Heading out to Memphis has always proven to be a good time, and for this trip we were on our way to check out the 2nd Annual GM Performance Parts LSX Shootout! Hosted by the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA), these guys have started a new annual ritual to be put into action at the NMCA World Finals at Memphis Motorsports Park.
Although we missed the incredible action last year, you better believe we weren't about to make the same mistake again. But what exactly is the LSX Shootout? It's just the baddest heads-up sportsman door car racing in the country, only in this arena you better be packing an LS powerplant and have it residing in a GM car or truck.
We love grassroots drag racing. The smell of high octane in the morning really gets us pumped up. We especially enjoy the thunderous roar of finely tuned LSX powerplants. Even cooler is seeing these mega-powered engines resting comfortably within the confines of a full-body doorslammer in both street and all-out-track machines. That means real world chassis with big-horsepower that are capable of diving deep into the 7-second zone at over 200 mph, yet still look remarkably similar to most boulevard cruising street machines; say hello to the NMCA's LSX Shootout.
The LSX Shootout is by far one of the more innovative and fun groups of classes to follow. Granted, racing competitively in any class certainly isn't cheap, but you'll find that most involved within these classes work hard, putting in their 40 plus hours a week and tend to have family-supported teams. While this addition is only in its second year, you can expect it to grow exponentially and continue to entice many folks to join in on the fun. For a detailed list of rules, get on the web and log onto www.fasteststreetcar.com.
Robin Lawrence's '73 Nova
This is Robin Lawrence's rolling R&D center for GM Performance Parts' LS program, but truth be told, it's even more exciting to see the Nova in action! We have to give credit where credit is due. If you ever happen to see Lawrence in the pit area, be sure to stop by and say hello. He's a class act. Assuming he isn't scrambling to the staging lanes, he'll be more than happy to rap with you about the chassis, powertrain, and everything LS related.
Name: Robin Lawrence
Hometown: Galesburg, IL
Class: NMCA Nostalgia Pro Street
Best e.t.: 7.77 at 179 mph
Best 60-foot: 1.22
Motor: 440ci LSX
Intake: HRE sheetmetal twin dominator
Heads: GMPP LSX six-bolt CP
Power-adder: Single-stage NOS, 450 shot
Exhaust: Custom 2 1/8 to 2 1/4-inch with 4-inch collectors to 4-inch piping and Bassani mufflers
Transmission: Liberty clutchless five-speed; Clutch Masters/ACE twin disc 8-inch
Suspension front: TRZ, pinto rack, 2-inch drop spindles, upper lower control arms, TRZ spec'd Strange coilover shocks
Suspension rear: Quarter Max, antiroll bar, four-link, double-adjustable coilovers
Weight: 2,920 pounds with driver
Wheels and tires: Weld Racing Wheels, 26x4x15 Nitto front, 16x33x15 Nitto Drag 1320 rear
Rearend: Quarter Max kit 9-inch housing that's fabricated by Team Z motorsports, 4.57:1, spool
Power: 860 hp on motor, 1,330 hp with nitrous
Paul Major's '01 Corvette
Paul Major is no stranger to the Outlaw Drag Radial scene and has been making big noise with his wicked 454ci powerplant and monster 88mm twin-turbo setup. When it came to the LSX Shootout, Major swapped out the conventional mule for a 427ci LSX small-block with twin 76mm turbos and was able to produce mid-7-second performance during his first outing. Like a true sportsman, Major did credit a laundry list of people who have helped him, but also wanted to note Job Spetter Jr. from Turbo People in New York for tuning the beast.
Name: Paul Major
Hometown: Fort Salonga, NY
Class: Outlaw Drag Radial, LSx Drag Radial
Best e.t.: 7.23 at 205 mph
Best 60-foot: 1.28
Motor: PCH Racing Engines with custom Diamond Pistons, 427ci LSX
Intake: Performance Induction Specialties, 105mm throttle-body
Heads: ET Performance, C5R
Power-adder: Precision Turbo twin 76mm
Exhaust: American Racing 1 7/8-inch with a 3-inch collectors
Transmission: Powerglide, Neil Chance racing converter
Suspension front: Factory style
Suspension rear: Factory F-body style suspension by Carroll's Rod & Racecraft
Weight: 3,400 pounds with driver (can be adjusted from 3,250 to 3,500 for various sanctioning bodies)
Wheels and tires: Weld Racing Wheels, 26x4.5-15 M/T ET Front, P315/60R15 M/T ET Street Radial rear
Rearend: 9-inch
Power: 1,800 hp (rear wheel)