The clock was ticking when we first caught up with New Jersey's own Ed Hess and his 9-second Syclone. After easily clocking a 9.50 run by mid July, Ed was looking to become the first all-wheel drive Sy in the 8s--only to see this record taken by a Swedish competitor. Though slightly disappointed, an attractive consolation prize would be surpassing the current record holder to become the fastest AWD Syclone in the world, which is exactly what he intends to do. And just how, pray tell, will he manage that?
One very large advantage Ed has over his competition is the utilization of twin turbos, as opposed to a large single turbo, which was suggested by Ed's right hand man, consultant, crew chief, and tuner Harry Anderson. Or as Ed puts it, "Harry is the brains, I just put everything together." The welding and fabricating duties, though, are left up to Keith Mease of MPE Racing Fabrication in Pennsville, N.J. Mease is known for fabricating turbo headers, intake manifolds and intercoolers for a number of late model GM EFI applications including Turbo Buicks, F-bodies, and Vettes in addition to Sy/Tys. Ed and Harry commissioned him for a set of stainless steel manifolds with 1.75-inch primaries and dual 3.5-inch downpipes to accommodate the twins. Ed's current best run of 9.50 at 144 mph was owed to a set of 60mm "training" turbos set to only 20 psi, which have since been swapped out for Turbonetics T66s.
Typical of all upper echelon SyTys, Ed uses a Bowtie block with a .020 over bore. He had previously set the record for stock blocks a few years ago when he ran 9.93 at 137 mph. Unlike some of his competitors, he has chosen to stick with an even-fire crank made by Bryant Racing. The billet 3.48-inch stroke crank is complemented by Childs and Albert forged rods, and JE forged pistons. In combination with a set of Brodix (Pontiac) heads, compression is kept quite high at 11.5 to 1, but Ed and Harry contend that with a true race motor running 118-octane race fuel, lower compression simply isn't needed. The added efficiency from the higher compression, in addition to the reworked ports by Timothy John Racing Engines in Sewell, help the solid roller motor produce over 850 hp. These milled heads feature a 23-degree valve angle, welded and raised runners, 2.08 and 1.60 stainless valves, Del West titanium retainers, and high velocity shaping. COMP Cams offset solid lifters, 7/16-inch pushrods, and Jesel 1.6 ratio offset rockers actuate the valves in accordance with Harry Anderson's secret spec cam.
 |  High rpm from the solid roller...  High rpm from the solid roller and Turbonetics T66 ball bearing turbos spooled to over 20 psi necessitate a stout ignition. MSD Digital 6 box, coil, and an Accel distributor keep the spark dialed in even at 8,000 rpm. |  This custom intercooler is...  This custom intercooler is from MPE, which Keith Mease integrated into the radiator support. |
 The cockpit isn't exactly...  The cockpit isn't exactly bare bones as it is lined with high-tech gadgetry, plenty of gauges, stock dash, carpet, and the RCI racing seat even uses the stock brackets. The laptop always rides shotgun for datalogging using DFI Gen VII+, so that tuner Harry Anderson can make adjustments accordingly. Since Ed's home track is Atco (N.J.) Raceway, no corners were cut on the NHRA-certified rollcage. This of course necessitated a Lexan rear window, so that the bars can extend into the bed. |  As a retail seller and installer...  As a retail seller and installer of Rhino Lining, Ed has been reluctant to remove the 80 lbs of bed liner he now carries, but things may change as he nears his goal. |  Lightweight Weld AlumaStars...  Lightweight Weld AlumaStars measuring 15x8.25 up front are shod with Mickey Thompson drag radials. The 3.5-inch downpipes also extend just aft for a straight dump into the atmosphere. |