Behind the wheel of his 1980 Chevy Square Body C10—complete with a full-tube Fusion Off-Road trophy truck chassis and a heart-pounding 418-cubic-inch iron-block LS beast—Ty showed everyone what determination looks like at the off-road competition at LS Fest West 2025.

While burnouts, drag racing, and drifting were happening at LS Fest West, on the other side of the compound was Friday under the lights at the offroad track. A fun, tight technical track with punishing whoops and massive airtime. Ty went all-in from the start, pushing the truck hard enough that his Turbo 400 transmission spectacularly gave way. "The stock input drum exploded when the 40-inch tires regained traction," Ty laughed. Most racers would've thrown in the towel at that point, but not Ty.

"I'm pretty close to doing my own transmissions, but I don't know quite enough," said Ty. "So we decided to take it home that night because Friday was only the practice and normally we just do the event for fun, but since [some competitors couldn't make it this year] we knew we had a chance at the prize money... I got a couple hours of sleep, pulled the transmission, rebuilt it, made it pretty much just in time for the parade, and then raced and won."

Instead, he hauled the wounded beast back to his nearby home shop in Boulder City, Nevada. With a borrowed billet-hardened input drum, a few friends, and gallons of caffeine, Ty tackled a complete transmission rebuild overnight. As dawn broke, the truck roared back to life. By noon, Ty rolled back into LS Fest West with barely 30 minutes to spare before the Saturday afternoon main event. "We didn't get any practice laps," Ty admitted, "but at least we made the parade."

With his wife strapped in as co-pilot and his 10-year-old son cheering from the stands, Ty dove headfirst into the bracket-style elimination showdown. Lap after gritty lap, the rebuilt C10 charged through the competition, each run better than the last. By the final heat, Ty faced down another truck for the overall victory. "On the last lap, he broke and we got past him on the inside," Ty recalled with a grin. "The crowd was yelling, 'Do it for Dale!' It was perfect."

The checkered flag dropped, and Ty clinched the overall win, earning $2,000 cash and a $500 Holley credit—an impressive reward. In true grassroots fashion, he even shared part of his winnings with fellow competitors in a gentleman's agreement, showcasing the camaraderie at LS Fest West.

Ty's truck is a tribute to practical performance, built on a mechanic's budget. With Frankenstein LS3 heads, a Holley High-Rise intake, Terminator X EFI, and a Pro Dash, the combo makes about 650 horsepower at the crank. ADS coilovers and bump stops keep the truck racing.

Shop 1975 to 1986 Square Body LS-swap parts here.

To Ty, his square body is part family hauler, part hot rod, and all race truck. He recently road-tripped it with the family to watch a race. The next goal is to drive it, compete, and then drive it home. "I had a two-seat race truck, and then we had kids, so it's time to make a four-seater, and even though this isn't quite really car show worthy yet, people like it. I can't really afford to have a hot rod too, so I built something that does both."

For Ty, winning wasn't just about prize money—it was personal redemption. After multiple setbacks and mechanical failures over the years, seeing his family, neighbors, and fellow racers witness his triumph was priceless.

"I've towed this thing home broken so many times," Ty said. "But this weekend made it all worth it. LS Fest West is always special, but nothing beats finally taking home the win."