Say Hello to the Renteria Brothers
Say Hello to the Renteria Brothers
Normally, if you saw a 1965 Plymouth Valiant, you might think it was someone trying to recapture happy memories of his childhood family car. But there is nothing normal about the ’65 Valiant owned by the Renteria Brothers and Dad Racing Team. That’s because their Valiant is an amazing 2000HP Pro Mod racer.
When Mike Renteria, the dad in Renteria Brothers and Dad Racing Team, first ran his four-door Valiant, he did not tell his kids that sedans are not normally seen on a race track. Some people may have thought the family was a bit strange for building a four-door Pro Mod. And some may have even teased them a bit back when Sean Renteria was running low 12s in his small-block Chevy. Well, these days, the tables seemed to have turned, and those who were teasing aren’t teasing anymore.
Now with a 451 cubic inch blown Hemi motor under the hood, this glossy black heart attack of a race car is wicked fast! As long-time members of the prestigious West Coast Outlaw Pro Mod Association (WCOPMA), the Renteria Valiant is a regular sight at regional events. The Outlaw Pro Mod class has a strict set of rules and guidelines, but looking at these cars, you would think they threw the rule book out the window!
Not only does the Renterias’ Valiant run that massive motor, but it also has a five-speed air-shifted Lenco power shifter and electronic shocks to raise and lower the profile, depending on how they want to run the car. In fact, when the brothers decided they wanted the car to be lighter, they went with a glass body for the car, but kept the rear functional doors. All of that poured into a fully custom roll cage and engine compartment, connect a few hose lines and wires and PRESTO! 2000hp! In fact, the car has run a 6.62 second pass at more than 212 mph!
Don’t think for one second that these guys are a group of quirky rich guys that have nothing better to do than to spend money. No way. Sean and Michael Renteria are also the owners of Renteria Bro’s Custom Shop in Morgan Hill, California, and do paint and body work on everything from insurance claims to hot rods and race cars all over California. What we have here is a small family-owned business getting dirty every day to earn the money to do what they love on the weekends. These guys earn everything they have and have made Renteria Brothers Racing a huge family affair.
Yeah, things are looking great for this team and their race car. Next time you are at the track in between race heats, make sure you check out this team of brothers and their dad and snap a picture or two of their “family car” going down the track; that is, if you’re fast enough to catch ‘em!
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