Drag racing is a sport of numbers. With that in mind, consider: 1/8-mile, 3.96 seconds, 186.23 mph, and at least nine track records. Now realize they all originated from a blown small-block and you can see why Jason Scruggs and his '63 'Vette have become somewhat legendary to Outlaw Pro Mod fans across the Southeast and Midwest.

"It wasn't easy, though," he says. "We broke a lot of stuff to run the numbers we've run."

Jason Scruggs has raced this Rick Jones-built '63 Corvette since 1999, but its days are numbered as his primary ride.

Scruggs, 29, joined the outlaw trail in 1996, then upgraded in 1999 to the RJ Race Cars-built '63 Corvette shown here. His father, Mitchell, builds and tunes the potent small block they've made a name for themselves with. The engine is based on a 400-cubic-inch Brodix block with Brodix heads and a giant screw-type PSI supercharger huffing through a home-built manifold on top. In true outlaw fashion, though, Scruggs refuses to discuss things like weight, gear ratios, and blower overdrive. "That's all classified."

As 2004 began, Scruggs was getting busy with a brand-new car -- built late last year by Tommy Mauney and this time powered by a Brad Anderson hemi. "We went with the Mauney car this time because of chassis quality and its ability to handle high horsepower," he explains. "I've seen his cars work for 10 years in Top Sportsman and Pro Mod and not show any wear and tear. And that's saying something."

In 1/4-mile testing with the new car in January at Bradenton, FL, Scruggs ran 3.89 at 190 mph at half-track before a Heim joint broke and ended his day with suspension damage. Regardless, to put that performance in perspective, Mitch Stott went 3.894 secs to the 1/8-mile marker a year earlier at Darlington, on his way to the world's first five-second doorslammer pass.

"We're expecting a lot out of the new car," Scruggs says. "We've just got to stay ahead of the curve. That's also why we've gone to the hemi. We love the small block, but it just wasn't going to be able to compete at the level we want to run."