With the dust finally settled from this year’s monster-sized SEMA show in Las Vegas, we’re finally able to go back and show off some of our favorite picks from the week-long event. We saw this awesome A/FX recreation sitting outside of the Main Hall and had to feature it on Chevy HardCore. What is titled today as the “Ghost Runner” used to be a fully-committed altered ’66 Chevelle raced during the 1970’s as the “Rat Attack.”

Retired, the Rat Attack went under the knife in the 90’s, where it was converted into a replica of Bruce Larson’s USA-1 race car, which many credit as being the first funny car (which of course, is an insanely contended subject which we won’t go into here). Notably, Larson’s original USA-1 was campaigned throughout the existence of the A/FX Class until it was outlawed by the NHRA.

The builders contacted both Larson and Mopar racing legend Don Garlits who has the original car in his museum in Florida. The builders’ request for technical data unfortunately went unheard as both Don and Larson expressed their displeasure with a clone being built. The project’s momentum dwindled because of that, resulting in the car ending up in a field in Lovelock, Nevada.

Chris Ayres of Loomis, California rescued the Chevelle and took it to Young Guns Rod Shop where the “Ghost Runner” was freshened up and made street legal. The Chevelle is surprisingly complete with all steel panels and glass windows. Although disc brakes are at the corners, the front rides on a period-correct leaf-spring straight axle.

A 427 big block Chevy powers the altered A-Body with 13.5 compression, burning a mix of E85 and 105 octane race gas. Behind the 427 is a TH400 and a Ford 9-inch spinning 35-spline axles. Ayers still honors Garlits and Larson’s request and refuses to call the Ghost Rider a “USA-1 Clone” but all the work is there.