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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.............................................................. CHRIS BIRO editor@rpmmag.com V.P. MARKETING/CUSTOMER RELATIONS.................. TRISH BIRO trish@rpmmag.com EVENT MEDIA.................................................. events@rpmmag.com EVENT SUBSCRIPTIONS COORDINATOR........... SHERRIE WEBER sherrie@rpmmag.com ART DIRECTOR............................................................
JIM McHARG
Photographic Contributions: TIM LEWIS, MARK goDragRacing. org, GEORGE PICH, TOBY BROOKS, MATT WOODS, TABITHA SIZEMORE, MATT TROMBLEY, LOUIS FRONKIER, BART CEPEK, PATRICK “RED” WILLIAMS, BLAKE FARNAN, JERRY GARRISON, NEIL ZIMBALDI, STEVEN TAYLOR, and EDDIE MALONEY. Editorial Contributions: TIM LEWIS, CHUCK SCOTT, MARK goDragRacing.org, TOBY BROOKS, JAMES WILLIAMS, TIM BIRO, STAN SMITH, JT, GEORGE PICH, JAY MISENER, and EDDIE MALONEY. Technical Writing Contribution: CHUCK SCOTT, SHANE TECKLENBURG, TOBY BROOKS, and TIM BIRO.
ADVERTISING SALES For advertising information contact
TRISH BIRO...........................519.752.3705....... trish@rpmmag.com
Special Events Manager: Chris Biro events@rpmmag.com Special Events Sales: Trish Biro: 519-752-3705 trish@rpmmag.com Subscriptions/Address Changes: Circulation circulation@rpmmag.com
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RPM Magazine is a REGISTERED TRADEMARK of Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. RPM Magazine is a worldwide motorsports publication distributed online. To subscribe to RPM go to www.rpmmag.com or email Trish Biro at trish@rpmmag.com, or call 519752-3705. The focus of RPM is to bring a diverse mix of high performance street and race automobiles to life within its pages including race cars, musclecars, hot rods and street legal machines with an emphasis on the “EXTREME,” including fast doorslammer and outlaw forms of drag racing. Not familiar with these types of cars? They are considered to be the topshelf of the industry and are on the edge with regard to design, performance, and power! RPM Magazine does not sell its mailing list or share any of the confidential information regarding its subscribers.
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november 2020
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editor’s
RANT
by
Chris Biro
ACCOUNTABILITY
4
AED Competition ...................77
Meziere Enterprises ...............32
AFR:
Misener Motorsports .......... 103
Air Flow Research .........5,56,57
Is it disappearing with the age of mega web-based companies? In somewhat of a continuation from last month’s RANT, I’ve got a beef, and it has nothing to do with pandemics, politics or masks! Lately at RPM we’ve been doing business with a lot of online-based companies as we continue to expand web presence along with creating exclusive content and webbased store offerings. Some of these businesses are very large and some not so large, but my question is, when did it become ok NOT to have a phone number for your customers to call when they have a question or concern? And further, when we do dig up a phone number from under some well hidden online virtual rock and speak to someone, could it at least be someone we can effectively communicate with? Someone that understands the business environments WE operate in? Is that too much to ask? These large web companies seem to think it is ok to waste their “small” customers time (YOUR TIME) in trying to contact them, when YOU are the customer! Hopefully there is a choice to use a customer service minded company ready to earn and keep your business, but sometimes we simply have little to no options. Unfortunately, platforms like YouTube, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter etc. may just be too big to fail or be substantially hurt by poor customer service reports, at least in our lifetime. Lately I have found that a number of the large online video hosting companies, popular selling platforms and social media platforms do not have a direct contact phone number. Some use the excuse that they would be inundated with calls, my reply is, but you are making billions of dollars off of people, customer service should be part of your business model! Again, unfortunately, many people now rely on these companies to make a living or are just simply addicted to the whole experience they offer up, so they suck it up and accept it. At least throw us a bone and give us someone to email directly! Don’t send me to an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page that will only incite frustration and anger when I have to read through 100 questions only to find mine is not on there, and I still cannot get a contact email. And, if somehow you do provide me with an email and “guarantee” or even “suggest” that “as a valued customer” I will be contacted back within 24 or 48 hours...then CONTACT ME BACK IN 24 or 48 HOURS! I have a rule at RPM for every single email that comes directly to me; If I do not answer your email within 48 hours, chances are that I did not receive it, so send it again
ADVERTISER INDEX
or call. It’s that simple. So what is wrong with so many webbased businesses that they cannot even provide the most basic customer service through interaction with a representative of their company? Are they so arrogant and so absolutely sure that they will last forever that such basic customer services have all but vanished? And we thought phone trees were bad when they first came out...now it’s simply no contact phone number at all. Recently, we were trying to pay a monthly fee to use a popular video production platform. They had no phone number, so we emailed. Almost a week later we received a reply that basically fluffed us off as an entry level subscriber that they would get to when they had the time. When we told them that we were a potential higher level corporate customer, they had one of their “experts” set up a phone call with us a few days later. When he found out we were not a large bank or other multi-billion dollar outfit, we became second rate once again. Soon after we cancelled our payment/subscription with them. Another subscription based software platform we use operates in a similar manner, with no direct contact phone numbers. They do offer an email and guarantee that as a customer at higher paying subscription level you will be contacted back in “x” amount of hours or number of days. Instead, when we had legit concerns, it took over a week and us threatening to take the matter further before they finally took action. Interestingly, they said something to the effect that they knew the problem existed and confirmed that it exists with many of their customers, however, their engineers were not planning to address it anytime soon. What the (explicit) is that all about? If we ran our business in these ways we would be out of business. But that is the problem isn’t it? Small business in a niche market is tough to start with, so we have to look after our customers, which costs time and money. In some businesses that operate wholly in a virtual world, personal customer service and good business morals count for very little these days. For many of them its about the number of customers, not the experience of the individual customer. YOU, your information and your habits have become THEIR product. That’s an interesting twist of events. In short, don’t become a limp fish and take this sort of nonsense from these companies “just because”, demand accountability and exercise your right to choose!
november 2020 | RPM Magazine
AJE Racing............................ 77 American Racing Headers .....56
Moser Engineering .............. 62 Neal Chance Converters ........ 98
Aurora Bearing ......................77
Northern Radiator .................60
AVAK/Ridgegate Tools ...........50
Parts Pro/Total Truck Centers
Baer Brakes ..................... 31,52
.............................. 59,102,110
BES Racing Engines ...............66
PBM Products....................... 13
Billet Specialties....................66 Bill Mitchell Products ...... 12,73 BoulandMotorsUSA.com .......96
Piston Racing Engines ...........89 Profiler ..................................63
C & S Specialties ....................36
PRW-USA ..............................96
Callies Performance Prod ......21
Race Part Solutions ......... 30,73
Calvert Racing Suspensions ...45
Racequip ...............................63
Canton Racing Products ........26 CFE Racing Products .............62 Chassis Engineering ..............66
Racetronix .............................49 Rage Wraps ..........................63
Clearshot Customs.............. 103
RAM Clutches ........................78
Delta Performance Auto Grp..20
RCD .......................................88
Design Engineering ...............39
RM Racing Lubricants ...... 21,71
Dynotech Engineering...........11
Ross Racing Pistons ........... 7,47
ECAM ................................. 102 Energy Suspension/NPW .......52
RPM Magazine ......................23
Erson Cams......................... 101
RPM Magazine Subscribe!
GoDragRacing.org .............. 102
........................................ 35,63
Goodson Tools .......................56
SG Metal Works .....................70
Granatelli Motorsports ..........61
SM Racecars ..........................97
GRP Connecting Rods ............67 Harland Sharp .......................38 Hitman Hotrods.....................57
Steve Morris Engines ...............2 Summit Midwest Drags .........51
Hughes Performance...............7
Summit Racing Equip.
Icon Forged Pistons ...............88
.................................35,97,109
Induction Solutions ...............18
Taylor Cable Products ......... 100
Jesel ......................................48 Joe Van O...............................57 JW Racing Transmissions .........5
T & D Machine .......................71 The Supercharger Store .........71
Karbelt ..................................77
Ti64 .......................................99
Kinsler Fuel Injection....... 13,63
Tom’s Upholstery ...................48
LenTech Automatics ........ 38,70
Total Seal Rings .....................10
Liberty’s Gears ..................... 70
Trailer Alarms.com ................88
Lokar Performance ............... 66 Lutz Race Cars ...................... 89 Magnaflow............................96
Trick Flow ........................ 15,97 Tuned By Shane T ..................65
MagnaFuel ............................16
Ultimate Headers ..................77
Manton Pushrods ............... 100
VFN Fiberglass Inc. ................62
Mark Williams .......................89
Weinle Motorsports ..............17
Metal Products ......................63
World Products......................67
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november 2020
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November
2020
Often Imitated, Never Duplicated—For 21 STRAIGHT YEARS RPM Magazine has been the ORIGINAL Voice Of Wild Street Machines and Extreme Drag Cars WORLDWIDE! Don’t Settle For Less! We DELIVER Insane Fast Cars and Bring You NO POLITICS... JUST ACTION! Your ONLY “Real Time” “Real World” Car Mag...PERIOD!
TurbochargedThisTerror ................................... 54 5-second 274+ MPH Pro Mod has some solid blood lines
Perseverence Pays Off............................................ 8
Demonic Pleasure ........................................ 42 When Dodge produced the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon, they set the bar high!
For Scarlett .................................................................. 28
Time To LayCanada’s Thepremier Smack Down.............. 74 No-Time Race Event Goes Full Steam Ahead
This blown Fox Body build is all about finishing what you start, no matter what happens.
This ’67 big block nitrous Camaro has made lasting memories for Bruce Kennedy
86
Icons that never become a household name
94
102 We install the JLT 123mm BIG AIR Intake system with pulley on a 2013 GT500
READ COMPLETE ISSUES OF RPM MAG ONLINE AT WWW.RPMMAG.COM 6
november 2020 | RPM Magazine
+
CUSTOM IN STOCK PISTONS
TRUSTED BY THE FASTEST RACERS, ELITE ENGINE BUILDERS AND HIGHEST HORSEPOWER MACHINES ON THE PLANET, FOR OVER 40 YEARS!
WWW.ROSSPISTONS.COM | 310.536.0100 SALES@ROSSPISTONS.COM ONLINE
FACEBOOK.COM/ROSSPISTONS @ROSSPISTONS
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november 2020
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This blown Fox Body build is all about finishing what you start, no matter what happens.
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
Photos by Jason Matthew Story by Stan Smith
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november 2020
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Once Jerry Hoose got bit by the boost bug, he couldn’t turn back.
There’s only one way to understand what it takes to build a car, and that is to experience it firsthand.
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
For New Jersey’s Jerry Hoose that experience went well beyond the typical money and time constraints, problems with parts fitting or work being done correctly. For Hoose, he also had to deal with his car almost burning up in a shop fire and then having to have to bring it back to life. So yeah, it’s safe to say that this guy knows a thing or two about perseverance. Jerry has been involved in the car scene with his dad, from street racing to organized track racing and going to shows, ever since he was a teenager. “This is just what we did together,” he said. “In 1996 my dad and I opened up a speed shop in my town and that entrenched us even more into the scene. Since then I have been involved with many friends in all levels of racing from street cars to pro mods and nitrous to twin turbos.” For Hoose and his circle of friends it’s always been about fast cars and racing, however, when the speed shop industry was struggling he decided to take a different route for his day job and entered the world of graphic design and vinyl graphics, starting Wiked Designs. Through it all, though, was his 1993 Mustang GT. “I bought the car brand new and it has gone through many builds over the years,” explained Hoose. He tried out most every custom car genre of the day including building it as an all-out show car. It was bagged and
The small block Ford blower motor towers to almost meet the roofline of the Mustang.
To handle the new power and fit the new larger rear tires, the car was backhalved using all S&W parts. www.rpmmag.com
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•357-T6 Aluminum 45 Degree Lifter Bank •426 HEMI & 440 Wedge •Deck Height: 10.725” •Priority Main Oiling •4 Bolt 1045 Steel Billet Main Caps
E Q U I P P E D
Replaceable Sleeves 4.560” Max Bore
HARDCORE QUALITY & PERFORMANCE WaterExpanded Jackets
•Blocks •Heads •Manifolds•Valvetrain•Safety Equipment •Valve Covers•Fuel Systems •Horsepower Combos•Hardware
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
The Blower Shop handled the 8-71 blower for Hoose and it sits atop a custom blower intake. Fuel, in the form of alcohol, comes into the equation via and Enderle mechanical fuel injection system.
The custom purple paint was mixed and shot by Jerry’s cousin Jason Hoose, while the airbrushed “rip” graphics were expertly applied by Fred Sicoli of Killer Creations.
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november 2020
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Factory seats and dash are mixed with custom gauges, switch panels and tin work while a B&M billet ratchet shifter controls gear changes of the Art Carr TH400 trans.
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
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november 2020
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Yes, it is plated and driven. While the blown small block may not be a practical choice for street driving, it sure gets attention wherever Jerry goes.
The unthinkable happened when Hoose’ shop caught on fire with the Mustang inside. slammed to the ground with a Kenne Bell supercharger and, of course, had the big, bad earsplitting stereo. The car brought home many awards, but all that has been traded for horsepower and an earsplitting exhaust tone this time through. A number of items were planned and swapped out on the journey from show to go, but during the build the unthinkable happened when Hoose’ shop caught on fire with the Mustang inside. With considerable damage to the car and a shop to rebuild, it would sit as a roller for the next 7 years. When the time came to finally get back on the Mustang, the theme that would follow the car into
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
A Strange fabricated 9-inch rearend is fortified with all Strange internals and 3.55 gears and is hung by a 4-link with coilover shocks.
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november 2020
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its current build would be “boost”. Hoose explains, “The motor was taken out and I went with an aftermarket block and internals and a 6-71 blower poking out of out the hood. Once I decided to go down the blower route, I got hooked and wanted more. ” He kept the exterior vibe of the car pretty much the same but went to a healthy small block Ford with a Blower Shop 8-71 blower running on alcohol backed by an Art Carr TH400 trans with Art Carr 9 inch converter. The transformation took about 2 years and included a back-half using a complete S&W package with large wheeltubs to fit the planned bigger (much bigger) rear meats. A Strange fabricated 9-inch rearend with 3.55 gears suspended by a 4-link and coilover shocks replaced the old 8.8 airbag setup, while up front Hoose installed a tubular K-member and control arms with coilovers, as well.
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
A fire at Jerry’s shop that nearly destroyed the Mustang meant that it would sit for 7 years before any attempts at repairs would begin.
Jerry’s dad helps with the cleanup and rebuild efforts. www.rpmmag.com
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
– From the ashes of a shop fire, Jerry Hoose has 99% of the heavy lifting done on his way to completing the “Wiked Stang”.
With the rear hatch open, the massive wheeltubs are the first thing that hits you in the face, and the rest of the interior mixes a factory dash and seats with aftermarket gauges, two rows of custom switch panels and fabricated door panels. Removable door bars built into the cage design aid entry and exit for both driver and passenger. An additional twist to the story is the exterior of the car. While apart for the redo, the base purple paint was redone by Jerry’s cousin, Jason Hoose,
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Jerry Hoose’s 1993 Pro Street Mustang GT Chassis Type & Mods:
Chassis Type & Mods: S&W back half with tubs to accommodate larger rear tires all tied to stock front subframe.
Suspension:
4-link with QA1 coilovers in the rear. Tubular K-member and control arms and QA1 adjustable coilovers in front. Strange brakes in all 4 corners
Body & Paint:
Cervini’s Stalker front bumper, Zenon sideskirts molded to body, custom rear bumper, Race Craft wing. The custom mixed Purple paint work was done by owners cousin Jason Hoose. Airbrush work done by Fred Sicoli owner of Killer Creations out of Philly.
Engine:
308 Boss block, forged crank, H-beam rods and forged low compression blower pistons. Brodix cylinder heads.
Induction & Fuel:
Custom blower intake. Enderle mechanical fuel injection, runs on alky.
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
Power Adder:
Blower Shop 871 blower.
Electronics: MSD Grid.
Transmission & Converter:
Art Carr T400 with Art Carr 9” converter
Rear Differential:
Strange 9” fabricated rear with 3.55 gears.
Thanks to:
“There have been so many people that have helped with building the car throughout the years. Not wanting to forget anyone, I would just like to say thanks to my family and great friends for all the help. None of it would have been possible without everyone.”
Here are some shops that have also helped throughout the years:
Tommy Kasper at Kasper Performance Edge, Jim Hughes at Hughes Fabrication, Craig at Fab 45, Fred from Killer Creations and Jason Hoose for the paint.
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november 2020
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From left to right: Cole Hoose, Jerry Hoose and Dave Cappolina
but when it came to graphics, being a graphics and wrap star (not that kind of rap star), you figure that Jerry would have wrapped the car in the latest greatest design of the day, but instead he stuck with an airbrush theme. “The one thing I always kept the same is the custom airbrushed designs painted by Killer Creations in Pennsylvania. You very rarely see paint and airbrush work like mine anymore and it always attracts attention wherever we go,” he added. At the time of our pre-covid shoot, Jerry still had a number of items to do and finish on the car but health issues have caused some delays. Nonetheless, he has racked up a memorable moments list with the Mustang to date that would be the envy of most and includes; drag racing, show competition,
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
magazine features, special invites for the car to be displayed at events and in a Mustang Museum, not to mention all the experiences, both good and bad, in building the car over the years and thrashing with family and friends to get it ready for the next event. So if there’s one thing that we can take away from this story it would have to be that, although sometimes it may take years, perseverance does pay off, just ask Jerry Hoose. RPM
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november 2020
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This ’67 big block nitrous C
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
Camaro has made lasting memories for Bruce Kennedy Story by Eddie Maloney
Photos By Willie Sheffield
(Track photos by Laurie Barnett) www.rpmmag.com
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I
n the mid 1970’s, Kinston, NC native Bruce Kennedy was driving a used four door 1975 Ford Granada to high school that was provided by his parents. Kennedy was fortunate he only had to buy the fuel, which he paid for by cutting grass and working in the tobacco fields during summer. The rural eastern North Carolina farms and country roads were flat and wide, and there were few houses and little traffic in those days and unknown to his parents, Bruce got plenty of practice drifting on those back roads. “The car was nice, but not really cool enough for attracting girls!” Kennedy said with a chuckle. By 1978, Bruce was a business major in college and making more money working part time. He would soon approach his dad about buying a beautiful light blue Type LT Camaro he had seen on a car lot while commuting to classes. In short, he wasn’t able trade the Granada and that meant he would have to purchase the Camaro on his own, which he couldn’t do. A disappointed Kennedy was forced to drive by the car every day, admiring those front and rear spoilers, the rally wheels and white letter tires. He eventually got up the nerve to go into a bank and apply for his first car loan and soon after Bruce was happy to be driving the Camaro.
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
The look of the RS/SS first gen Camaro has become iconic in the world of muscle cars.
Chris and Trish Biro
The sumped fuel tank is visible from the rear and you can just make out the AFCO shocks and Calvert suspension. www.rpmmag.com
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After all, not only did the Camaro looks and style beat the Granada hands down, but it was far better for dating and school, too! It’s no secret that second-generation Camaros were built with new government constraints for fuel economy, safety, and emissions and while Bruce loved the car, the 1976 350 engine was down on power and the car itself was heavy, with long doors and the beefy front and rear bumpers. Still though, with headers and some tweaking it felt fast, at least compared to the Granada. Kennedy found out the truth after his first few test and tune Saturdays at the local Kinston Drag Strip, though, “It seemed like every Ford, Mopar, and Chevy streetcar could outrun the Camaro, and they did, often!” He said. Bruce began working on Saturdays while in college at K & S High Performance, the only speed shop in Kinston NC. That job was a great opportunity to learn about cars and drag racing. The store was named for its two founders, the “K” was for Kenny Koonce Sr, who campaigned a 1969 NHRA A/SA Camaro 427 engine/turbo 400 in Stock Eliminator. The “S” was for Stan Welsh, who ran a Ford Pinto Station Wagon “The Hobby Horse” in NHRA Stock Eliminator. In 1982, with college behind him, the goal of buying a lighter car with more power became a
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
Minimal changes to the factory interi aside from the cage and shifter t
ior are intentional, there are few.
The Holley Terminator X box is fastened to the glove box door and invisible when it’s closed.
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reality and Bruce began the search
If you had told for a first-generation Camaro. He found a ’67 and decided to go have Bruce ahead of time a look, not knowing the color of the car. Now, if you had told Bruce that he was going ahead of time that he was going to buy a yellow Camaro, he would have laughed, but when the car to buy a yellow cover was lifted off this Butternut Camaro, he would Yellow RS/SS Camaro, he instantly knew he was going to buy it. It was a factory big block car with the corhave laughed responding black tail pan and the
lone square factory traction bar still intact on the passenger side of the 12-bolt rear end. To top it off, the car had the black nose stripe and a black vinyl roof. The car didn’t have an engine or transmission and the price “rolling” (back in 1982) was 2,000 bucks. When word got out to Kennedy’s buddies they thought he was crazy to pay “that much” for a rolling chassis. “It was a sizable sum back then, but those guys hadn’t seen the continued on page 36
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
W
hen Bruce met Scarlett Jernigan in the late 70’s, it was an instant match and a bond never to be broken. Scarlett was a car girl and supported Bruce every step of the way throughout his career. They said their vows in 1983 and then in 1988, their son Forrest was born. She struggled with Auto-immune diseases her whole adult life, but always made the best of it. Scarlett had trouble keeping her weight on and was in and out of the hospital quite often in 2011 and 2012. At the end of August of 2012, Scarlett went back in the hospital like so many times before. This time, though, she had an infection that
doctors could not identify or stop; she was 51 years old. “Heaven gained a Scarlett Angel that day,” Bruce said somberly. Forrest named their little racing operation “Scarlett Fever Racing”. It was a fitting tribute to his mother, and a way to keep her memory alive.
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car yet either,” said Kennedy. A turbo 400 transmission, then a 427 engine were sourced and rumor had it that the engine was out of a well-known Nova race car named “The Deputy Dog”. Soon, with the help of several friends, the ’67 was under power once again. “It was a beast to drive with more than enough torque and power, in addition to having power steering and smooth riding radial tires. The car got way more than its fair share of looks on the road and during occasional trips to area drag strips,” Bruce explained. “And it was pretty cool to outrun all the people who had pounded on the blue Camaro in the past.”
A 60-0ver 427 stuffed with a Callies forged 4.25 stroke crankshaft, Manley H-beam 6.385 long rods and JE pistons provide a total of 496ci.
CLEAN AND MEAN 36
november 2020 | RPM Magazine
The EFI system also include dash to monitor all vitals an It has been fastened to the st disturb the fac
es the new Holley 6.86 Pro nd change tunes on the fly. teering column so as not to ctory interior.
A new OEM style fuel tank has been sumped to ensure proper fuel delivery to the big block under acceleration.
A factory 12-bolt diff has been beefed up with 30 Spline Moser axles, C-Clip Eliminators and 4.11 gears. An anti-roll bar, adjustable Afco rear shocks and Calvert CalTrac bars with their Split Mono-Leaf springs can also be seen here.. www.rpmmag.com
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Forrest & Bruce Kennedy’s 1967 Street/Strip Camaro RS/SS
Chassis:
Stock 1967 GM Chassis with subframe connectors. 10-point 8.50 cert roll cage
Engine:
1969 model 427 BBC, 60 overbore JE Pistons and a Callies 4.25 stroke crankshaft, for a total of 496ci. JE pistons, Manley H-beam 6.385 long rods, Pump Gas Camshaft designed by Dema Elgin. Patriot Performance 320cc aluminum heads.
Transmission:
Reid Case Powerglide with 1.69 gear set by Jeff Dobbins Racing.
Suspension:
Viking Performance front shocks, Afco Racing rear shocks with Calvert Racing Traction Bars and Split Mono-Leaf springs. 12 Bolt rear end with 4.11 ratio gear along with 30 Spline Moser Axles and C-Clip Eliminators. TRZ Anti-roll bar installed by Brazzel Performance Fabrication.
Body:
1967 SS/RS Camaro, Factory 396-325 car.
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
Wheels/Tires:
Front 15 x 3.5-inch Weld Draglite with Moroso Front Runners, rear: 15 x 10Weld Draglites with ET Street Tires, ET Drag Slicks, and ET Pro Radials depending on class/surface.
Classes/Events:
1995-1998 NMCA EZ Street Participant, Two runner-up finishes. 2019 to date, heads up shootouts and streetcar shootouts at local NC drag strips
Special Thanks: Engine:
Scott Sublet PIG motorsports
EFI:
Holley EFI Devin Vanderhoof HCR Innovations. The Car is tuned by Paul Powell.
Chassis:
Jason Brazzell, Brazzell Performance Fabrication.
Crew:
Bruce Kennedy, Forrest Kennedy, Krystal Kennedy, Kenny Barker, Heidi Barker, Roger Tucker, Josh Holloman, Landon Schertzinger, John Dougherty (LS Nasty).
THIS IS THE REAL DEAL
The RS/SS packages included the black nose stripe, badges and, of course, those iconic (albeit sometimes a pain it the butt) hideaway headlights.
The engine is completely controlled by a Holley EFI Terminator X system sourced from Devin Vanderhoof at HCR innovations.
Tucked inside the tiny first Gen Camaro trunk is the battery and nitrous bottle.
A coil near plug setup, 210lb injectors and a Nitrous Oxide Systems dry Fogger system were also installed during the most recent mods by the father and son team. www.rpmmag.com
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NOT JUST FOR DECORA
Watch Kennedy’s Camaro make a killer wheels-up pass here
Forrest Kennedy figures the Camaro is now good to drive to the track at full weight and click off low 5-second 1/8thmile ETs and cruise home afterwards.
This clean, virtually unmolested rare muscle car sees plenty of track time.
One of our favorite parts of Bruce’s Camaro is its classic look with modern flare. For over 40 years, he has vowed to always keep it uncut and street legal, and be able to rip offrespectable runs at the weekend drags. 40
november 2020 | RPM Magazine
ATION
With its stock SS hood and steel GM rally wheels the Camaro was a stock-looking sleeper, and once two extra rally rims and new slicks were procured, most of the race cars didn’t care to line up beside the yellow Camaro. Life was good for Bruce, and was about to get even better. Scarlett Jernigan was a car girl wheeling a Ford Maverick in high school in the mid to late 70s when Bruce met her on the cruise circuit in Kinston. Together, they soon cruised and raced the ’67, Scarlett was competitive in nature and fully supported upgrades to the Camaro. By the time the couple were married in September of 1983, Scarlett was driving her own 1974 Camaro dawned in a
yellow that was darker than the ’67. With married life, careers and starting a family fully underway, the Camaro would sometimes have to take a backseat, but during a time when many of their friends were selling their muscle cars, Scarlett and Bruce would still occasionally drive theirs. By the mid-nineties, racing organizations for street cars like the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) were popping up and this renewed the couple’s interest in the Camaro. The Easy Street class seemed to fit the car best, but it was heavy and underpowered to be competitive. Car guy and friend, Todd Jackson, stepped into to help wrench, and once nitrous oxide was added, the Camaro was closer to the pack and even took a few run-
ner-up finishes. But, as this type of racing grew in popularity, so did the amount of money it would take to stay with the front runners, and vowing to never cut the Camaro, Bruce retired it in the 90s with a 9.97 at 136mph ¼-mile time slip. Fast forward many years and the couple’s son, Forrest, would eventually start building his own hot rod and once completed, the father and son duo would turn their attention back to the ’67. Still looking every bit a “sleeper”, don’t take Old Yeller lightly; “We feel the car has the potential to be driven to the track and click off low 5-second 1/8th-mile passes,” tells Forrest. “And that’s weighing in at 3700 pounds with driver and all of its factory components, including the heater and radio.” Now that’s a sleeper! RPM
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When Dodge 42 42
november 2020 | RPM Magazine
Story and photos by Eddie Maloney
e produced the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon, they set the bar high! www.rpmmag.com
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I
n pop culture, the word Demon has often been associated with evil. When it comes to looks and horsepower most can typically agree with that sentiment when it comes to the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. When Dodge unleashed the 2018 Demon to the world at the New York International Auto Show, jaws dropped. Over 800 horsepower, potential mid 9-second ¼ mile times, and a warranty? Sign us up! The 2018 Demon caused quite a stir in the muscle car and drag racing community when it was introduced. In a private test session, the Demon ran a mid 9 second ¼-mile pass at over 140 miles per hour. While this was done in near perfect conditions and with a professional driver wheeling it, it prompted a controversial letter from the NHRA. In order to run a 9 second, ¼ mile elapsed time, you need quite a few things, such as a certified roll
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon set the industry standard producing over 800 horsepower and 717 lb. ft of torque on just 91 octane fuel. Dodge claims the Demon to be the highest horsepower rated V8 production car ever produced.
The functional scooped Demon hood is said to be the largest functioning hood scoop on a production car.
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So many aspects of the cars are Demon-specific, including the braking system.
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We are a huge fan of the muscle car rake Palma chose when he went with a set of Billet Specialties Win Lite wheels, 17x10 Drag Pack single beadlock rears and 18x5 front runners.
From the back the Demon looks all go with the wing, big exhaust and wide, minimally treaded tires.
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For an extra dollar, yes $1, Demon buyers could purchase extras like the Crate package which comes with some trick equipment and takes away other stuff non-essential to going fast in favor of weight savings. Most of what you see here, skinny front wheels, floor jack etc, came with this Demon. cage, competition license, and several other safety items. The Dodge Demon is often compared to the SRT Hellcat model, while they share many similarities, there are definite
differences. The Demon is a purpose-built drag car from the factory, with options! While it’s not customary for RPM to cover late model factory original
AFFORDABLE. REPLACEMENT. STEEL. Jesel Engineers have combined all of the features of our Pro Aluminum Rockers with the durability of our Pro Steel Rockers. Jesel Sportsman Steel Rockers provide engine builders with the option of high strength steel rockers at an extremely affordable price and can be ordered separately or as an upgrade to certain Pro Aluminum rocker systems.
For additional product details, visit us online at Jesel.com or contact us by phone at 732.901.1800
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production cars, the Demon is different, a whole lot different! Advertised by Dodge as having “the highest horsepower of any production car”, it is as serious as any in the
pages of RPM and guess what, most cars we cover started over 30 years ago with a lot less power and capabilities than the Demon, so sit down, hold on and shut up, we’re headed
The Demon sports a 6.2-liter V8 HEMI with forged rotating assembly and enhanced oiling and is topped by a 2.8 liter supercharger.
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Despite the rear seat delete, the Demon offers all the modern accoutrements on the inside that you could ask for. Cruz made a few additions to the interior of the car including custom floor mats and an upgraded paint matched roll cage.
Oh oh, the RED key fob! The red fob is the Drag Mode fob and unlocks the universe to the pleasure of all things leading to 840 horsepower!
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into Demon country! We met up with Cruz Palma of Mission Hills, California to shoot his rare F8 green, 2018 Dodge Demon. We asked him what his inspiration behind the purchase of his Demon was. “There are many Hellcat Chargers and Challengers in Southern California and I contemplated picking up one of those,” tells Cruz. “That is until I saw the Demon variance and I knew I just had to find one. I have different toys, but one common theme between all of them is that they are all powerful. The Dodge Demon gave me the best of both worlds, gobs of power and the modern amenities to go with it.” It wasn’t an easy find for Cruz though, as he specifically wanted the F8 green option. According to Dodge, only 134 of these were produced. The MSRP base price for a Demon was in the mid 80k range but supply and demand caused dealer fueled price increases to over 100k! The Owner’s Manual Supplement supplied with a Demon instructs owners on drag racing the cars and even has drag race run logs, seriously! The log’s table includes lines for reaction time, 60 and 330-foot times along with 1/8th and 1/4-mile ET and MPH, the number of runs on your
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Cruz Palma’s 2018 DODGE DEMON Chassis Type & Mods: STOCK Suspension: STOCK Body & Paint:
F8 Green with clear Bra on entire vehicle
Engine: 6.2-liter V8 HEMI. Engine info from FCA North America:
t %FFQ TLJSU DBTU JSPO CMPDL BMVNJOVN BMMPZ IFBET with hemispherical combustion chamber t 'PSHFE BMMPZ TUFFM DSBOLTIBGU XJUI NJMMJNFUFS t stroke and revised balancing t *OEVDUJPO IBSEFOFE DSBOL CFBSJOH TVSGBDFT individual journal optimized main bearing clearances t 'PSHFE IJHI TUSFOHUI BMMPZ QJTUPOT NJDSPO increased piston to bore clearance t 1PXEFS GPSHFE DPOOFDUJOH SPET VQHSBEFE TIBOL BOE CJH FOE SFWJTFE VMUSB IJHI UFOTJMF GBTUFOFST t 'MPX EPVCMFE PO QJTUPO DPPMJOH PJM KFUT t 3FWJTFE EFTJHO WBMWF TQSJOHT t QFS DFOU JODSFBTF JO PJMJOH GPS WBMWF TQSJOHT BOE rocker tips – lubrication and cooling
• Made from Hyper-Flex™ performance polyurethane. • For cars, trucks, hot rods, and competition vehicles. • Patented safety interlock design is safer and more durable than O.E.M. mounts. • Resistant to oils, coolants, and road contaminants. • Elastic enough to absorb vibrations for street yet strong enough to handle extreme racing conditions. %JTUSJCVUFE CZ
64"
XXX OQXDPNQBOJFT DPN
52
t t $BOBEB t t
november 2020 | RPM Magazine
t 4JOHMF HSPPWF DPMMFUT PO WBMWF TUFNT GPS JNQSPWFE stability t 'VFM JOKFDUPS QSFTTVSF JODSFBTFE QFSDFOU t 0JM QBO BOE XJOEBHF USBZ PQUJNJ[FE GPS IJHI acceleration – tested up to 1.8 g
Induction & Fuel:
Factory sequential multiport injection. “We upgraded and went E85 making it really fast!”
Power Adder:
Stock 2.8 liter twin screw supercharger. Max boost 14.5 psi.
Transmission & Converter:
Factory 8-speed 8HP90 TorqueFlite automatic transmission with factory installed transmission brake and high stall converter.
Rear Differential:
Stock Independent Limited Slip rear diff with Demon 3.09:1 ratio gear set.
Other Important Information about the Vehicle: Full racing roll cage on this Demon, custom floor mats with Demon logo, comes with demon Crate.
Air dams and functional air openings everywhere help keep the Demon cool under pressure.
tires and the front and rear tire pressure. Now tell us that isn’t cool! Regardless of your brand loyalty, you have to admit this is one bad production car! The manual goes on to explain how certain Drag Mode features, such as the Line Lock and Launch Control, are not available until you drive your first 500 miles of engine break in. Everything from the engine to the steering and suspension has a Drag Mode and even the cabin AC is disabled when you are in it. The Demon is advertised as featuring a 0-60 mph time of 2.1 to 2.3 seconds and a 0-100 mph time of 5.1 seconds. Quarter-mile times were initially posted of between 9.54 and 9.65 seconds with a top speed of 140 mph (or more), depending on the source. The fact is that the Demon was unmatched by most any production car, even those worth four times the price. Power wise, Palma’s blown Demon starts with a 6.2-liter V8 HEMI with forged rotating assembly and enhanced oiling. The mill is topped by a 2.8 liter supercharger that produces 808 horsepower and 717 lb-ft of torque on 91 octane gas for the street and an advertised 840 hp and 770 lbft of torque on 100+ octane race gas. Each Dodge Demon has 2 keys, the black key fob limits horsepower to 500, while the red key fob unlocks the up to 840 horses of fun. Backing the HEMI is an 8-speed 8HP90 TorqueFlite automatic transmission with the
world’s first factory installed transmission brake. A high stall converter ensures solid launches and a 3.0 mm thick driveshaft tube all but guarantees the power makes it back to the 3.09:1 geared independent rear diff built specifically for the Demon that even bears the Demon name cast into the finned aluminum cover. Because this is a fairly well-appointed production vehicle (should you choose the optional 19-speaker 900 watt audio system, passenger seat, power sunroof etc.) the Demon can weigh in at a hefty 4280 pounds. We could go on for pages about everything Dodge put on the table when it produced the Demon, but we just don’t have the space, suffice it to say that for now, and for many years down the road, this will be the production car to beat, and we don’t necessarily mean on the track. The 2018 Dodge Challenger Demon had a limited run of just 3,300 units, and just this one year of production. Succeeding the Demon from 2019 until present day is the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. While impressive unto itself, many are anxiously awaiting to see of their will be a return of the Demon. While Cruz has not run his Demon down the drag strip yet, he plans too very soon, now that his is making over 900 HP on E85 fuel and has a legal rollcage. Of course, he’ll have to use the red key fob! RPM
A number of items inside and out such as the dash design and fuel door are reminiscent of the first generation Challenger, but not the 8.4” interactive display screen that can provide engine horsepower and torque readings, supercharger temp and various performance numbers for any run.
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This 5-second 274+ MPH Pro Mod has some solid blood lines
Story by George Pich in Collaboration with Shane Tecklenburg Photos by Matt Trombley
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W
hile we love horsepower in an form here at RPM MAG, it’s n secret that we’re not the Pro Mod Pro Outlaw, Pro Street-heavy mag we onc were. We closely followed the heyday of smalle Pro Outlaw and Pro Mod orgs, along wit the ADRL v 1.0 phenom, which was followe by about a dozen other start-up organiza tions, but over the last 10 or so years RPM has followed a natural evolution into cove ing a more diverse lineup of strip and stree
ny no d, ce
er th ed aM eret
machines. That evolution, fueled by reader and industry input, led to a wider vision of our role within the industry – to be the magazine that covers fast doorslammers of all flavors from around the world, period. But make no mistake, we still love Pro Mods; they fuel our need for some serious top-level tech, not mention extreme eye candy! We (RPM) met two key people involved with this story back in the early to mid-2000s, Ed Thornton and Shane Tecklenburg. Back then Ed drove, and Shane tuned, a wicked Pro Street twin turbo ’57 Chevy.
To make a long story short, through a mutual friend, Ian Rae, and a subsequent full feature in RPM MAG, we cultivated a relationship that has stood the test of time. It’s interesting that even though a long distance separates us and the last 15 years or so of life has been busy for us all, we have still managed to stay in touch. We have great respect for these folks and everything they do in and for the sport of drag racing and fast cars. So follow along as we check out the D Bar D Racing 1970 Pro Mod Camaro and catch up with some old friends. www.rpmmag.com
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THE TEAM The team includes Owner Derrol Hubbard, Driver Ed Thornton, Crew Chief Doug Stewart, Car Chief Tom Esbri and Tuner Shane Tecklenburg along with a supporting cast of Leith Tecklenburg, Rayce Thornton and team Nutritionist “Chop”. Thornton, Stewart, Tecklenburg and Esbri were teammates and won 4 Championships together in Pro Street in the Pacific Street Car Association in 2003-2005 and again in 2007. They have been friends since their street racing days in the mid-1980s and enjoy each other’s company on and off the racetrack.
THE CAR The D Bar D Racing 70.5 Twin Turbo Camaro has a long and storied career, however, not in the usual sense. This car actually started life in 2004 as a Jerry Bickel built nitrous 1968 Camaro campaigned by Ricky Smith. From there, the car was purchased in 2006 by cur-
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Driver Ed Thorton’s office is designed for the business of going fast and winning races.
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Gone are the half dozen gauges and lights in the cockpit of a racecar. They have been traded in for a single panel display, in this case a MoTeC color driver display that can be seen affixed to the steering column.
Knowledge is power Tuner Shane Tecklenburg has the Camaro wired to gain as much data as possible. Racing today is as much about technology and learning how to use it as it is making big power.
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rent owner Derrol Hubbard and campaigned in 2008 on the West Coast. Later in 2009 the car went back to Jerry Bickel for some upgrades, including the now familiar 70.5 Camaro body and its brilliant blue paint scheme. Again the car competed at some West Coast events in 2010 with the legendary Joe Lepone spinning wrenches and driving before the D Bar D team purchased a Plymouth Duster and began running that car. The Camaro sat idle, save for a couple of events here and there until one day at the end of 2014 Hubbard called on Shane Tecklenburg, Ed Thornton and Doug Stewart regarding converting the Camaro to its current turbocharged setup. Over the course of the next year a plan was hatched and the team assembled the car with a debut in the 2016 Xtreme Pro Mods West Series. Pro Mod racing today has evolved leaps and bounds and continues to do so. Along with advances in power technology comes the need for advances in the tuning tech to ensure it gets where
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Shock and awe are the first words that come to mind when you first see the twin turbocharged BAE Stage 8 Hemi between the rails of the Camaro.
Note the outward angle and slight tilt up on the turbo mounting. The sheer size of the intake alone is enough to intimidate most.
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it needs to be, and then there’s the need for tougher parts to handle the power. As in any type of true heads-up racing, if you want to stay in the game, this is a never ending cycle. Power for the D Bar D Racing Camaro comes via a 521 cubic Inch Brad Anderson Stage 8 Hemi. Boost is supplied by twin 88mm Precision turbochargers with
moserengineering.com
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A major achievement for the team is being the only car to run 274 miles per hour using 88mm turbos.
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The car rides on Lamb struts with tubular control arms up front and a coilover 4-link setup out back.
Electronics are tuned by “Tuned By Shane T”
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“The ducting from the functional front grille to the Turbocharger inlets is a unique addition to the car,” says Tecklenburg. “Other features that are unique we would rather not mention,” he added.
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Turbosmart wastegates. A Lenco 3-speed CS2 trans works with a QuickDrive Racing torque converter drive unit and M&M Transmission lockup torque converter. A near indestructible 9.5-inch billet rear differential is suspended by a coilover 4-link suspension. Electronics are tuned by “Tuned By Shane T” and consist of a custom software MoTeC M150 Pro
Mod Vehicle Management System with color driver display, 15-way driver input keypad, Powertrain Control Module and Power Distribution Module. Inside the car, a Spartan interior is all about safety and winning races. A well-executed cage surrounds the driver, belts ensure he’s secured for the ride, a parachute lever and fire suppression handle are within reach and a sinChassis Engineering’s Outlaw “TRIPLE” Adjustable Ladder Bars The ultimate ladder bar for heavy, high horsepower race cars. 360 degree housing brackets w/integrated shock mounts. Lightweight Chromoly construction for strength. Includes all rod ends, hardware and brackets. 3606 Outlaw adjustable ladder bar kit $569.95 pr 3606A Outlaw adjustable ladder bar weld-up kit $544.95 pr
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gle display screen is the hub of communication between driver and car, and of course the tuner after each run. The need for rows of gauges has vanished with today’s technology and the driver can now focus more on the job at hand. Aside from being a second generation body over the more often used first gen Camaro, what sets the D Bar D Racing Pro Mod Camaro apart from others? “There are many features of this car which are unique,” explained Tecklenburg. “The ducting from the functional front grille to the Turbocharger inlets is a unique addition along with our custom inlet manifold design, using 4 injectors per cylinder. Oth68 68
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er features that are unique we would rather not mention.”
THE PERFORMANCE The goals for the first season were simple, become competitive in the series and try to run in the 5’s at 250 mph by year’s end. At the final race of the year the clock finally ticked
off a 5.96 at 251 mph; goals accomplished! 2017 saw the team improve in terms of both performance and consistency, garnering its first win at Sonoma Raceway with aggregate best performances of 5.79 ET and 263 MPH on the weekend. At the final race of the 2017 XPMW Series in conjunction with the California Hot Rod Reunion at Bakersfield, the team took Top Speed of the event honors at 268.65 MPH, over the Top Fuel and Funny Cars assembled for the meet. Unfortunately their weekend was cut short when an intake backfire destroyed the front clip and blew both doors off in the timing lights and caused a fuel leak
The D Bar D Racing Camaro is a 1970 style body. While it resembles its original counterpart it shares very little else with it. These composite extremely aerodynamic bodies have become the norm in higher level competitive Pro Mod drag racing. They are a far cry from the OEM based bodies used in the class’ infancy.
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and ensuing fire which effectively destroyed the car and left Thornton with minor burns and smoke inhalation. Despite all the bad news of the weekend the light at the end of the tunnel was that the team had solidified the 2017 Championship! Once again the car was returned to Bickel for a body replacement and any upgrades deemed necessary at the time. With its re-debut in 2018 the team proved they had not lost their foothold during the catastrophic end
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to their 2017 season. Despite missing the first race of the season due to the car not being completed, the team rallied and finished in 2nd place in the standings just 5 points behind Champion Jay Diedrich. On top of that epic performance, the team went on to win the Street Car Super Nationals at Las Vegas in convincing style by running a 5.54 et at 274.61 mph in the final round when runner up Rick Hord could not make the call. 2019 saw a rules change on the heels
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Derrol Hubbard’s 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Pro Modified Chassis Type & Mods:
2002 Jerry Bickel. MVM Carbon Fiber Wheelie Bars
Suspension:
McPherson Lamb Strut front, 4 Link rear with Penske coilover shocks.
Body & Paint: Blue Engine:
521 Cubic Inch Brad Anderson Hemi - Stage 8. Bryant crankshaft, GRP connecting rods, JE pistons, Bullet camshaft and Jesel lifters. Daly Oil Pump and integrated pan/scavenge pump. Stage10 BAE heads with Reid rockers and Manton pushrods. REF Headers
Induction & Fuel:
Accufab throttle bodies - Injector Dynamics ID2600 injectors, Aeromotive fuel pump and regulator, System 1 fuel filter.
Power Adder:
88mm Precision Turbochargers, Turbosmart wastegates and blow off valve.
Electronics:
Tuned By Shane T - Custom Software MoTeC M150 Pro Mod Vehicle Management System featuring C125 Color Driver Display, 15 way driver input keypad, Powertrain Control Module, E888
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CAN Expansion Module and PDM15 Power Distribution Module. Motorsport Control Solutions IGN20 Coil Near Plug ignition.
Transmission & Converter:
Lenco 3 Speed CS2 billet transmission. QuickDrive Racing LLC Lockup torque converter drive unit. M&M Transmission lockup torque converter
Rear Differential:
9.5 Inch Billet Tom’s Differential
Driver: Ed Thornton Crew Chief: Doug Stewart Car Chief: Tom Esbri Tuner: Shane Tecklenburg Sponsors:
Lenco, QuickDrive, Lucas Oil, Turbosmart, Precision Turbo, SU Sand Cars, Tuned By Shane T
Vehicle Owner/Driver Info/History:
Owner: Derrol Hubbard Driver: Ed Thornton 2017 XPMW Champion, 2018 SCSN Winner
Best ET & MPH: 5.543 274.61 mph Division/Class Run: Pro Modified Sanctioning Body: Xtreme Pro Mods West
WATCH THE ACTION!
of the increasing performance of the team and their turbo combination and the rule (aimed only at Hemi Turbo Pro Mods - which the D bar D Team were the only team using that combination) stated that a boost limit of 40 psi would be instituted in 2019. Again the D Bar D Team rallied and worked even harder to attain consistency and find performance in other areas to stay at the leading edge within the rule. The team made few mistakes during race day and carded runs in the mid 5.7 - 5.8 second range at nearly every event it attended.
Later in the summer the team was invited to race in Denver at the Prestigious World Series of Pro Modified. They struggled with the altitude and boost limitations and although they made some decent qualifying runs, could not parlay them into success on raceday. Add to that the XPMW Series had held an event in Boise, ID. in conjunction with the Nightfire Nationals which was double points earning, and the points lead the team had built up early had all but evaporated by the final race in October. Despite a runner-up finish, they could not make up the deficit
in points by not attending Boise and had to settle for 3rd place in points. “Winning SCSN 14 in 2018 was the highlight for us to date with Camaro, along with being the only car to run 274 miles per hour using 88mm turbos,” added Tecklenburg. With the shortened 2020 season, team D Bar D Racing kept active tuning the car and did make some passes once things got underway, including a number of runs at Tulsa in October, and will cap off their season with the SCSN in Las Vegas. Be sure to check out their facebook page D Bar D Racing. RPM
•RPM: 2700-7500 •Overall Height: 7.500” •9.5” Deck Applications •Bosses for Nitrous System •Made In America
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Ross Racing Pistons Outlaw class champion Nick Agostino lights the hides in round one of competition. By Ian Hill
572…. that’s a good round number!
M
omentum was building for months leading up to the 2020 RPM Magazine SMACKDOWN4 Powered by Maxima Racing Oil and RM Racing Lubricants with Ross Racing Pistons. Once outdoor commercial events were permitted and lockdowns softened, the SMACKDOWN4 was locked-in! This event was the flagship for Ian Hill Racing Productions (IHRP) and was scheduled to include heads-up no-time classes plus (for 2020) the final round of the Maxima Racing Oil Canada Heads Up Street Car Shootout Series. And it would seem by the number of race entries and test session tech cards sold, 572, the September 24-27, 2020 race weekend will go down in the books as the largest race IHRP and its volunteers have ever pro-
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Street275 hitter Rick Tovey driving his dad’s small tire entry purges on his way to another wheels up low 5.50 pass. duced! As we arrived to the track early Thursday morning, marking the first time IHRP has started a four day event, we found ourselves in a lineup to get in nearly two hours before the scheduled gate opening! We knew right then we had a great event on our hands. Having the track surface prepared on Thursday really hit home for our popular
november 2020 | RPM Magazine
Friday test session which saw some of the serious N/T players come out of the woodwork for what would be their first lick at the new St. Thomas Dragway asphalt surface. Saturday September 25th was all Smackdown! The RPM Magazine and Maxima Racing Oil racing banners were hung, the starting line area scraped and prepped and our limit
of 100 spectators prepaid long ago were in the house and ready to see some serious heads-up no-time drag race action. Ross Racing Pistons Outlaw features any door car on a max 33x10.5w slick. With borders closed to international racers, the area’s quickest street car style doorslammers were on hand to do battle for the $5000 in cash payouts
Mike Valvasori has the tune up a little spicey on his way to a first round victory in Ross Racing Pistons Outlaw. and the coveted Smackdown Championship belt! Joe Helps brought his awesome Square Body out and was having a blast turning it up each round. Helps launched hard, pulling a huge wheelie and carried it for about 150 feet, but his quarter finals run was cut short as Nick Agostino and his ’69 Camaro small block twin turbo entry took the win light! Frankie Doldo and Mike D’Stalfo advanced as well! As darkness covered the strip we moved into the semis. Agostino pulled the bye run, leaving the Doldo Racing ’67 Camaro to fend off Mike D’Stalfo’s ’99 Avenger. In what was surely the closest race of the day, Mike and his nitrous injected Dodge Wedge edged out Frankie for the win. The finals were set and with
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Glenn Tovey sticks the tire in Wicked6.50 competition.
Joe Helps in another 150ft. wheels up launch takes his square body Chevy pickup to the semis.
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Limited28s Adam Bastarache laying down some radial tire rubber headed to class victory.
Agostino in the left and D’Stalfo in the right. Nick put the Cannoli Express on the chip and bumped in, Mike was right behind and treed Agostino, but it was all top end turbo power to take the victory! Nick and his crew had claimed the cash and the Championship Belt! Limited28s, our most popular no-time heads-up class, is where it all started. Coming from the no-time grassroots Street class, we have molded Limited28s into what it is today. Stock roof, quarters, rockers and firewall mixed with stock style front suspension is where the “stock” ends! Add in
The voices of Small Tire Shootout racing in Ontario – Chris Biro and Kelly Cooper making the magic happen. www.rpmmag.com
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Chris Corrado’s nitrous powered small block Chevy on another perfect run headed to class victory.
Adam Bastarache flying the RP colors headed down the strip to ano
Real Street standout Mark Roberts and his nitrous powered BBC making another hit on his treaded DOT tires.
Vasylyy Lukivskyy on his GSXR 1000 based grudge bike. 80 80
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Steven Toth wheels up for his first
Damian Tong installed nitrous before the Smackdown and g
Agostino making burnouts look easy in his first gen SBC turbo Camaro.
PM Magazine other 4 second run.
round test pass.
s the weekend got the win!
Michael D’Stalfo lightens the bottle up before his 2nd Outlaw test pass.
D’Stalfo’s tune was on point in his wicked nitrous Mopar Wedge Avenger in the Outlaw finals! www.rpmmag.com
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any rear suspension, any hp you’d like to throw at it and do it on 28 x 10.5w slicks or 275 radials and just send it! Limited28s was filled with 15 entries and by the time we got to the semis some of the class favorites were already loading up! Darcey Cummins, right lane, one of the classes original radial racers, had his nitrous powered BB 3rd gen Camaro on the chip against Adam Bastarache’s 2004 Mustang Cobra small block single turbo entry. As the lights came down they were clearly even, but Darcy’s Camaro got loose under him at the 330 and he had to pedal, giving the win to Adam. On the other side of the ladder Nico Cechet with his SB2 headed small block single turbo Chevelle took on EZ Street standout Matt Glassford and his ’70 Nova. As the lights came down, Nico took a slight advantage and once his radials were stuck to the track it was all Nico to the finish line. With 2 radial cars in the final round it was anyone’s game! The track temps were cooling down fast, Adam had drawn the left lane, which had Nico in the right. Mustang vs Chevelle… as the tree lit up, Nico looked to have a slight advantage but by the time the 660 was in sight, it was all Adam Bastarache for his first ever class win! Our popular Real Street class is run at only two IHRP events per season and it all starts with the Smackdown! After a 15 minute street style cruise through the pits 16 cars made it to the lanes for their first round. We run the cars through a street cruise then send them straight to the lanes for their first round, they are hot, they are plated and insured, and they are some of the coolest cars on the property! After another healthy load of glue dumped on the track by our local track prep guru Korey Herman, the semis stacked up with Ted Roshan Raja pulling EJ Gouveia. EJ, in his Fox Body hatch Mustang took the win. On the other side of the ladder Dean Carmine pulled Matt Searle. When the lights came down, Dean’s LS powered Fox lit the tires handing the win to Matt. The final was filled with a pair of turbo small block Fox Body hatches. Even at the hit, and what looked like still dead even at the 330, it was Matt Searle edging out the win for the cash and Championship Belt! 82 82
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Mike Valvasori’s ProCharged Wedge was truly one of the loudest and m on the property with its ProCharged Wedge Mopar with a blow-thr
Jay Misener ready to pilot Misener Motorsports nitrous powered Coyote Fox Body in Street275.
Michael D’Stalfo’s Ross Racing Pistons Outlaw entry ready for round one testing.
most popular cars ru carb setup.
After sitting in the shop for a few years, the Catalano Brothers, Emidio and Renato’s 67 Camaro was back out to hurt some feelings in Ross Racing Pistons Outlaw.
Long-time Super Street racer Ray Griffin brought his first gen Chevy II to run for the Championship Belt with his big block ProCharged combo.
The two-wheel warriors rounded out our No Time day. Stock Wheelbase Bike was filled with NA, turbo and nitrous powered bikes that all had to be within 2” of their factory wheelbase. After many pairings of the baddest bikes in the land making killer passes, it was Damian Tong taking the win the cash and belt in his Gen 2 nitroused Hayabusa. That weekend was Tong’s first time into the 8s. He put the nitrous on the weekend before the Smackdown and got the win! The last minute addition Pro Bike class added an awesome show! These long wheel base bikes get off the line with everything they have thrown at the track! Landon Swain took the win over Jesse Vanbetlehem in what was easily the closest bike pairing of the day! As night fell the grudge racers came out to play! In what was one of the most talked about clashes of the day, Joe Carlos and Vasylyy Lukivskyy had the buzz going strong. Joe was to get the back tire and the hit against Vasylyy. Vasylyy’s hot rod of choice – a Fuel Tech equipped 2004 Suzuki GSXR 1000 with a “slightly modified” engine coming in at 73” wheelbase, running on a street tire with no bars. Joe Carlos was riding an S1000 BMW, lowered, stretched, with lightweight body work and an air shifter! With more than a couple grand on the line, this was easily the most anticipated pass of the night’s grudge racing! I was the lucky one picked to bring them into the beams and give the start signal! Standing at about the 40 ft mark, I first let Joe Carlos get his rear tire centered in the stage beams, then brought Vasylyy in to get up on his toes and ready. I crouched down and we all watched Vasylyy to see if he could hold his bike still until Joe cracked the rear tire. I still cannot believe how quickly both bikes passed me! The crowd was already cheering as both bikes got to the 330, and with both bikes near side by side at the finish line it was Vasylyy turning on the win light! Unbelievable! The final Pro Category for the Smackdown was the Jr Dragsters. After 28 entries hit the burn-out pad for round one, it was Arnold Foxx collecting the hardware yet again from the Canada Heads Up headquarters! www.rpmmag.com
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Ted Roshan Raja was out with his New Edge bodied Mustang, better known as White Priviledge, on 235s for the Limited28s class.
Boomer Duquette was out testing his new ‘63 Chevy2/ 620ci naturally aspirated combo.
Past Smackdown Limited28s Champion Luc and Marie Ricard’s single turbo small block Ford 28” tire hot rod. 84 84
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5X Pano Moros and his Fulton 5.0 bore space for round one of the Ross Racing Pistons O
Top Sportsman racer Mike Le hand at heads up racing in t Outlaw cl
How do I get my car in RPM Real Street entries know exac the cruise complete, they ar
e GTO readies Outlaw class.
eger came out to try his the Ross Racing Pistons lass.
Magazine? These two ctly how it’s done! With re in cool-down mode.
Fuel Injection tuning wizard/ Limited28s racer Wajdy Kahlil giving the wrench to E.J. Gouveia’s 86 Mustang. What an event… but to finish the race report here would be like ending the race in the semis. Where would we be without our supporters and marketing partners! A huge thanks goes out to: RPM Magazine, Maxima Racing Oil, RM Racing Lubricants and Ross Racing Pistons. Associate sponsors 369 Media, Boomer and Deb Duquette, Clear Shot Customs, Desserts Plus, Dilts Piston Hydraulics, Doldo Racing, Fab Mac Industries, The Fire Within, Perfect Image, Hoosier Tire, ICD Insurance Brokers, Jim McHarg, Katie Shaw Real Estate, Joe Van O, Marks Automotive and Heavy Truck, MGR Performance, Miller Welding Equipment, Misener Motorsports, Muscle Car Specialties, Facility Maintenance, Priority Collision, Power Tech Hydraulics, PSP Paul Silva Performance, RCR Race Cars and Golf Carts, Steeda.ca, Kared Custom Cable, Tony Starkey Construction, WK Performance, D’Sousa Performance, Warlock Transmissions, Dragstar/Fast Company, Pompilio Racing, Agostino Motorsports, Zarcone Racing, Armatool, Markham Auto Repair, Cesario Racing, 727 Auto, Brian Howard, The Shop, Unit 5, Vinton Precision, SpeedWire and Drew’s Autobody!
We would like to thank the following media partners for your posts, advertisements, photography and videography of the event: RPM Magazine, Dragracecanada.com, Jessie Sharpe, Blake Farnan, Tia Biro, Ty Henry, 5252, Alex Rocheleau, John Brown, Wicked Photography, Alyssa Reddick, Mark Ackert, Bruce Beigler and Pro Tree Video’s Ben Gonjanovich. Special thanks to St. Thomas Dragway for hosting our event, giving us the track prep and the facility to call our own for the weekend. To all of our series volunteers, we couldn’t do this without you! With another Smackdown in the books I also can’t thank my long time marketing partners Chris and Trish of RPM Magazine… my how we’ve grown together! That being said, it’s time to start working on the RPM Magazine Smackdown5! Please visit rpmmag.com, ianhillracing. com and Ontario Grudge Wars FB page for all your Smackdown4 race photos, video, information, links and stories.
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Icons that never become a household name Story and Photos: JT
Every sport has its superstars. Some transcend beyond their sport and weave their way into mainstream life as we know it. I do not play golf, nor do I follow it, but I’ve heard of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Tiger Woods to name a few. But what about that one golfer who is out there winning everything and is still unknown to the masses? Switching gears to motorsports, I don’t follow NASCAR, but I’ve heard of a couple guys named Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. But again, what about the hundreds of other winning and successful racers in the sport? Narrowing the focus a little further, let’s talk about a sport I am truly passionate about – Drag Racing. In fact, not only am I passionate about it, I participate in it and am well versed in its history. As with any sport, to get to a professional level you have to be good. Not just an ordinary good, but the “best in your class” kind of good. In Drag Racing, it takes more than just supernatural skill and a genius engineering mind to get to that level. Most times, it takes a boat load of money! The prerequisite of skill and genius have to be backed up with results. It is this person who gets sponsors to financially assist them so they can pursue their passion and represent that company at the same time. But first, to get to that elite level it takes your own hard-earned money, time, and sacrifice for companies to even consider sponsoring you. The sport of Drag Racing has a plethora of iconic superstars whose names have transcended their sport and are recog86 86
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Meet Dan Fletcher, the most winning driver in NHRA history preparing to give a sample of fuel to a tech inspector after a round win. Dan is a great example of a true icon of the sport that will most likely never become a household name. I am not sure whether this was Randy the dad, the crew chief, or the car owner giving Megan some last minute advice before pushing her into the water box. Whoever it was, they went on to win that round in decisive fashion.
In a family race team everyone must wear many hats. Besides always piloting something extremely fast, Megan started out as the bottom-end mechanic between rounds. Now you can find her doing whatever is necessary in the pits helping her team. That can include working on her dragster, managing the overall marketing and social media presence of her team, and taking the time talking with fans and media people like myself. Here she is doing some wing maintenance getting ready for her first pass of the weekend.
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nized throughout the world. Names like Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, “Big Daddy” Don Garlitz, Shirley “Cha Cha” Muldowney, and a current icon, John Force. Let’s talk about the thousands of racers around the world who are consistently winning weekend after weekend. Are they not also true champions of their sport? Most of them are unknown in their own sport, let alone transcending into everyday life. Then there is a small group of elite-level competitors who are well known within their industry, but once they leave the racetrack are simply known as Bob the mechanic, Joe the plumber, or Lisa the accountant. For some odd reason I like to follow the elite-winning unknowns, learn how they achieved that level of excellence and what it is that keeps them winning year after year. Perhaps the absolute best example that Drag Racing has to offer is an unknown man outside of the sport named Dan Fletcher. Dan has become the winningest racer in NHRA history, with even more wins than the previously mentioned icons. Yet Dan has not been recognized (as he should be) by the world. I’ve had the honor and privilege to sit with him numerous times at the race track and pick his knowledge-filled brain. Dan is not just a great racer, he is a great human that is gracious to his fans and exhumes the very word champion in all that he does. Another one of these unknown legends is a man named Randy Meyer.
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THIS IS A TRUE RACING FAMILY
Randy may be the crew chief, but his wife Mary is elbows deep in wrenching on the dragsters between rounds. Watching the amazing husband / wife team work side by side was inspiring. It’s no wonder Megan and her sister Rachel are achieving greatness in drag racing. With parents like that raising you and teaching you about the value of hard work, anything is possible.
SO, RACING IS FOR FATHER AND SON TEAMS?
How about Mom and daughter ripping into a top alcohol engine while dad orchestrates the perfection called chaos?
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The car is set and ready to launch. I wanted to capture the moments that Randy and Mary share before and after each pass. It was cool how they gather next to each other and anxiously await their daughter to push the envelope of 250 mph.
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Pulling the intake and head off of one of these cars is a huge task. This is just another Sunday for Randy as he inspects a cylinder wall.
When you win in your car, you are skilled. When someone else wins in a car that you tuned, you are a genius. When you raise children who are winning in cars you built, you are a mentor. In my opinion Randy holds all three of these titles. Skilled, genius and a mentor. In 1983 at the young age of 25, Randy got into racing Top Alcohol Dragsters. He built his own frame and went on to win the world championship in his first year. Fast forward 37 years, and Randy has achieved greatness in his sport. He has not only won his share of world championships, but he has raised his daughter Megan to pilot his Top Alcohol Dragster and also win a world championship. I had the honor and privilege to sit with Randy at an event to hear his story of hardship to success. I particularly enjoyed learning about the many risks he took along the way that helped him climb his ladder of success. Having a daughter of my own, I had some selfish questions to ask him about getting his daughters
I wanted to share this private moment of Randy in the solitude of his mobile shop as he turns off the chaos of the day and makes his car safe for his daughter. involved and how he feels tuning them to 250 mph passes. I watched the family on and off for two days and was impressed with just how active they all are in the pits. Randy, his wife Mary, and daughter Megan, along with the rest of their crew, never stop between rounds. He is definitely a master conductor leading his orchestra. As a matter of fact,
his wife was in charge of the clutch and passed on that skill to her daughter Rachel. Megan started out as the bottom end tech and has evolved into the team manager, bringing a fresh new approach to sponsors, graphic design, and social media. However, I did see Megan that weekend checking fuel and getting her hands dirty working on her dragster as well.
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I found it both surprising and impressive as Randy sat back and let his team prepare his daughter Megan and her rocket for a pass down the track. To me, this was a sign of trust in your team and true leadership.
I had to ask Megan how she would best describe her dad as a crew chief. Her response was, “stern, extremely focused, business minded, always a teacher and gracious to his competitors.” I even ventured out and asked all of the class competitors what they thought about him. As I surmised from my time with him, there was nothing but high praise spoken about him and his team. He is always available to anyone who needs advice, tools or parts. Because of his expertise, proven success, and stellar reputation, Randy has earned corporate sponsorships from NGK Spark Plugs, Lucas Oil, Meyer Truck Center, Technician. Academy, GUNK, Weld Racing, Aeromotive and a host of others enabling 92 92
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The beast is back together and is getting warmed up in the pits. Randy is a true master conductor as he orchestrates calm precision during the craziness that lives between championship rounds
him to not only pursue his passion for racing, but to field a multi-car winning team. Two of his three cars are piloted by his daughters Megan and Rachel. Megan won the NHRA world championship last season and is in hot pursuit of trying to repeat it. She will of course have to get by her teammates Rachel and Julie first. The only problem with that task is Randy is responsible for tuning all of those dragsters. He sets all of the cars up equally, leaving the win in the hands of the driver and the mercy of the parts they use. Before ending our interview I asked Randy if he missed getting behind the wheel of one of those rockets. Without hesitation he gave me a very nonchalant and simple, “no.” I even
pushed the question a little further and asked if he would ever take a test hit in one. He replied with another, “no.” My fellow gearheads, the way I see it, Randy is completely comfortable and at home wearing his crew chief hat. I have shared with you many times that I prefer the process of building the car over driving it. The thought of wrenching for my daughter would be a dream come true. Will this incredible icon of his sport ever become a mainstream household name? Chances are he will slide under the radar on this one, but will leave a legacy that few will ever come close to achieving. Until next time Keep Wrenching,
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The Red Bull
Article and Photos: Dave Diehl
T
he Red Bull is finally starting to look like something! To the casual observer, it may look like a handful of body pieces being held together by clamps resting on odd pieces of wood. But to Shannon Poole, having the pieces all in one place signifies the actual start of the rebirth of Red Bull. As you may remember, Shannon and his beloved 1964 Corvette took one wild ride back in the spring of this year, and while Shannon walked away, the Bull wasn’t so lucky. The twisted remains and broken pieces found themselves headed to the Chassis Doctor in Southeast Indiana where the pre-op has begun. The hunt for the missing piece of the puzzle has finally been answered after Tom Keen of Keen Parts was able to procure the original Corvette windshield frame and cowl. This key piece determines what ties the entire body structure together, without it, it would be impossible to assure the proper alignment of nearly
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The major body pieces sit on the custom build jig.
Red Bull Restoration
The missing link windshield frame and cowl were damaged during shipment and reworked by Jay.
Jay reviews his specifications sheet to help guide him in aligning the body pieces and establishing the crucial points for the next stage of the build.
The specification sheets. Jay’s bible for this build.
everything. Not being one to sit idly by while anxiously awaiting the arrival of this missing link, Jay “Chassis Doctor” Grieshop fabricated a custom raised jig to help fit and support all the pieces together during the build. Jay also spent numerous hours researching alignment and measurement specs for the ’64 Corvette visiting Keen Parts multiple times and even to the point of finding a local car he could use to verify and fill in all the blanks. He closely compared his findings to the old, mangled chassis to make sure he was on target and fully prepared for this project. The excitement on the day of the arrival of the windshield frame quickly dwindled as, upon unboxing, he found the upper portion bent during shipment. Without hesitation, Jay cut the spot welds, got out the blue tipped wrench and worked his magic to get everything back to where it www.rpmmag.com
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Red Bull Restoration
Getting the rearend housing plumb, straight and in the proper location.
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Red Bull Restoration
Jay’s designs will keep the car launching hard and going straight.
Jay discusses the key component designs for the upcoming frame structure.
should have been. You would think that once all the body pieces were set on the jig the tube bending could commence, but that is far from the truth. Getting all the body parts exactly where they need to be is critical to assure this build will result in not only a badass racer, but be as close to factory specifications as possible. With the spec sheet in-hand the body parts were coaxed into proper position and carefully clamped to the jig base. Now that the patient was strapped to the operating table, the one frame tube that sets the foundation for the entire rest of the build location was initiated. Jay refers to this as “the number one bar” – the cross tube that establishes the main roll cage hoop base as well as the forward mounting of the 4-link bars. With this tacked into position, the rearend housing was then located and aligned based on the determined specifications
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Red Bull Restoration
Doesn’t look like much right now, but the foundation is established for the entire rest of the build.
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Red Bull Restoration for the planned wheel and tire dimensions. Jay will set the desired pinion angle right on the fixture and start working forward, assuring the rest of the critical mounting points for the transmission, engine and front suspension are carried from the rear. Using his time tested formulas for instant and roll centers, Jay’s designs will keep the car launching hard and going straight. Seeing the parts coming together has renewed Shannon’s excitement of having his favorite ride ready for next season. With the planned chassis improvements and attention to increased safety Shannon will be reaching new levels in his old beast. The body is stable, the heart is being prepared and the new backbone has been designed. Join us next month as we see the empty space under the skin coming to life! Jay test fits the 4-link brackets to the rearend housing.
See: A Note From Shannon Poole - next page
Making initial measurements for the main roll cage hoop.
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went to the streets for TV. I was definitely not a street racer and I still am not a street racer. It was one of the hardest transitions I’ve ever faced. There were long nights of standing around waiting, and of course drama all around and I always suspected that drama was overplayed. We would film all night until the sun came up and that was as real as it gets. The fights, the arguing, racing and money, it was all real – it is a rough lifestyle behind the scenes though, but that is something viewers never see. After that, we were introduced into the track no-prep scene. After a few seasons of the no-prep I reo you ever wonder they afford the things they appear to lead? Maybe “realized that I needed to step how the people on have. The big rigs, the stu- ality” just might not always back and race within my street racing reality pid fast cars, or the seem- be real, there is a lot more means. I was out-spent like TV shows make it? How do ingly lavish life styles some that goes on when the cammost others and made the eras are off. decision to pursue someI started racing as a kid thing else. That’s when I in local bracket racing. was contacted by Brian Next came the index racing Bossone, owner and prowhere I had the most sucducer of a new TV show cess, after which I ventured named “The Call Out”. It into radial racing when was so much simpler, and it started, and I struggled racing finally became fun for years. After all of that I
D
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again. With the help of Clifton Clar, Dale Poole, Tom Keen and Professional chassis Tuner, Steve Matukas, I finally found a format where I could compete. Watching these guys on reality TV has become a huge money maker for some networks lately. From street racing fanatics, to on-track no-prep shows, fans from all over the country and beyond have tuned in every week to cheer on their favorite drivers. The majority of these racers are everyday down to earth people that work all week just to race on the weekends. Although there are millions of dollars of TV equipment and staff onsite, most of these people are simply fulfilling a dream. So, is it worth it? I guess that is for each individual to decide. It all started with the hit show PINKS. From there, PINKS ALL OUT was born travelling around from state to state and attracting thousands of fans from all walks of life and all differ-
ent types of drag racing. Years later, new programs started. Street style drag racing was finally getting the attention and credit it deserved. People watched every Monday night to see who would win and what crazy antics the cast could come up with. Cast members came and went, people got hurt but for the networks, the show must go on. After about 2 seasons of airtime, it was clear that the face of drag racing was going to change, but was it for the better? While everything on the shows may not be reality, it sure has propped up this sport. People all over the country began to drag those hopes and dreams out from garages they had been hidden in for years. New cars were being built, money was being spent and race tracks were popping up and getting busy again. Everybody wanted to be about that street life, or what they thought it was according to the TV shows. Many of the cast members of the
new shows were regular people with regular jobs and there was no stopping them. With the exception of a few, these people are very approachable and really enjoy interacting with their fan base. Sure, some of them chase the money, some love the fame and can be arrogant, but most are honestly chasing that serious love of drag racing. After several seasons of street racing, the no-prep scene took hold of the networks’ attention. Drag tracks were hosting races from the back end of the race tracks and competing on unprepped surfaces, it was wild to say the least. As this moved east and west throughout the country, more and more cars were crashed, but it really didn’t seem to matter. The stars of the shows grew bigger and bigger each week with every episode. Sponsors stepped up and kept feeding more and more to arrive at where we are today. What these racers are doing today is simply amazing. Just 3 years ago, 3-second passes in the 1/8-mile on an unprepped surface seemed damn near impossible, and today it’s the norm! Huge, 900 cubic inch powerplants and pro mod style suspensions are a must. The work that is put into these racing programs can be overwhelming to some, and just becomes a way of life to others. Some of these people make huge sacrifices and spend big portions of their lives away from their families and I tip my hat to them, because
it is not easy. Whether you are a radial racer, bracket racer, slick tire grudge racer or a heads-up index racer, you know the expense that comes along with the sport. Parts are more expensive than ever, tow rigs are stupid expensive, motors aren’t free and nitrous is outrageous. Sponsors, for most of us, are a necessity nowadays for the serious racer, but everybody wants a piece of the pie. It’s not easy work if you do it right and accepting money and/ or parts from a sponsor is a very stressful situation to be in as it comes with great responsibility. You strive to please your supporters everyday by pushing their product in hopes they come back the next year. If you have a family, your regular job has to help support them. The maintenance the car and tow rig require never ends and you have to race Friday night. Then, after all of that, if you’ve made $100 bill, you have done well. I guess what I am getting at is that we are all in this together. Our sport compared to many others is relatively small and whether you bust your butt in your home garage to make the track on Friday or make the TV set Saturday, for most us regular folks its hard work. It’s not the glitz and glitter you might think, so the next time you come across a cast member of one of your favorite shows on the TV or Web, remember this, the way a show depicts a person isn’t always reality.
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Photos by RPM Staff & Mason Villamere
We install the JLT 123mm BIG AIR Intake system with pulley on a 2013 GT500
you want the best bang for your buck, but you also want to install a quality designed, engineered and built product – one that fits and works the way it should. The problem: offshore junk that flows into this country like water, and less than credible (read “fake”) online reviews to back them up. The best There are a lot of things advice we can give is ALto consider when you are WAYS consider the source adding bolt-on perfor- of your products and remance parts to any car. views. There are a number First, and most obvious, of great products designed here and made offshore,
but there are far more that just won’t live up to your expectations, let alone provide any type of post-sale support. It’s a safe bet that when it comes to reviews, good companies that have a reputation to protect will not feed you a line about product quality, fit and performance. For example, here at RPM we have reviewed many products over the years, however, a number of them never see the pages of the Mag – they just didn’t live up to their hype after
Performance Centers Throughout Eastern Canada
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we installed or tested them. Companies like JLT Performance make our job easy though, they have quality products that are made in the USA and they back them up with facts and support. So follow along as we take our pristine 2013 GT500 and bolt on some good ole American horsepower. Oh, and be sure to visit www.Jlttruecoldair. com to check out their full line of products and check out the dyno pull for this install online at www.rpmmag.com
THE SETUP
Best dyno pull following the exhaust install in 2015: 629.57 HP / 613.45 lbs torque, a 44.63 HP gain and 40.22 lbs torque over factory.
THE GOODS JLT Parts & Numbers: 1. JLT 123mm BIG AIR Intake for the 2010-14 GT500 SKU: CAIPGT500-10 - $349.00 Options added from JLT: 2. METCO 2013-14 1 GT500 2.4” Supercharger Pulley SKU:MI-MSP2.40 $169.99 Car owner Brad Villamere 3. METCO Auxiliary Idler has added subtle custom Kit with Double-Bearing badging to the car dash Idler Pulley SKU:MI-MSIand front fenders to es90D - $219.99 tablish it as a Silver Snake. Additional Equip: The wicked silver with fire 4. SCT X4 Power red stripes color combo is Flash Programmer, extremely rare. SKU:SCT-7015 - $399.00 5. JLT Performance Oil This 2013 GT500, AKA Separators 3012P-B & “Silver Snake” is a rare 3012D-B - $298 collector car (particularly this color combination) THE INSTALL with 9,434 miles on it and Installing this kit and our goal is to increase HP pulleys is as easy as taking as much as possible with- time to follow the instrucout getting into changing tions, that is, unless you are blower size, engine inter- working on a 2013 GT500 nals, fuel system etc. We like we were. really want to stick to fairOne thing with our 2013 ly straightforward bolt-on that turned an hour or so parts. job into a 3 hour job, was It is a stock engine car the fact that the 2013 pulley with full Stainless Works is, well let’s say “unique”. Of exhaust installed in 2015 (in RPM MAG). Rear Wheel HP Dyno numbers for the car are as follows: Our baseline dyno before any mods to the car in 2015: 584.94 HP / 573.23 lbs torque.
2 Our lineup of parts associated with the JLT Big Air laid out on the work table. course, if you were in the shop during the install you might have heard a more colorful description of it. We were warned though, so it was not a total surprise. The instructions state clearly “The interference fit between the pulley shaft and the blower pulley is nearly twice as tight on the Shelby GT500 then it is on the Cobra or Lightning.” The instructions go on to
say that you can expect the original pulley to be damaged, and you will need help, this is not a one-man job. In addition to the instructions we were also advised by the good (and very experienced) folks at JLT that sometimes with the 2013s you have the odd one that just won’t come off with pullers in the traditional manner. Yep, that
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4 This should be a short hour or so install, right? WRONG!
5 Jay Misener (left) hooked up at the RPM install shop with Scott Foster (center) and car owner Brad Villamere. First step is to read through the instructions and get things organized. was ours. Aside from this, the install was very straightforward. Noteworthy items for the install: 1. This car is operated on 91 octane fuel, so that is what we kept in the tank for all the dyno runs. 2. This system does require custom tuning after install to maximize power gains, and we did have that done. 3. We used the post-exhaust install dyno run done in 2015 as our baseline. We learned, after our install of course, that most likely created an inconsistency in that Misener completely updated his Dynojet software last year and we’ve been told that the new software is “not quite as generous with horsepower numbers”. The long and short of it is that our gains were most likely a few HP lower than 104 104
they could have been had we completed a recent dyno pull to establish a baseline with the new software.
THE EXPERT ADVICE
Pre-install we were advised by JLT that “a base file is loaded on the tuner for startup, the file can be driven on but the car needs to be driven easy. No heavy throttle entering boost before we have a chance to datalog and dial it in.” Enter BJ McCarthy from Venomous Tuning post-install to get us tuned up and dialed in. “Venomous Tuning takes a boutique approach to power,” McCarthy explained. “We don’t sell parts (other than tuning devices and really cool swag) and we dedicate 90% of our business to the 07-14 GT500 clientele. We’re different because every tune
november 2020 | RPM Magazine
is custom. Each one begins with a foundational base file and the datalogging begins there. A ‘final’ file is sent once fueling is as good as it can possibly be and timing is appropriate for the fuel used. As the owner of one of the first 500 GT500s built in June of 2006, we understand that these cars are get-
ting older, changing owners; many have unknown mods and are a minefield of little issues that require expert diagnostics, calibration and communication. We’re not for everyone. Nor do we want to be. We strive to be the best for those who demand it.” We knew we were in
6 Seems we had “that one in 100” 2013 GT500 where the pulley had to be removed from the blower in an alternative manner, despite trying with first 2, then 3 people to manipulate the pulley off using the proper puller. We even called in some favors and borrowed other pullers specially designed for supercharged Fords, but no go.
7 There’s no way we were cutting it off on the car, so the blower was removed and taken to a pro, Darryl Chatterson, who removed it and installed the new pulley for us the following day. Although the car owner shed a tear or two, he knew it was the right choice, plus the supercharger is a simple 15 minute removal. the right hands and sure enough BJ worked closely with Jay Misener of Misener Motorsports by phone on our dyno day at the shop. “I told BJ that I didn’t consider myself a tuner, but knew enough to be dangerous,” Misener chuckled. BJ took a very unique approach and “crept up” on the tune, having Jay report on specific conditions and run the car as he requested and also pull and read plugs as needed. “I was im-
pressed with BJ,” continued Misener. “I have worked with a lot of remote tuners and he’s one of the good guys for sure.” Between each dyno pull and subsequent updates to the tune BJ copied all parties with an email detailing everything he went through. You can check them out by clicking here:
ish wise, let’s just say the system fit like a glove, and looks killer! JLT obviously takes the time to test fit/ install prototypes before the manufacturing process of their products because it couldn’t have been a better fit. In the RPM shop we always say; “it should look like it belongs there”. In other words, a quality product should first and foremost work well, but it if it looks like it “should” THE RESULTS Engineering, fit and fin- be there or as if it is OEM,
then it is a true high quality piece. Don’t take our word for it, have a look at the before and after photos and judge for yourself. Dyno’d at Misener Motorsports, we ran a best HP of 665.38, that’s a gain of 35 HP to the wheels with stock throttle body and on 91 Octane fuel! Unfortunately, due to a slight error on our part, we don’t have our top torque number recorded but it exceeded our last recorded run of 632.56,
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As per JLT, we installed NGK TR6 plugs gapped at .028.
Once the blower with the METCO 2013-14 GT500 2.4” Supercharger Pulley # MI-MSP2.40 was re-installed we installed the METCO Auxiliary Idler Kit with Double-Bearing Idler Pulley # MI-MSI-90D. Not only does it far outperform the stock part, it is an amazing piece of highend auto bling and a steal for the price! www.rpmmag.com
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10 Here, Brad installs the JLT Heat Shield after we carefully transferred 2 hole locations from the factory shield
onto it and drilled them accordingly. The large vacuum formed JLT shield lets in lots of air while blocking heat at idle and low speed. It has a weather strip that seals to the hood, and incorporates the fresh air inlet from the grill. The JLT oval shaped foam air diffuser (seen in photo 02) was inserted into the shield to help control the idle (this was removed during our dyno pulls).
From here, the rest of the equipment should take minutes to install. Before long we had the JLT intake tube with molded in 123mm MAF housing installed to the throttle body via the supplied silicone coupler and HD clamp and the 5x7 S&B Powerstack Air Filter clamped in place.
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine
12 Next up was a 10 minute install that ads to the total package in both horsepower and looks. Oil from crankcase ventilation ends up in the throttle body and intake charge and will rob horsepower without you even knowing it! Don’t believe us, just pull off your intake tube and have a look! It’s ok though, JLT has you covered with their JLT 3.0 Performance Oil Separators 3012P-B & 3012D-B (passenger and driver sides respectively). As described by JLT; “The JLT 3.0 Performance Oil Separators are a multi stage filter system designed to collect the finest of vapors and drop them into the easily removable bottom while allowing clean air to pass through to the intake”. They are billet 3oz capacity filters with OEM style quick connect PCV fittings.
13 We had dyno time booked with Misener Motorsports a few weeks later where we connected with Venomous Tuning’s BJ McCarthy by phone.
14 Jay Misener explains the various steps to the car owner between each dyno pull.
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First the SCT tuner was interfaced with the car and updated and then Jay connected with BJ. This was done for each step in the process.
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A pull is made after each update from BJ is downloaded into the car. Here you can see the results of the first two. These are made at lower than optimum RPM so it’s a bit unnerving to see lower numbers here, but rest assured it’s the steps of the process that must be done to get the correct final outcome. so we’re over a 20ft. lbs gain in torque, too! Check out our dyno pull here: Now consider this, without doing anything other
than complimenting our new JLT BIG AIR kit and pulley with a simple throttle body swap and good 93 fuel McCarthy said, “You would have seen 680 to 690…even through the cats.” That’s 15 to 25 MORE
BEFORE
AIR hits a solid homerun with RPM! Top-shelf American made products that do what they say (and THE look amazing doing it), CONCLUSION Bang for the buck for need we say more. RPM bolt-on parts, the JLT BIG
AFTER
JLT Performance www.jlttruecoldair.com 757-335-1940
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horsepower! It’s safe to say we definitel know what’s next for the Silver Snake!
november 2020 | RPM Magazine
SOURCES: Venomous Tuning www.venomoustuning.com 352-800-4407
Misener Motorsports www.misenermotorsports.com 519-757-1200
www.rpmmag.com
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november 2020 | RPM Magazine