where I’m at now, and I still work on
it constantly,” confirms Bunton,
whose combination is boosted by a
single 94mm Precision Pro Mod turbocharger and features a transmission by Richard Disher.
on Friday, race on Saturday, come
home on Sunday, and fix the crap
we broke during the week. It takes
a lot out of us.”
With great success comes great sacrifice, and Bunton has picked up a
few haters along the way. Although
he mostly receives good support
from fans and fellow racers throughout the country, locally, Bunton’s had
to deal with ex-friends and shady
characters bashing him and trying
to bring him down.
That same year, Bunton began to get
noticed – locally for certain, but
nation-wide via the waves his car is
making on social media. “A lot of
what I’ve done has been to prove
people wrong,” he laughs. “People
said I couldn’t have a car that I could
drive around and go 5.30, but I went
5.30s my first time out with a new “People run their mouths, and make
combination; we changed every- up stupid shit. I heard the other day
thing.” Now, running consistently in that sponsors built my car, and that
the 4.70s, Bunton still drives his Fox it was bought not built, because I
Body everywhere he can, in traffic, have money,” shares Bunton, who
even in 100-degree heat.
did construction work with his father
prior to starting his own shop, MKB
“People give me shit because I have Performance. Bunton realizes,
sponsors, but it ain’t like they’re though, that most of the smack-talk
giving me money,” Bunton contin- is purely jealousy-based, and generues. “They help with parts, but they ally comes from those who don’t go
don’t send a mechanic. It’s a full- to the track themselves.
time job keeping up with the car, and
we race every weekend. We load up
78
STREETRACE
Bunton is generally a laid-back guy When it comes to defining the term
who doesn’t let much rile him up, “street car”, Bunton’s got his own set
until he begins discussing the topic of rules. “I generally think it’s an allof street racing itself. “I don’t race steel, all-glass car with maybe a fion the street, I quit that three years berglass hood and stock-style susago. Nobody around here street pension. But if someone’s driving a
races, and when they do, it’s abso- Pro Mod on the interstate, I’m not
lute chaos with oncoming cars and going to say it’s not a street car,” he
stuff,” he says, angry at the reckless admits. It isn’t unusual for him to
behavior and careless disregard for finish a race, leave the Mickey
life. “My buddy flipped his truck and Thompsons on the Mustang, and go
everyone scattered – only two or run errands or drive somewhere
three people bothered to check on locally if need arises. “Some people
him. That led me to want to go to tell me ‘you have to street race to
the track and quit roll racing in traffic have a street car.’ So, you have to
and doing the stupid shit we were have all this stuff to have the car
doing. Street racing just ain’t for me.” legal to drive on the street, but you
have to do illegal things to call it a
Although he doesn’t partake in street street car? That’s dumb. Whatever
racing anymore, Bunton’s proud of you can tolerate, that’s what a
the fact that his car is often street- street car is.”
driven. “I drive it a few times a week
and people look at it because it has Bunton continues on in his explanaa parachute on it, and they ask ‘what tion, and uses notorious HOT ROD
the hell is that?’” exclaims Bunton, Drag Week multi-time champion
who often lets his wife, Blaine, pilot Larry Larson and his ’66 Chevy Nova
the Mustang around town.
as a prime example. “I won’t say he
doesn’t have a street car. It’s all purpose-built and I know he changes
PHOTOS: KEVIN COX, ELLEN ESCHENBACHER
FOUR-SECOND FOX