Team Venom: Supercharged trucks win lots of trophies

PORT HENRY | Brothers Alex, Fay, and Walter Cheney of Port Henry may be running out of room to display their growing collection of motorsport trophies. The trio owns Team Venom, a truck-racing operation that sports a fleet of five supercharged — and we mean supercharged trucks — plus a Nissan Juke crossover. The brothers noted that "cancer awareness is what drives us." To add a little "sting" to Team Venom's roadshow, each of the eye-catching trucks sports its own nickname: Venom, Havoc, Patriot, Black Widow, and Anti-Venom. Beginnings Alex Cheney, Jr., a U.S. Army veteran, started his brothers off on their shared racing careers back in the 1980s when he took up racing a pickup truck at the Westport Fairgrounds. Alex took his brothers to New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire races, including various regional mud bog and pulling competitions; the years rolled by until something sparked the Cheneys' baby brother, Walter, with an idea--let's get serious. "We were always Ford guys," Walter told The Sun, "and then Alex brought home a new 2004 Nissan Titan truck. We took a lot of ribbing from folks calling it a (disparaging) 'rice rocket' and the like. But this was one tough truck: 307 horsepower, stock. That truck could beat a supercharged Mustang GT, so heads started turning." Walter added, "I started at a very young age truck pulling and drag racing, at 18, and never stopped. I have built several truck-pulling trucks, several drag cars, and even a show-winning Honda Civic hatch." The brothers include a tough 2004 Chevrolet Silverado in their Venom racing fleet, but it's clear their passion is for Nissan trucks. And resistance from some U.S. brand-loyal fans weakened over time; they came to respect the brothers and the performances of their amazing trucks. "Nissan Titans are American built," Walter said. Mean machines Introduced in 2003, the full-size Nissan Titan truck is made in Canton, Mississippi. It was designed by award-winning California auto designer Diane Allen. Thus, there's actually more America inside-and-out of the Nissan Titan than there is Japan. "Sure, Nissan is a Japanese company, but there may be more USA-made parts in these trucks than some Fords and Chevys. Nissan employs American labor to build them, too. How many U.S. manufacturers build their vehicles in Mexico (and Canada)?" While the brothers may joke and take jabs at each other, it's clear the Cheney family blood runs thick in the team. They love and respect each other. Even Walter's wife Amber was a "motorhead" before she met her future husband, Walter. The couple married four years ago. Walter, working for the Moriah Central School District, met Amber when she made a delivery for Midstate Industrial Supply. Today, Amber is part of the team, too, often racing the 2004 Silverado. She's nabbed a bunch of trophies for Team Venom's display shelves. Fast forward to 2017 when the brothers' 600 horsepower-plus 2010 Nissan Titan ProX took the racing world's record truck run in 11.78 at 115 mph by brother Walter. The brothers keep tweaking their tough trucks but said they are about to go boldly where no man has gone before; they are adding one of the funkiest-looking Japanese crossovers to ever hit these shores, the European-designed Nissan Juke. "Our newest build is #Frostbite, a 2014 Nissan Juke Nismo RS," Walter noted. "We are working to push this car into the top spot for fastest Juke on the planet. This is not going to be easy but we feel we have a chance to prove what we are capable of (doing)." National attention With extensive modifications made to the 2010 Titan's engine and chassis, the Cheneys and their sporting sponsors have crafted the world's meanest Titans. The truck is now the major "wow factor" at many pull and drag racing meets. Brother Fay drives the Titan as his everyday vehicle. Surprisingly, the brothers don't pamper their award-winning trucks; you can see them tooling around town in the rigs, easily spotted by the custom graphics and stand-out "Venom" logos. America's top motorsports writers have taken note of the Cheney team. Motorsport magazines such as Trucks, Apex, and Diesel (to name just three) have given Team Venom full-color, front-cover coverage, with lots of much-deserved kudos. But don't try counting all the Venom first-place trophies; you may lose track like this writer did. According to national sportswriter Adam Gordon, "Walter Cheney... was inspired by his brothers, who spent a lot of time racing in his younger years, Cheney was swept into the world of fast trucks before he even had a truck of his own. As you can see, he's got quite a well-rounded pedigree, but trucks have always been the main focus for him and his family." Current accounting shows Team Venom with over 24 truck pulling championships, the Best Truck Award at several shows (including the Carlisle Truck Nationals and Street Scene in Syracuse), and of course, that hard-to-beat world record for fastest Nissan Titan. Even the head honchos of the multi-national Nissan Corporation, headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, have heard of the Cheneys. "With the help of sponsors big and small, as well as some strong family ties," Adam Gordon added, "Cheney's truck has climbed to the peak of street-driven Nissan Titans." Walter promises more records to be smashed. "We are proud... that Venom and Black Widow are the fastest Nissan Titans in the world. But stay tuned for even faster times ahead." Note: Follow Team Venom on its YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeD1lR9GGqfU7D4Fkv5yVJQ. SIDEBAR: Awards ATPA Truck Pull Champion ( Venom and Black Widow ) VTPA Truck Pull Champion ( Venom and Black Widow ) Venom world records: Fastest Nissan Titan 1/4 Mile NA Fastest Nissan Titan 1/8 Mile NA Fastest Nissan Titan 1/8 Mile Period Fastest Nissan Titan 1/4 Mile Period Black Widow: Fastest Nissan Titan XD Diesel 1/8 Mile Fastest Nissan Titan XD Diesel 1/4 Mile 2014 and 2018 LGWC Ice Drag Champion V8 and Open class 2021 action (so far) Barton truck pull: 6,800 street gas class; A class second; B class second. Goshen Stampede: Third Pull for a Cure: 6,500 street gas 1st HAVO and 7,000 street gas First HAVOK; third with Venom's "Patriot" truck

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Team Venom: Supercharged trucks win lots of trophies

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