Super Nova of a team

Father and son bond over cars

BRISTOLVILLE -- More than 400 people attended a recent open house at Church Boys Racing, which owner Chuck Church Jr. said was like a "Nova family reunion."

There were more than 100 Chevrolet Novas from 1962 to 1967 parked in the lot and more than 100 cars parked in the spectators' lot, Chuck Church Jr. said.

"People drove from all over the country to attend the event, with some coming from Canada," he said.

The open house featured a car show with more than 100 hot rods, prizes and food for the attendees -- quite a change from the beginnings of Church Boys Racing.

According to Chuck Church Jr., his father, Chuck Church Sr. bought a 1963 Nova in 1971. An Air Force mechanic, Chuck Sr. drove the car from Bristolville to Tucson, Arizona, where he was stationed. After his service time was up, he and his wife drove the car home to West Farmington. The Churches still have that 1963 Nova.

Chuck Church Sr. bought a 1967 Chevrolet Nova for his 11-year-old son, Chuck Jr. This was a learning and a bonding experience as they repaired and rebuilt the car. The plan was that Chuck Jr. would then have the car as his own when he was old enough to drive it. He still has the car.

Chuck Jr. learned the tool and die trade while working at Delphi in Warren. He worked on cars at his home while he worked full-time. Noting that the "aftermarket didn't always have what he needed," he was able to use his tool and die making skills to create the parts he needed at home. Larger items he was able to work on while at Delphi.

At first, when the company was founded in 2006, the Churches "made suspensions, control arms, headers, etc." Then people asked about having their Novas upgraded, so the Churches began rebuilding cars at Chuck Jr.'s home. Now, they do complete overhauls.

Both Churches are proud that they are well-known and well-respected for their workmanship and attention to detail.

"We have customers from all over the United States, as well as from Canada," said Chuck Jr. The company now has nine employees and "we do all the work ourselves in the garage here, except painting," he said.

CBR works only on Chevrolet Novas, from the years 1962 through 1967. Chuck Jr. said they do create parts in the shop and ship them to car owners, but most of the work is done on the cars at the shop in Bristolville.

"Most of the cars are 'trailered' in," said Chuck Jr. but he said a few are driven. After work is completed, the car owners then come to the shop to pick up the car and drive it home.

The Churches bought the property in Bristolville in June of 2022 and moved the business there in March of 2023. It used to be Bradner Ford.

"It took a lot of remodeling, a lot of rearranging to get the building ready," Chuck Jr. said. The business is quite different from the home-based business it started as.

Chuck Church Jr. grew up in West Farmington and graduated from Bristolville High School. He and his wife, Jill, live in Bristolville with their four children.

"The two oldest boys, Matt, and Nick, are nursing students at Kent State University. Matt will graduate this year and Nick is in his third year at Kent," Chuck Jr. said.

Nick works at Mahan Packing in Bristolville. His other son, Ryan, is a student at Trumbull Career and Technical Center, where he is studying mechanical trades in preparation for joining the family business. Their daughter, Lauren, is a sophomore at Bristolville High School and "is interested in sports, but she does like riding in the cars," laughed Church Jr.