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Polivka to Debut El Jefe 2.0 at NMRA/NMCA All Star Nationals

Posted By: Mary Lendzion
After driving his 2013 Boss 302 Mustang to a 7.88, three wins and a second place finish in NMRA ProCharger Coyote Modified points in 2016, Jeff Polivka is positioning himself for even more success this year. He began by delivering his car to Dennis MacPherson at DMC Racing in Halifax, Massachusetts in early December, where its previous cage was replaced with a custom 25.3 cage, and a rear suspension setup featuring UPR Products, Racecraft components and Menscer Motorsports shocks was designed and installed. By early March, the Howard Bros. Paving-backed car was ready for its date at Justin's Performance Center in Millersville, Maryland, where Ronnie Reynolds and his JPC Racing colleagues installed a new Racecraft front end, Menscer Motorsports struts and TBM brakes before dialing-in the new suspension set-up. We had a lot of power, but because our chassis wasn't ideal, we were limited and we were leaving a lot on the table, said Polivka. So, we planned these changes for the off-season. A Rich Groh Racing-built 305ci Coyote engine fronted by a 76mm turbo customized by Jose Zayas of Forced Inductions will continue to power the car, but an M&M Transmission-built Turbo 400 with a custom gear set has replaced a Powerglide, and Polivka will test various converters by M&M Transmission and ProTorque to find the ideal mate for his combination. The car formerly known as El Jefe is now known as El Jefe 2.0, and will roll on a new set of RC Components wheels wrapped with Mickey Thompson 275 ET Street Radial Pros. Crew chief Eric Holliday, who was named NMRA Crew Chief of the Year in 2016, will continue to use AEM Performance Electronics Infinity engine management software to tackle the tune-up. It's basically a whole new car with a new chassis, suspension, transmission, converter and brakes along with some major weight reduction, said Polivka, who also received new safety equipment from DJ Safety, including an SFI-20 custom firesuit, helmet, harness, chute and fire suppression system. The ultimate goal is to come out and win the rest of the races, earn a championship and be the first to run 7.60s, and we think we can do that with the changes we've made. In addition to Eric Holliday, Ronnie Reynolds and their JPC Racing colleagues, Polivka receives steadfast support from his dad, Tom Polivka, Charlie Barnes and Andy Howard of Howard Bros. Paving. Catch him, and get to know El Jefe 2.0, at the 9th Annual NMRA/NMCA All Star Nationals, April 6-19 at Atlanta Dragway.

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