What happens when a basic six-cylinder grocery getter stays with the same owner for nearly 40 years?

Eventually, apparently, it becomes a twin-turbo race car.

This week on The Big End with Jerzy and Big Window, we’re sitting down with Bill Birk, owner, builder and driver of the Race Regal.

Bill’s story starts long before the turbos. He talks about growing up around cars and tow trucks in South Carolina, getting bitten by the street-racing bug, buying his 1978 Regal in the late ’80s, and slowly transforming a basic commuter into the car it is today.

But this episode goes well beyond one Buick. We get into the racing culture Bill remembers from the East Coast, the loss of legendary drag strips like Englishtown and Atco, how racing in Las Vegas compares, and what happens to car culture when the places that built it begin disappearing.

Then things get interesting.

Are overseas aftermarket parts really the problem people make them out to be? Is modifying a new part simply part of building cars? Do carbon-fiber hoods belong on muscle cars? When are wheelie bars actually necessary?

And, of course, we put Bill through 0 to 60, Drive, Drag or Junk, and the rest of The Big End treatment.

This is one for the builders, racers and people who remember when you fixed something in the garage instead of complaining about it online.

👇 QUESTION: If you had to keep ONE car for the next 40 years, what would it be?

Subscribe to The Big End for more conversations with the people who actually build, race and live car culture.

0:00 “We’re Losing Tracks”: Englishtown, Atco & Overseas Parts
0:32 Welcome to The Big End: Bill Burke & His Twin Turbo G-Body Regal
0:58 0 to 60: How Bill Got Into Cars (Uncle’s Tow Truck)
1:39 Building the Race Regal: Does His Wife Approve?
2:06 35–40 Years of Street Racing & Why a ’78 Regal
2:48 Olds Delta 88 Swap to a 10-Second Pass on 5 lbs of Boost
3:33 East Coast vs West Coast Drag Racing: Englishtown, Vegas & Jet Cars
5:02 The Hamptons Track, Force vs Crews Grudge Match & Track “Politics”
6:33 Atco Torn Down: Island Dragway Is Jersey’s Last Strip
7:27 “The Other Side Sucks”: Growing Up in the Englishtown Stands
7:50 Chase the Tail: Guess the Car by the Taillight
8:49 Taillight Reveal: ’95 Lamborghini Diablo
9:16 Taillight Round 2: GTO, Chrysler 300 & Galaxy Guesses
12:10 Rate It or Hate It: Shaved Door Handles
13:56 Rate It or Hate It: Chameleon Paint
15:15 Rate It or Hate It: Underglow LED Kits
15:35 Rate It or Hate It: Carbon Fiber on Muscle Cars
18:11 Rate It or Hate It: Wheelie Bars
19:13 Overseas Parts vs American-Made: Is Aftermarket Quality Worth It?
20:16 Murder Nova Story: Vendor Sends Molds Back
21:50 Cheap eBay Turbos vs Real Turbos
24:20 Classic Industries Parts: Fitment, G-Body Love & ’67 Chevelle Stuff
25:49 Drive, Drag or Junk
27:41 Drive, Drag or Junk: Chevelle SS, Hemi ‘Cuda & Trans Am
28:53 Drive, Drag or Junk: Camaro SS, Mach 1 & GTO
30:23 Ride of the Week: 1932 Ford, Blown 454, Gold Coast, Australia
32:42 Outro & Giveaway: Mention Bill Burke or “BB” to Win Merch

#BuickRegal #GBody #DragRacing #StreetRacing #RaceCar #TurboLS #CarCulture #MuscleCars #TheBigEnd

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