The brains behind the giant turbos, flashy rims and spectacular builds



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I owned a Chevrolet Impala once. In my mind it was a 1961 Impala SS 409 bubble roof, with a 409 V8 and triple tail lights. In reality, it was a fleet car from the early 2000s with a powerful but uninspiring V6. Maybe if I had handed it over to the able hands of Sage “Donkmaster” Thomas, it might have been a suitor.

The Donkmaster, who stars in a show on Assistant television which premiered in August, raises heaps of money to win drag tracks all over the south of the country. Big flashy rims are the name of the game and under the hood a carefully guarded combination of nitrous, turbos and power. He clearly has a soft spot for Rucci wheels with fantastic labels like Clout, Moolah and Whippin; I like the Vegas blue tinted aluminum for styling.

“If you have rims on your car, we’ll race you,” Thomas says.

What is a donk, anyway? There are other explanations, but many say it’s because the logo of the impala – which is an African antelope the size of a deer – looks like a donkey. If you squint your eyes, you might see it. The nickname “donk” applies specifically to the 1971-76 Chevrolet Caprice or Impala models, although some use the term loosely for all American custom sedans with massive, flashy rims (that doesn’t make it fair, though). Classic cars online today says that “donk” may have evolved from “badonka-donk,” which describes the curved rear end of all 1971-76 variants of Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac B-body.

Thomas also owns In & Out Customs in Charleston, South Carolina. He drives a six-figure 1971 Chevrolet Caprice convertible – called the Z06 Donk – fitted with an LS7 engine, interior and brakes from a donor Corvette of the same name. He travels and runs more often than he builds these days, and he calls his customs “works of art built for speed.” Donk racing is a subculture in the drag racing segment, and people bet thousands on each race. For example, Thomas won about $ 30,000 in a strip in Holly Springs, near Memphis, against CEO Larri and his Malibu Ghost. You must love colorful names like this.

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