This 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS, which contains a Randy Dorton-designed engine, was a looker at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. Credit: Marty Smith

Johnson's new ride honors late friend

Dorton-designed engine serves as centerpiece of '67 Camaro

DETROIT -- Randy Dorton was a car guy, a man's man, the engine beneath the hood of Rick Hendrick's auto racing empire. He was a champion in racing, a champion for goodwill. Innovator. Motivator.

He made strong engines and even stronger impressions.

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Dorton died Oct. 24, 2004, when a Hendrick Motorsports plane crashed near Martinsville, Va., en route to a race. Ten lives were claimed from the NASCAR community.

Seven months later, in May 2005, Dorton's widow, Dianne, auctioned off one of her late husband's race engines in an eBay fundraiser, the proceeds of which funded a scholarship in his name.

Built by Dorton disciples in the HMS engine shop, the motor included several innovations personally designed by Dorton.

It turns more than 10,000 RPMs, pushes more than 800 horsepower and boils rubber like Parkay in the microwave. It's bad to the bone. And it was quite coveted come auction time.

Bids poured in, escalating past $40,000 until Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson secured the piece for an undisclosed sum. Dorton was one of Johnson's closest friends, and that engine would belong to no one else, cost be damned.

"It was on eBay, and I couldn't let it go," Johnson said. "Randy was a very dear friend of mine and my wife, Chandra, and I just had to have the engine.

"I couldn't see anyone else besides someone at Hendrick having this engine. The engine shop was thrilled to hear that I won the auction. From there, I wanted to do something with it."

	PHOTO GALLERY • Johnson's hot road

But what? Can't just drop it in the Civic.

After brainstorming with NBC race producer James Shiftan and trading creative ideas with Chevrolet, the decision was made to use the engine as a centerpiece and build a hot rod around it.

A red hot rod. Randy loved red.

Enter West Coast Customs, ride-pimping experts to the stars. Kobe Bryant, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are all clients.

For the well-to-do these days, pimpin' your ride is like whitening your teeth -- a glistening cosmetic upgrade that, while unnecessary, enhances visual appeal and suggests a certain financial standing. Rollin' on dubs is a status thing.

But this isn't about status. This isn't even about a car.

This is about one friend paying tribute to another.

"We've never really dealt with anything like this before; this was a different project for us," said West Coast Customs owner and CEO Ryan Friedlinghaus. "Randy Dorton was a good friend of Jimmie's.

"He told me about the history and about their friendship. It's special. He wanted a special car to remember a friend, and I think he has it. This is a really cool thing to do."

Start to finish, Friedlinghaus said building the custom 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS took three weeks. But the WCC team had just four days to install the intricacies that differentiate their projects from everyone else's.

"Four days ago it was a rolling box of s---," Friedlinghaus joked.

"I appreciate your honesty," rebutted an amused Johnson, his voice muffled by the hood overhead as he gawked at the car's unique power plant.

"Usually it's, 'Here's a rolling box of s---, make it look good,'" Friedlinghaus continued. "This one was, 'Here's a rolling box of s---, make it look good -- and run fast.'"

Mission accomplished.

At the North American International Auto Show, the world is introduced to the latest and greatest designs and innovations from the automotive industry. But at this year's extravaganza, the 40-year old hot rod stole the show.

"Holy cow!" said Johnson as he unveiled the car live on Friday morning on NBC's "Today" show. "I'm thoroughly impressed. Thoroughly impressed. This thing is sweet.

"I wanted to use this car to remember Randy. I'll think of him every time I drive it. I'll think of him every time I see it."

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.