Stuart Olinde: DragChamp Racer Spotlight

Stuart Olinde is in this week’s DragChamp Racer Spotlight. Learn all about this DragChamp Pro Member in his spotlight below!

VENTRESS, LA- Stuart Olinde has been drag racing for 32 years in and around the state of Louisiana. Stuart’s journey into the world of racing began through his father’s love for the sport. With 60 years of racing under his father’s belt, it’s no wonder it runs in Stuart’s blood. More recently he has also gotten his son, Slade involved with the Junior Dragster program.

He currently competes in the No Box class at State Capitol Raceway where he is a well known racer. Starting in the Street class running tow trucks, Stuart steadily climbed the ranks, transitioning to Pro until the Footbrake class was introduced. He also travels a bit to big money bracket races around his home state.

His Race Car

Stuart’s current race car is a killer 1967 Camaro with a tube chassis. This car has been his ride or die for over 11 years, though he is unsure who initially built it. Under the hood, there’s a 383 stroker engine, paired with a BTE Powerglide transmission and an ATI converter. It has a 9″ rear end with a 488 gear, and runs 6.50’s to 6.60’s.

Accomplishments

Throughout his career, Stuart has racked up an impressive list of accomplishments. Some of his major accomplishments include six runner-up finishes for Wally’s and a runner-up for an Ironman. He also ran himself in the finals of the CP’s Racing Promotions 2 for 1 on the Bayou event which proved to be a memorable weekend.

Stuart’s Q&A

What’s on your bucket list, future goals, what do you hope to achieve? 

Win a bigger money race like a $20k, race the Spring Fling, and future goals is to suck less 

What is your favorite race car, and why? 

2004 Cobalt. I just like the look of the car

Who has made the biggest impact on your racing success?

My dad and brother. Dad taught me basics of racing and brother taught me things such as finish line racing.

Who do you look up to in the sport? 

The Larry Seguins and Robbie Mullins of the sport

Tell us what you do for a living? 

I paint houses 

How do you support your racing, side hustle, sponsor, partner, etc.? 

Work day in, day out. No side hustle, no sponsors.

Who do you hate to see in the other lane, and why?

That dang Nick Hastings. LOL. I should be 2 and 1 against him, but just can’t get around him. Always something. Perfect on tree, car runs off. Was just .3 on tree. Tell myself it’s Nick, tighten it up to kick it .007 red.

What’s the hardest part of drag racing? 

Competition. It gets harder and harder, seems like every year.

What’s your most embarrassing moment in a race car? 

Last race of the season at the local track, running for the championship. I have to win the race to win the championship. Roll up first round, guy in the other lane is Dave Dupont. His cars are really good. Tell myself I’m not checking up on him until 1000. I leave, go down there, get to 1000, look over, he’s not there. By the time I turn to look for the stripe and notice he’s broken on the starting line, I jam brakes, just too late to break out by 1. Buy back, win the race, to be 2 points behind second place.

What are you saying to yourself just before you stage the car? 

Don’t be a bitch. Bust his ass. Time to lay the smack down fool!

What do you enjoy the most at the racetrack? 

Friends AKA Family

Are you superstitious?  If so, what are they? 

If I win with a particular shirt or jeans, I usually try to wear the same thing next race, but then I suck. Haha.

Do you love to win or hate to lose? 

Winnings are great, don’t bother me too bad when I lose. I understand you can’t win them all, but I’ll give them hell every time I’m there.

Which are you better at the starting line or the finish line?

I feel good at both.

What motivates you to continue racing? 

My Dad

If money were no object, what would your racing operation look like?  Car, trailer, class, race schedule, etc. 

Not much different than what I have. I’d still run No Box, maybe do some Super Pro racing. More races would be a guarantee.

How often do you use a practice tree? 

Once every other week. Not for long though.

What is your daily driver?

GMC Pickup

Favorite movie or TV show? 

My favorite movie, is Blow

Favorite music, artist? 

I like all kinds of music, from rap like 90’s stuff, to country, to oldies like swamp pop and old country.

Where do you spend the most time on the internet? 

Facebook and TikTok

What is your favorite sport?  Favorite team? 

LSU Football. Big on college football.

Besides racing, what do you do in your free time? 

Camping and hanging with friends

What are you really good at? 

Nothing that I know of. Now, what do I suck at? A lot. LOL

Name one thing most people don’t know about you? 

I don’t have to drink to have a great time. People think it’s Poo, he will be drinking. I don’t mind having a few but not really a big drinker.

Would you rather hang out with a crowd or have a quiet evening at home? 

Trick question. lol. I love chilling at home, but at the same time, I love hanging out and clowning and laughing with all my buddies too.

What’s your favorite thing to eat?  Individual item, meal, or restaurant? 

Jambalaya or shrimp fettuccine. I really like that Saltgrass Steak House. Oh yeah, steak too.

Who would you like to thank, who helps you the most? 

My old man for getting me into this sport. Without that, I would have never met all the great people I know today. My son, if it wasn’t for him, I’d have probably backed out of racing, but he has faith in me. Even when I feel like I’m not a great driver, he feels different, which drives me to continue and try to be better. My brother, when we get together, we’re like peas and carrots. We click. He tells me what I’m thinking already and knows what I should do before the pass. All my racing family, which is a lot. They are all awesome as far as support, help, and whatever.

For more DragChamp racer spotlights, click here or here. 

Want to become a DragChamp Pro Member like Stuart? Check out the details here.