October 2024 Car of the Month: Shane Lile

Shane Lile wins the DragChamp Pro October Car of the Month contest with his ’55 Chevy called “Gass Hole”

October 28, 2024 – This October, DragChamp Pro’s Car of the Month spotlight lands on a standout racer whose passion and dedication have reignited a fierce legacy in nostalgia drag racing. Meet Shane Lile, a seasoned racer with a love for old-school grit and power, and his 1955 Chevy Gasser, fittingly named “Gass Hole.”

Shane’s story on the strip began back at age 16, piloting a 27T roadster in bracket classes before advancing to Quick Rod in a Spitzer dragster and, eventually, Top Dragster. His journey was fast-paced and filled with success, but after 2002, he decided to step back from the driver’s seat. The need for speed, however, never faded, and by late 2020, he found himself once again itching for the track—this time with the distinctive nostalgia drag racing group, the Straight Axle Mafia.

The Straight Axle Mafia series isn’t just any racing series; it’s a 17-race showdown that celebrates the golden age of drag racing, where racers roll back the clock to match their machines to vintage specs. And Shane’s “Gass Hole,” a straight-axle, ladder-bar ’55 Chevy equipped with a 496 Big Block Chevy and Powerglide transmission, is a perfect homage to that era. This gasser, running high 5.80s in the 1/8 mile, is more than just a car—it’s a time machine reminding racers and fans of the good ole days of drag racing.

Though Shane was an experienced racer, shifting into nostalgia drag racing required adapting. “Gass Hole” stripped Shane of the electronics he had grown accustomed to in bracket racing, demanding a return to basics. By the end of his first season in 2021, he had become more comfortable with the setup and was well on his way to a competitive edge. By 2022, he claimed second place in the points series, a feat he repeated in 2023. This year, however, Shane achieved his ultimate goal, clinching the 2024 points championship title with “Gass Hole.”

For Shane, this accomplishment was more than a win; it was the realization of a journey from his youthful drag racing days to the nostalgia-filled runs of today’s Straight Axle Mafia events. As DragChamp Pro celebrates Shane Lile and his classic powerhouse “Gass Hole,” we’re reminded of the timeless allure of nostalgia racing and the remarkable dedication of racers who bring history back to life, one quarter-mile at a time.

The DragChamp Car of the Month contest is reserved for DragChamp Pro members. Each month our DragChamp Pro members compete for the Car of the Month title with the winner receiving an article on DragChamp along with free DragChamp apparel. To learn more about DragChamp Pro, click here.