Backbone of Drag and Drive Part 15: From Garbage to Greatness—Matt Donovan’s Gasser Story
Occasionally through the years we have moments that, at the time, don’t feel like big life changing events. It’s later on that the significance and degree of impact is revealed. People look back at those moments and call them fortunate coincidences. A bit of old fashioned “good luck”. Others may describe the moment as Divine Intervention. Or maybe just serendipity. Whatever it is or whatever you wanna call it, it’s generally the 20/20 vision that we find in the rear view mirror that makes it plain. The really interesting thing is when an individual has the ability to recognize those moments as they happen. And take advantage of that opportunity to strike while the proverbial iron still smolders.
In the middle of a race day at Hot Rod Drag Week, Brian Lohnes and David Freiburger saw Matt Donovan’s then Pontiac gasser pull into the water box and Lohnes made a comment that it looked like garbage. And David’s response was something to the effect of “maybe garbage that barfed”.. to some that may have landed differently. But Matt is one of those rare individuals that hears the bells when they are ringing. So once he heard about those comments he promptly emblazoned the back of his car with the new moniker. And a star was born.
Now let’s be real. The favor that fell on Matt’s Pontiac would soon have been forgotten but for the ridiculous amounts of hard work and the drive to keep improving thrown at the old gasser in the years that followed. Matt came into this arena with a car that ran 13’s, but changed platforms, rebuilt cars, upgraded engines, transmissions, rear ends and nearly every other part along the way. And the 38 Chevy gasser that now wears the name “Garbage” has evolved into a 9 second killer that has made the trip at many national events. Matt’s relentless pursuit of “faster” has been rewarded with Gasser Class trophies and orange helmets to validate all that hard work.
And here is where it comes full circle. Matt’s car has in many ways become one of the most recognizable cars in the field. It has taken on a personality of its own. There’s a lot of people that perhaps don’t know Matt but they know his car. It is a celebrity of sorts at these events. Kids love the name, their parents love the performance. But whatever the draw, I’ve seen Matt welcome strangers into his pit for pics and conversation with a smile. He is a great representative of our sport and community. He’s a great example of how hard work and dedication pay off. He’s a great competitor and racer. Oh yea, he’s graduated from the slow car ranks with the 9’s he’s been running. But make no mistake, Matt Donovan and “Garbage that Barfed” have held up their end of this 10-11 second tent for several years. And taking full advantage of that wonderful bit of humor Matt has freely given that joy back to this community. His progression from a 13 sec racer to a very competitive 9 second NA big block powered gasser is a great example of how it doesn’t matter if you start in the “slow car classes”. You can move progressively into a very fast, very cool, very fun class with a time slip you (likely only temporarily) will be satisfied with.
So thanks to Matt, we all have an example of how to find our own “garbage”... bring it to the line, and let the story begin. The adventure, the friendships, the challenges, and the rewards. Don’t sit on the couch watching. Get out here and be a part of the backbone of drag and drive
Where are you from/live? Originally born in Fredericksburg Virginia, grew up in Mendon Michigan, and now live in Auburn Indiana
What made you start racing? I have always had a competitive nature and always loved fast vehicles of all sorts from a very early childhood.
Who inspired you to build a hot rod? My dad always had a hot rod/muscle car of some sort from when I was 3 years old to early adulthood. Cuda’s, Camaro’s, Firebird's, Mustangs, you name it, we had it and it went fast.
First Race and Where? Legally-Martin Michigan in the early to middle 80’s. Lots of street racing prior to that.
What was your first car? 1976 Buick Special-ultra clean, low miles, ultra slow V6
What was your first race car? 1970-½ RS/Z28 Camaro, LT1 4 speed
What was your first Drag and drive style event? Hot Rod Drag Week 2012
What vehicle? 1970 GTO “Judge”
What's your PB and how/when did that happen? We have had a major milestone lately during testing, that put us in a totally new ET zone. We hit a grand slam new ET, but couldn't back it up or repeat it. Once we can run that number without issue, we will share. Officially, we have gone 9.2x @ 140’s in the ¼ in the ‘38 Gasser.
Unlimited budget..what are you building? Thats a tough one- We already have street cars going 5 seconds at over 250 mph. I like to think a little differently-We already have a team assembled to build a much differently designed, say…dual purpose car. I cant reveal what the plan is just yet, but if I could have an unlimited budget, I would build something that would not only cross over to different forms of “racing”, but also be a Drag and Drive vehicle. Think-”off road trophy truck, meets Sick week” sorta thing, and you would be in my head ha.
Favorite car movie? 1979-Hot Rod.
Favorite music for cruising? 70’s rock, and late 80’s-90’s grunge
Favorite road trip snacks? Beef Jerky (gas station steak)
For the story, tell us about your best/favorite DnD event- The scenery and Mountain drives made Rocky Mountain Race Week amazing. Winning the Gasser class was completely unexpected. My best DnD event was probably the Sick Smokies. We prepared for 6 months to do this event, by testing, and doing some smaller events like Drop the Hammer, and Heads Up Hustle. We spent the summer prior to Sick Smokies, getting a combination in the car that would allow for good street manners, and adjustability in the “tune” to keep the car happy running 6.xx ⅛ mile passes, or turn it up and reel in 5.xx ⅛ mile passes, and it paid off. We won the Gasser class, got the orange helmet, did 300+ foot burnouts for the crowd, and cruised almost flawlessly through the Smokey Mountains pulling the little DnD trailer. We had a small valvetrain issue on the 3rd day, but the much heard of “hotel parking lot” repair session, got it taken care of, and we went on to win.
Event Average: 6.12 @ 113
vehicle at that event? The infamous 1938 Chevy, Garbage that Barfed
Year, make, model 1938 Chevy, coupe
Engine: Steve Morris Engines 555 Merlin big block chevy
Transmission: TH400
Rear Gear: 3.89-4.10 gear (alternates between events)
Power Adder: None needed
Tires: Mickey Thompson Pro bracket radial or hardwall slick, 275/60-15
How long you’ve had it? This incarnation has been around for 7 years
How many races have you attended in this vehicle? Probably 13 ish DnD events, and countless other weekend track events
Why did you build this car? I love the old gassers, always have. I wanted to build a car that I would have the best time cruising and racing. I wanted to build something that everyone would always remember, and I wanted to build a Naturally Aspirated Gasser that could be competitive with the Blown cars.
Any maintenance required from all the passes? We keep an eye on valvetrain probably more than anything. We run an old school girdle set up with comp steel roller rockers, and big push rods, so there is a lot of weight flying around under the valve covers. Every winter we pull the oil pan, and if the bearings have any hint of issue, we pull the engine and freshen things up. We have had only 1 catastrophic issue in 7 years and it was an oil failure problem, nothing to do with hard engine failure. Since then we have went overkill on everything to maximize longevity and insurance to prevent the worst scenarios from becoming reality.
What are 1-2 struggles from the week? We broke a rocker once on Sick Smokies, oil failure caused a cam/lifter failure once on Sick week, and we lost a MSD 7 pro box while on Rocky Mountain Race Week back in June.
Plans for events this year? We have already competed in and won Rocky Mountain Race Week and raced at Roadkill Nights. We’ll race at Sick 66 also.
Goals? Finishing is goal number 1. Anything other than that is fun!
Any changes or upgrades planned? We have already made some really big changes this year, and there is one more we are making in the next couple weeks. All changes have been made for reliability, but this has also netted better performance, and a faster car.
Bucketlist Race or Event? Alaska Speed Week, Miles of Mayhem, and our friend Rajveer Ahuja has mentioned another Canadian event in the works that sounds very cool.
Matt Donovan is one of the best examples of drag and drive racers. He is always welcoming and willing to share stories, tips and tricks, and will help anyone that needs it. Plus, his car will absolutely destroy tires at any moment along the street portion of a drag and drive event.
I think one of my favorite parts of the street-side of the car is the fact they built a rack on top of the drag and drive trailer to hold the doors of the car while they drive. This helps keep the driver and passenger cool from the airflow, but also looks “cool” as they cruise down the road. Just imagine being a 10 year old car guy and seeing this big block Gasser come cruising by you on your way to the store with your mom.
Matt began his drag and drive racing journey at Hot Rod Drag Week 2016 (he copiloted in 2012) in his 1941 Pontiac Silver Streak with a 13.388 average. After that event, it is obvious he was committed to going quicker with an 11.919 average in 2017 and an 11.15 average in 2019, both in the Pontiac. He sadly failed to finish 2018, but not before submitting a 10.85 on Day One for his Quickest Pass in the car.
Garbage that Barfed is a legendary name for a legendary car. The burnouts alone put it at the top of the list for me as a fan favorite. The low 9 Second Timeslips put it at the top of B/Gas competition. Sick Week 2025 marked Matt’s first National Event in the 9s all week, with a best of 9.49 and slowest of 9.91, for a 9.698 average.
Matt is working on a new project with several racers and we look forward to this new adventure. Next time you see him, make sure to ask him anything that’s on your mind, I bet he has a great answer or story that will help you in some way.
Opening by Rodney Reeves, Closing by Mike Narx. Photos by Eric White and Matt Donovan
