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2012 Season Opener - The LSX Challenge: Round 1The 2012 Season Opener in Florida: fast rides, edge-of-your-seat excitement, and a great sign of things to come From the August, 2012 issue of GM High-Tech Performance By Justin Cesler Photography by Scott Parker
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They say time flies when you're having fun, which means it must go into warp speed when you're trying to get a race car ready for an upcoming season. That's right, the LSX Challenge Series is already back upon us and the season opener, which took place over St. Patrick's Day weekend in sunny Bradenton, Florida, has already come and gone. Racers had just five short months to prepare for the opening round of competition and for many, the time off and short winter season just wasn't long enough to get everything together. Because of this, many feared a low car count, and the Internet chatter leading up to the season opener sounded nervous, but with over 20 LSX cars on the property by Thursday afternoon, all of those fears were put aside. Amazingly, almost all of the LSX Challenge Series classes saw an increase in car count and even those that just barely grew saw a major jump in quality and competitiveness. Starting with the hot and heavy Real Street class, we saw 7 cars ready for competition, a major jump from last year, with room for even more growth at upcoming events as additional cars near completion. LSX All Motor and Drag Radial were also up with 5 competitive cars apiece, and the top cars in both classes looked much stronger than last year. Several new players were entered in every class, even as old favorites looked on from afar, waiting on parts for their rides. This is to say, LSX racing is looking good and the NMCA and Chevrolet Performance have a lot to look forward to this year. Regarding the track, well, it was tricky. Even though most racers had little testing leading up to the event, almost everyone struggled to get their cars to hook up in the first 100-feet. Power management and finesse was key all weekend, as several racers found out the hard way early on in competition. Regardless, fans of LSX racing were witness to some amazing runs, including Late Model Racecraft's Drag Radial entry clipping the 200-mph barrier (201.11-mph) and a brand-new All-Motor competitor sporting a Bischoff Engine Services' 440 dipping well into the 8.30-range. Real Street was hyper competitive, with the winning round decided by just .0008-seconds. If Bradenton is a sign of things to come, the LSX Challenge series is on pace to have its best year yet, so read about it now but try your best to make it out to the next event, we promise you won't regret it.  Attendance in Bradenton was...  Attendance in Bradenton was up from last year and the GMHTP/SCT Performance Kick-Off party was a huge success, if we do say so ourselves. Racers and crew alike were able to win a plethora of fantastic prizes and we had free BBQ and beer for every LSX racer, crew, or family member in attendance.  Partying aside, the LSX Challenge...  Partying aside, the LSX Challenge Series is all about the racing and the Fifth-Gen Camaro class was hot in Bradenton, with racers like Ronnie Hackleton running in the bottom 10-second zone. Although Ronnie went out in eliminations (to the glow of a red light), his blown Camaro qualified with a 10.09 at 138-mph, tuned down to hit the 10.0 index.  Think the LSX Challenge series...  Think the LSX Challenge series is just for serious racecars? Check out Josh Perrymoon’s bone-stock 45th Anniversary Edition Camaro. Not only is Josh new to the series, but he was driving his Camaro in stock form (with stock tires!) and managed to win the entire fifth-gen class, running a 13.73 on his 13.50 dial-in.  Jarrod Hess was one of several...  Jarrod Hess was one of several local racers from the Need2Speed camp to take the NMCA up on their offer, running in True Street for free if they signed up for an Index class. In a bizarre, but well calculated string of runs, Jarrod was able to take the 12.0 Index in True Street, running a variety of numbers to get the average just right.  John Morrell of Port Richey...  John Morrell of Port Richey brought out his killer ’80 Malibu, which features a 454 cubic-inch LSX under the hood and enough horsepower to stand ’em high round after round. Qualifying number 1 in LSX Rumble with a .017-second reaction time, John eventually went out in the semis, but not after running a string of 9.8-second elapsed times.  These days, it’s not an LSX...  These days, it’s not an LSX race unless the Calabrese boys are in attendance and Shawn was wheels-up in his 6-speed equipped Firehawk all day long. As his father Tom looked on, Shawn went deep into the final round, taking the runner-up spot with a 12.27 on his 12.00 index.  Defending 2011 LSX Rumble...  Defending 2011 LSX Rumble champion Rob Farley was back at work in the season opener, qualifying with an 11.52 on his 11.50 dial-in and running consistently all weekend, taking home the money and the points in LSX Rumble with an 11.67 at 101-mph in the final round.  In between the rounds, fans...  In between the rounds, fans and racers alike could be found in the lengthy Manufacturers Midway, which lined the side of the track, directly across from the well-attended two-day car show. If you were looking for parts or cool cars, this was definitely the place to be.  For a class that was once...  For a class that was once thought to be on the chopping block, LSX All Motor was hot again in Bradenton. Several competitors stepped up their game this season, including veteran racer Robert Strong, who teamed up with HKE to build himself a stout 464 cubic-inch canted-valve headed LS combination. Still essentially testing, Robert ran well, clicking off a couple of high 8-second passes in qualifying.  Two years in the making, the...  Two years in the making, the Don Baskin-backed fifth-gen, driven by Greg Delaney, and powered by a 440-inch Bischoff Engine Services LSX, was on fire all weekend. Setting a blistering 8.33-second pace in qualifying at over 162-mph, this may well be the All Motor combo to beat, although a trans-brake issue in eliminations ended up putting the gorgeous Camaro on the trailer a little earlier than the crew had hoped.  Daren Poole-Adams also unveiled...  Daren Poole-Adams also unveiled a new All Motor combination in Bradenton; entering his 389 cubic-inch LS7-powered Firebird in the competitive class. Severely out gunned and under tested, Daren was in attendance “for testing and the bonus points” and walked away with valuable data and a 9.50 time slip at over 144 miles per hour.  Things were looking up for...  Things were looking up for Joe Huneycutt, who found himself in the final round of All Motor with his LME-built 444 cubic-inch monster. Backed by the LMR crew and Joe’s family, the Camaro ran strong, qualifying with an 8.70 at 156-mph and backing it up with an 8.80 at the same mile per hour in the finals, good enough for the Runner-Up spot. Look for this car to get faster as the year goes on with more testing and improvements to the new C5R heads.  The Internet chatter surrounding...  The Internet chatter surrounding LSX Real Street was strong all winter and the season opener proved that the class is going to be hot and heavy all year long. Seven racers were in attendance for the first race, including James Rowlett, who burned the midnight oil to get his 408 cubic-inch, nitrous-fed ’00 Camaro to the lanes. Although James didn’t make it through the first round, he did run as fast as 9.65, which shows promise for the upcoming races.  Judson Massingill and the...  Judson Massingill and the School of Automotive Machinists had a long winter, rebuilding their existing engine combination with a set of steel rods after a bit too much RPM destroyed their old motor at the end of 2011. Although Judson qualified in the number 2 spot, he and the students found themselves atop the pile on Sunday, taking the win in All Motor with an 8.50 at 150-mph run.  Jon Ebert changed up the paint...  Jon Ebert changed up the paint scheme on the Lingenfelter Real Street Camaro and managed to get some good testing in prior to the event. Qualifying in the number 1 spot with an 8.60 at 161, the flat-plane crank equipped turbocharged Camaro was a crowd favorite, although John gave up a little too much on the starting line in eliminations and bowed out a bit early.  Ted Timmerman of LS1Excitement...  Ted Timmerman of LS1Excitement was hoping to have a new engine together for the Bradenton race, but couldn’t get it together in time. Fighting torque converter issues, Ted clicked off several 8.7-second passes at over 161-mph but plans on making some key changes before the Atlanta race, to help get the car atop the field.  George Toll was another unexpected...  George Toll was another unexpected entry into the class, bringing his gorgeous ’02 WS6 Trans Am to do battle. Powered by a Ty-Tech built, nitrous-huffing, 461-cube engine, George fought the track and the chassis all weekend, eventually putting together a 9.0-second pass, although we’re sure the combination has much more in it, given a little more tweaking.  Kevin Rounsavall put together...  Kevin Rounsavall put together a relatively mild engine, using an LQ9 iron block and a small, class legal hit of nitrous. In what was basically a test session, Kevin ran just into the 8-second zone, qualifying for Real Street with an 8.99 at 153-mph. The Shahan Race Cars Camaro didn’t make it out of round 1, but look for big things in the future if they continue to optimize the combination.  Like a boss, Paul Falcon barely...  Like a boss, Paul Falcon barely even touched his 420-cube nitrous assisted ’01 Formula during the off season and made a couple of easy hits during Friday and Saturday’s qualifying rounds. In the closest race we can remember, Paul ended up in the Runner-Up spot, missing victory by just .0008-seconds in the final round.  That’s right, just .0008-seconds...  That’s right, just .0008-seconds was the margin of victory in Real Street, with 20-year old Adam Preston taking the win, the points, and the money in Real Street. The Prestons are no stranger to the Real Street class, wearing the number 1 from last year’s overall championship, and the family operated team is on pace to repeat that success if they keep running like this.  The Late Model Racecraft crew...  The Late Model Racecraft crew has made no bones about it, they’re looking to win the Drag Radial championship this year, and they’ve spruced up the exterior of their twin-turbo Firehawk in anticipation of a great season. Unfortunately, the twin-turbo mill struggled to get it done in the first 60-feet of the track, and although the LMR Firehawk ran over 200-mph in qualifying and churned out a 7.23-second run, it couldn’t put it all together in the semi-finals and went home too soon. Never ones to give up, we’re sure we’ll see more from the crew this year.  Mike Meeks had just 90-days...  Mike Meeks had just 90-days to build his LSX Drag Radial fifth-gen Camaro from a Body-In-White shell (which you can read about in this issue), and barely made the Bradenton race. With no prior testing, Mike made one naturally aspirated hit in qualifying, then turned on the spray one kit at a time, eventually running an 8.15 at 168-mph with a 1.17-second 60-foot time. Not bad for 90-days worth of work and no testing!  Representing half of the two-car...  Representing half of the two-car Ohio Boys Drag Radial crew, Mark Koehler made several changes during the offseason and came out to Bradenton with a new ignition system and optimized engine program. Sitting in the number 2 spot, Mark and the crew fought hard through eliminations, ending Sunday with the Runner-Up trophy no thanks to a broken wastegate fitting, which dropped boost and slowed the car down considerably in the final round.  It’s beautiful, isn’t it?...  It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Mike Rimar also worked under the gun to get his brand-new Drag Radial Camaro to make the big show and the attention to detail and superb craftsmanship did not go unnoticed in Bradenton. Like Meeks, Rimar was effectively testing and shaking the car down all weekend long, culminating in an 8.10-second run at 169-mph. Rimar, a Florida native, utilizes a nitrous-injected Nelson Competition 440 LSX.  The Murder Bird, straight...  The Murder Bird, straight out of Chicago, driven by Andy Essary took home the win in Drag Radial thanks to an ultra consistent chassis, a killer Speed Inc. twin-turbo system and enough power management to keep the car running like a bracket racer, even with 7.41-second quarter-mile passes at over 194-mph. As Andy proved, winning isn’t always about the fastest test-and-tune times, it’s about going rounds and running consistently, no matter who’s in the lane next to you.
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Camaro ZL1 Morphs into “Freedom Fighter”
In a post-9/11 world, there are a multitude of organizations and individuals dedicated to helping veterans, both human and canine, adjust to life back home and aid with their health problems --...
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