Selecting his favorite “driver” may be the toughest challenge for PGA Tour Golfer Kenny Perry

By: Cam Benty

Kenny Perry was working when we caught up with him to discuss his recently modified ’55 Chevy. His office: hole number 5 at Hartford Connecticut’s TPC River Highland course just prior to the start of the annual tournament there. Rough life, right? After all, how many folks have to bring sun block to the office? But what’s a guy who plays on the PGA Tour got to do with racing cars and high performance engines?

Plenty!

While you may think golfers are all about alligator-logoed sweaters and funny pants, Kenny Perry clearly breaks that mold.  He is a true gearhead with a passion for performance, and a die-hard Chevy man with a killer car collection to be lusted over by any fan of tire smoke. Franklin, KY, born and raised, Perry, 51, is a successful golfer and major performance enthusiast with the scorecard to prove it.

Perry’s “current” collection includes a pair of two door post ‘55s, a ’55 Nomad, a pair of ’67 Chevy IIs, a ’69 Chevelle, a pair of ’68 Camaros, one ’69 Camaro, a ’57 Chevy and, breaking from the classic muscle theme, a 2009 600+ HP ZR1 Corvette. Most of his cars were purchased near his Kentucky home, with the exception of one Camaro that he found at a Super Chevy Show in Las Vegas.

Kenny Perry’s ’55 Chevy project and race car

Homegrown loyalty is a reoccurring theme in Perry’s life.

“My sister received a brand new ’69 Camaro from my father when I was a kid as a present and I loved that car,” Perry says. “I told myself that when I was older I would own one myself. I have ten cars in the special building I built near my home, and a separate shop with two lifts to work on them.”

Perry is no stranger to speed either, as he also races an Outlaw 10.5 class ’98 Grand Am on a regular basis at nearby Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green. With his tuner, the legendary racer and builder Billy Glidden, making sure all is in order, Perry’s car runs hard, straight and true, just like his golf shot.

“I really enjoy racing,” Perry explains. “My dream, if I didn’t play golf, would be to compete in Pro Stock racing. I have raced a lot in the last four to five years. Billy Glidden sets up my car and builds all my racing engines. He taught me a lot about drag racing.  Prior to that I had a lot of street cars that were plenty fast, but Billy taught me how to race.”

One Potent ‘55

Perry’s current project and part-time race car is one of his ’55 Chevy post machines equipped with an Art Morrison chassis under the near-stock body. With the Bruce Allen-built 565c.i.d. engine cranking out 805 horsepower and nearly 800 ft. lbs. of torque, the ’55 is an amazing performer.

Kenny Perry (L) and TCI Technical Support Reprsentative Kevin Winstead

“The target was to create a car that I could drive to the Beech Bend raceway 35 miles away, race all day and then drive back home,” Perry says. “I have accomplished that and the key was working with TCI to develop a transmission that could give me that great racetrack performance and handle the extreme engine horsepower. But also important was the ability to have the car drive well on the highway and use an overdrive gearing to keep the overall cruising RPM at a reasonable rate. The TCI 6X is the perfect transmission for both of these purposes. The folks at TCI were great and easy to work with. Next up on the list is installing a FAST EZ EFI fuel injection system on my 434- powered ’67 Chevy II.  I’m really looking forward to that.”

 Lost World

Despite the seeming disparity in style between racing and golf (you never see anyone holding up signs to be quiet at the race track), Perry insists there is plenty of crossover.  A two-time member of the U.S. Ryder Cup golf team with 14 PGA tour wins to his credit, Perry knows that focus is the key to success – the mental concentration required for success on the golf course works equally well when racing.

“I love drag racing,” Perry says. “But it takes full concentration to be successful whether you are trying to win at golf or racing. Both are very mental. It is how you set up and how you deal with the challenge of your competition. I have never been into team sports. Both racing and golf are not team sports once you are in competition. It’s simply me against everyone else. In both cases, I become lost in my own world.

“While certainly people understand the rush that comes from drag racing when you dump the clutch and you are pressed into the seat, I get a similar rush making a great (golf) shot in the heat of the battle. “

What’s Next?

Having spent 26 years in PGA competition, Perry now splits time between the PGA Tour and the Senior Champions Tour, picking the events he enjoys most. With retirement on the horizon, he looks forward to enjoying golf and his vehicles in his hometown surrounded by most of his brothers, sisters, father and extended family.

“I’d like to spend more time behind the wheel of my cars during retirement,” Perry proudly states of his future plans. “Frankly, I want to spend more time driving them than working on them these days. I really enjoy that and can’t wait to get cars like my ‘55 out on a back country road and run that sucker.”