Kevin Helmintoller is a big fan of red, if you hadn't noticed. He's also a fan of GM, which Vette Editor Jay Heath and I saw when we rolled up to his Richmond, Va., home. Lined up in the driveway were five bright red GM performance vehicles: a heads/cam 2004 SSR, a heads/cam 2005 GTO, a 436-cube Mallett 2001 Z06, and a brand-new, bone-stock 2006 Z06. Even Kevin's tow rig is bad: a supercharged Gibbs Avalanche!
These hot rides and their owner were ready for the 30-minute trip to the track for a day of racing. Kevin, who we would soon find out is a pretty good gear-banger, had invited us down to Virginia to sample his goods on the 1320. "Come down and we'll hit the track. We'll drive 'em hard--if they break, they break," he quipped. We think we like this guy.
This caravan of red rockets made its way to Richmond Dragway, a scenic strip east of Richmond proper, where General Manager Johnny Davis was waiting for us, VHT at the ready. The track was quickly prepped and we were ready to go. We made a couple of passes in everything except the '01 Z06, and out of respect for Kevin and his high-dollar, mostly stock drivetrain toys, the stick cars were not powershifted. Kevin turned in solid times all day long, and our times and Kevin's were usually only separated by a good tenth or so.
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 GMHTP would like to send out...  GMHTP would like to send out a special thanks to Kevin Helmintoller for his generosity on the track, and the entire Helmintoller family for their hospitality that day. This was our first visit to Richmond Dragway (www.richmonddragway.com) and we found Johnny and his crew to be extremely accommodating and professional--thanks guys! |
 When your tow vehicle is strapped...  When your tow vehicle is strapped with a blower, what's the harm in making a few passes down the strip? Kevin did just that in his Gibbs Avalanche. Can you believe this 7,000-plus-pound monster ran a 13.46 at 99 mph, dusting the SSR by three tenths in the process? |
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 Kevin and his dad, Mont, in...  Kevin and his dad, Mont, in front of Kevin's hot GMs. |
2004 SSR 325-inch V-8 Four-speed auto
325-inch V-8 Four-speed auto
MODS: Cartek Stage 2X heads, custom Stage 2 cam (218/224, .567 lift, 114 LSA), headers, ported TB, intake, 2800-stall converter, 4.10 gears
Out of all of Kevin's vehicles, the 5.3-liter SSR was the mildest. Of course, "mildest" didn't exactly mean mild, as Garwood, N.J.-based Cartek had worked its magic on the red roadster. After the heads, cam, bolt-ons, and drivetrain upgrades, this SSR was transformed from a 15-second dog to a solid 13-second hot rod.
Racing the SSR was a breeze: crank it over, turn off the center console-mounted traction control, and throw the 4L60E into Third. Behind the waterbox, the Vigilante converter and 4.10s meant getting the radials nice and smoky was an afterthought. There was enough stick to the track that going nearly WOT off-idle meant no tire spin as the SSR lurched forward. After that, the Cartek horsepower took over, and even though it auto shifted a little soft, I was able to coax a 13.76 at 98.90 mph out of it. Earlier in the day, Kevin rumbled to a 13.72 at 99.62--and out of six runs that day, the ET varied by only eight hundredths.
2005 GTO364-inch V-8 Six-speed manual
MODS: Cartek Stage 3X heads, Stage 2X cam (224/220, .590 lift, 114 LSA), headers, underdrive pulley, ported TB, port-matched manifold
Next up in the pecking order was the 2005 Goat. This thing was making pretty good power, thanks to Cartek's head/cam package and goodies like Kooks' headers, high-flow cats, an ASP underdrive pulley, and a full-on dyno tune. However, Kevin started out easy, since the drivetrain was dead stock and we weren't looking to shred it this early. Although the LS2 is a formidable engine from the factory, the GTO's extra poundage requires a bit more power to feel fast. Thankfully, mid-400 rear-wheel numbers, or about 100 more over stock, did the trick. Big K made several passes in the Goat on street tires, and soon became confident of the factory drivetrain. He was able to whittle the ETs down from mid-13s to 12.90s before breaking out the drag radials and popping off a solid 12.80 at 109.84.
When my turn came around, I kept the DRs on and did a hellacious Second-gear burnout to gum up the rollers. I'd had enough seat time in the new GTO to feel comfortable there; with the crappy stock shifter replaced with a B&M unit, it was all the better. I pulled up to the line, revved to 3,700, and sidestepped the clutch. Though it was late in the day, Richmond's starting line held, and the built LS2 sang past 6,400 before I made the gear change. Even without powershifting, there was a ton of power on tap, but the DRs held fast. Two smooth shifts later, I sailed to a 12.30 ET at 112.19 miles an hour.