s at 150-plus mph within the eight-mile. Xtreme Avenue guidelines enable racers to make use of both big- or small-block engines with a variety of energy adder combos primarily based round varied weight breaks.
“It was an enormous choice deciding on a category as a result of I didn’t need to be in a scenario the place I needed to depend on a whole lot of crew members,” he instructed us. “With this automotive I can go [racing] and we don’t have to fret about pulling the clutch out each run or doing one thing to the engine, or no matter. I simply come out, have enjoyable, and benefit from the camaraderie.
“I’ve had this Camaro for over 10 years so when it got here time to improve it for Xtreme Avenue, Jerry Bickel Race Vehicles was the place I went to. I beloved Jerry, stated Hammonds, “he constructed me a number of Professional Inventory vehicles and I had a imaginative and prescient of what this automotive must be. I wished to maintain it distinctive with a whole lot of factory-like element. It has the Rally Sport hide-away headlights and all of the trim. I also have a horn and a passenger seat,” he added.
“Steve Morris handles my engine builds, so we spoke recurrently about what it will take to be aggressive. We regarded on the NMCA guidelines to determine one of the best mixture. We wished to make the most of the three,200-lb. weight break as a result of I’m not a small man,” stated the 6-foot 9-inch Hammonds.
With that, Morris assembled a forged iron LSX with 364 cubic inch displacement, Black Label LS head and he boosted it with a Vortech V-30 Black Racing Sequence supercharger. The engine sits in a meticulously ready bay with every thing specified by a clear trend. The Vortech dumps increase immediately right into a Mast Motorsports consumption, whereas a Holley EFI system handles gasoline and ignition mapping. The setup additionally makes use of dry-sump oiling and Zoomie headers, and is backed by a Neil Probability converter and a Rossler Turbo 400 transmission.
Together with having the required cage and security gear, the inside is completed with a Holley Professional Sprint and the outside was sprayed in Velocity Blue with silver SS stripes. The Camaro rides on Mickey Thompson rubber wrapped round Weld wheels. There’s additionally a 9-inch rear, Lamb brakes and twin Simpson parachutes.
“It’s thrilling to be on the market racing,” Hammonds stated. “We’ve run within the 4.60s at 153 mph and I benefit from the class. Everybody has been cordial and I’m trying to making the category higher on and off the observe.”
