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A Unique Racing Journey: The Cadillac DeVille’s Transformation into a Race Car
Building a successful race car typically relies on a powerful engine, a rigid chassis, a low center of gravity, and proper weight distribution. However, there’s also a more unconventional approach, often associated with grassroots racing series like Chumpcar, where the focus is on low cost and dubious vehicles. A prime example of this is a Cadillac DeVille converted into a race car by Holy Crap Racing in Texas. This peculiar yet fascinating Cadillac is now owned by Rafi Ward of Boulder, Colorado, and will serve as a competitor in the 24 Hours of Lemons races, powered by General Motors’ notoriously problematic Northstar V8 engine.
So, what inspired the transformation of this infamous front-wheel-drive sedan into a race car? Ward recounts the tale, which begins with a woman named Glenda Carter from Dallas, Texas.
“Glenda was like the typical little old lady,” Rafi recalls. “She owned a Cadillac and only drove it to church. However, she faced a significant issue with the car—overheating.”
“Was that due to the Northstar engine?” I inquired.
“Exactly,” Rafi replied. “So, she listed it on Craigslist, and the team from Holy Crap Racing purchased it for just $350.”
The “team” refers to a group of four Texans who bought and refurbished the car before racing it in Houston’s MSR round during this year’s 24 Hours of Lemons season. The name Holy Crap Racing comes from the humorous notion that only a car driven back-and-forth to church could earn such a moniker, exemplified by a papier-mâché sculpture of a turd placed on the roof.
To prepare the DeVille for competition, they managed to keep costs under the $500 limit by selling off the leather interior, removing all wiring, and even extracting the engine to ensure it could handle the demands of a grueling two-day race in the sweltering Texas heat. To address one of the Northstar engine’s common issues—stretched head bolts leading to head gasket failures—they drilled new holes for bigger head studs while the heads were off.
Changing the wiring required reprogramming the ECU, which was sent to one of only two shops in North America familiar with tuning the rarely modified Northstar engine.
As for the car’s debut at the Houston race, Rafi reported, “The judges were impressed. They didn’t receive any black flags; the car performed excellently, and they even won the organizer’s choice award!”
But why would the team sell a fully functional race car after all the time and money they invested in customizing its engine, control unit, and safety cage? The answer was straightforward: internal team disputes led to the decision.
“The group had a disagreement,” Rafi explained. “They had all contributed to the purchase and when one member requested a refund, they chose to sell the car and use the proceeds to buy another vehicle.”
Ward acquired the DeVille for $1,100, along with a detailed binder titled Holy Crap Hymnal, containing every receipt related to the car’s history, starting from its sale by Glenda Carter to its original Craigslist advertisement. The binder even includes a receipt for a window switch, scrawled on a paper towel.
What does Ward plan to do next with the Cadillac DeVille?
“The goal is to try to make it street-legal, although that’s a long shot,” Rafi said, doing air quotes. “If I could drive it to the event next year, the judges would definitely appreciate it.”
As for any modifications to make the car more competitive or to clean up the litter of pine needles in the interior?
“Not a chance,” he declared. “I won’t change a thing, and I won’t remove the previous team’s names either! It’s perfect just the way it is.”
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