This month’s creation, built for Jim Sackuvich (56) of Raymor, MO, wasn’t built to haul regular freight up and down the highway. It was built to haul fun freight – race cars. Jim and his wife Lisa, along with their three grown boys, have made racing a family affair, and during the season they all go together, which is why this new truck had to be not only pretty, but pretty comfortable, too. Sackuvich Motorsports is the name of the race team, which has several cars that run in different classes, at drag strips across the country.
Growing up in New Jersey, Jim caught the hot rod bug from his grandpa John Greenwood (his mother’s dad), who owned a gas station and a small repair shop. Jim loved hanging around with him at the shop, and learned a lot. Jim and his family moved to Missouri in 1973, and to this day, he stills calls the “Show-Me” state home.
Although his grandpa was a Chrysler guy, Jim became a Chevy guy after high school when he landed a job at the GM Motors plant in Kansas City. He was the fix-it guy, and was responsible for the repairs and maintenance at the plant. He worked there until 1987. His next job was for Cisco, as a forklift mechanic and a delivery truck driver, as needed. He worked there 15 years.
Meeting at a race in the early 1990s, Jim and Lisa got married in 1994. Lisa worked in the medical field as a nurse, but in 2001 she took a leap of faith and started a new company called ARJ Infusion Services. Today, this company is a leader in specialty home infusion pharmacy and 
nursing services. They provide therapies for both children and adults with rare and chronic conditions. Look them up – it is a neat deal!
Since 2001, all of Jim’s vehicles, race cars included, have been black, so when it came time to order a new truck to pull their race team and trailer around, it had to be black. Liking the new Heritage edition because of its style and level of comfort, we ordered Jim the 2018 Peterbilt 567 seen here. Featuring a 565-hp Cummins X15 with 2,050 torque, an 18-speed UltraShift automatic trans, and an air-ride car-hauler front axle, this truck has all the extra comforts, including air-conditioned seats. When the truck showed up, Jim opted for Hogebuilt stainless-steel fenders mounted on a set of hidden brackets. Inside, he added a porta-potty, a microwave, and a bunch of other RV-style accessories.
Hooked to a brand-new race trailer from Flying A Motors, which houses two race cars, living quarters for the family, and a fully-equipped mechanic shop, this combo is pretty impressive from the outside, but the goodies inside are even better. Jim’s race car is a black and silver Jerry Bickel 1969 Chevy Camaro with a 941 cubic-inch Musi racing engine. The entire body is carbon fiber, which takes around six months to build. Running in the Pro Modified/Pro Nitrous class, his best 1/8-mile run had an ET of 3.78 seconds at 198 mph, and his best 1/4-mile run had an ET of 6.11 seconds at 228 mph.
Jim has two major sponsors for the race team – Lucas Oil out of Corona, CA and Flying A Motorsports out of Cuba, MO. Alan Cape is the owner of Flying A and a good friend who sells race trailers (if anyone is looking for one, give Alan a call). Jim’s crew includes Delon Joseph (his Crew Chief), Lisa Sackuvich (his wife), Bob Sackuvich (his brother), Andy Copeland (his step-son), Robert Copeland (his step-son), and Jimmy Sackuvich (his son). Jimmy not only helps wrench on his dad’s car, but he also runs his own Top Dragster, as well.
Not all trucks are built to haul freight. Some, like this one, are built to haul fun! And to have fun, you’ve got to be comfortable, and this slick new rig filled the bill nicely for Jim Sackuvich, his family, and the entire Sackuvich Motorsports race team. Look for this black beauty out on the road, and at a drag strip near you.
