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5th Annual LSX Shootout - Modern MusclesThe 5th Annual LSX Shootout had something for everyone From the February, 2012 issue of Camaro Performers By Steven Rupp Photography by Nick Licata
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One group we thought was pretty cool was the E85 class. Like the sign says, all the cars in this class run E85 gas in the tank, which we feel makes going fast that much harder. With a final round run of 9.103 at 132.01 mph, Rob “Mr Z” Keller, won the top spot in his ’78 Camaro. To some, October might be the kickoff to the holiday season, but to racers, especially those with LS power under the hood, it’s most notable for the biggest, baddest LS drag racing event of the year. Now in its fifth year, the NMCA LSX Shootout has moved to Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana. In addition to all of the LS-powered tire-smokin’ action, the event also incorporates NMCA’s FueLab World Street Finals that’s open to any car ready to throw down in the quarter-mile. The three-day event featured numerous classes including Drag Radial, All Motor, Real Street, Rumble (index), and True Street. For new Camaro fans, there was also a Camaro Performers magazine-sponsored Fifth-gen Challenge, and a Fifth-gen Shootout sponsored by our sister publication GM High-Tech Performance. Adding even more fun and prize money to the mix was the GM Performance Parts Fastest LSX Challenge. And speaking of money, this year’s event had over $50,000 up for grabs in purse and prizes! In addition to the non-stop action, there was a huge manufacturers’ midway selling everything from tools, to complete engines. For eye candy, there was a car show. And for those looking to score a killer deal, there was even a swap meet. Add in a burnout contest along with an exhibition jet car, and the net result was a damn good time.  Nick Licata typically runs...  Nick Licata typically runs our ’01 Z28 in handling events, but he thought he would hone his drag racing skills a bit. The new Weld wheels and Mickey Thompson drag radials really stick, so he was still trying to find just the right combination of air pressure and launch rpm.  Adam Wright out of Fort Wayne,...  Adam Wright out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, warms up the tires on his ’01 Z28. Competing in the LS True Street class, he ran as quick as 11.798, but his three-run average came in at 12.029; good enough for Second place in the very competitive 12-second category.  The event also has a large...  The event also has a large midway with vendors showing off lots of goodies to make our cars just a bit faster. Trick Flow was on hand with their large selection of CNC-ported LS heads.  While the big draw for this...  While the big draw for this particular NMCA event is the LS-powered cars, there are lots of categories for other racers as well. And you know you’re rollin’ large when your tow cart matches your race car.  Yancy Johns brought our ’10...  Yancy Johns brought our ’10 CP/28 project car down for a little fun. His best run was an 11.94 at 120 mph, but the power felt down, so after a few runs he called it a day.  In addition to the new wares...  In addition to the new wares being offered for sale, there was also a swap meet where you could pick up used restoration and race parts.  In the non-LS True Street...  In the non-LS True Street competition, Adam Hodson had a three-run average of 12.019 seconds. Normally this would be good enough for a win, but he was edged out by just 0.002 seconds by Ernie Keppler.  Between the LS and non-LS...  Between the LS and non-LS cars, the True Street competition was packed with over 60 racers. After the obligatory 30-mile drive, the cars were lined up in preparation for their three back-to-back hot laps.  The Hawk Performance Open...  The Hawk Performance Open Comp category had a ton of racers in it. Frankie Radake of St. Louis, Missouri, made it all the way to the semifinal round where he ran a 9.714 at 138.56 against his 9.70 dial-in. Unfortunately for Frankie, Susan McClenaghan bettered that by running a 9.742 against her 9.73 dial-in. In bracket racing, the fastest car isn’t always the winner.  Clay Lawson battled mechanical...  Clay Lawson battled mechanical gremlins all weekend, keeping his super-sweet fifth-gen out of the competition for the shootout. We know Clay and we’re sure he’ll have his Camaro sorted out and back on track by the next race.  In the first round of the...  In the first round of the LSX All-Motor Shootout, John Costello in his ’01 Z28 squared off against Chris Fowler in his third-gen. Chris ran a 9.358 at 149.78 for the win, and John redlighted and was sent to the locker room.  Tim Koehler was eliminated...  Tim Koehler was eliminated in the second round of the Open Comp division when he broke out and ran a 9.228 at 144.43 against his 9.27 dial-in.  A three-run average of 9.212...  A three-run average of 9.212 seconds secured the runner-up spot for Greg Edwards and his ’02 Camaro in the LS True Street competition. If you like this twin-turbo-powered F-body, then you’re in luck since we’ll be featuring it in an upcoming issue.  Friday night we took CP/28...  Friday night we took CP/28 over to Norris Motorsports for some dyno time to see why we were down on power. Mike Norris did some pulls and found we were down about 60 hp over our previous pulls. After inspection, he found that the intercooler pump was barely pumping, which resulted in high temps and a loss of power. We have a high-flow pump on the way from Tech AFX, which should fix the problem.  In the 11-second bracket,...  In the 11-second bracket, Brandon Smith of Logan, Illinois, took the win with a three-run average of 11.035 seconds.  The GM Performance Parts crate...  The GM Performance Parts crate engines in the Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center display booth really got us droolin’, especially the LSX 454R. Although we wouldn’t turn down the LS9 next to it.  The LSX Rumble class is always...  The LSX Rumble class is always competitive, and after seven rounds of racing, Dennis Pearson in his ’98 Camaro came out on top. In the final round he broke out with a 10.991 against his 11-second dial-in, but so did Tim Habel in the opposing lane. Luckily for Dennis, Tim broke out by more.  At 11:58 p.m. Friday night,...  At 11:58 p.m. Friday night, Licata was finally getting ready to go for it in Round one of LSX Rumble. He cut a killer 0.07 light and ran a 13.244 against his 13.0 dial-in. Zach Gregory in the opposing lane redlighted and was sent packing. Black Betty ran well, but Licata mentioned that Fourth gear was giving him trouble.  On Saturday during Round two...  On Saturday during Round two of LSX Rumble class, Black Betty was still acting up. This time Licata couldn’t get the car into Fourth gear at the big end and coasted through the lights at 78 mph. Lucky for him, the other guy triggered the red light. Since Fourth gear was DOA, we had Mike Norris bump up the rev limiter 150 rpm so Licata could just run it through the lights in Third gear. In round Three, Second gear left the party, so he called it a day.  For the Camaro Performers...  For the Camaro Performers magazine-sponsored Fifth-gen Shootout, Shawn Calabrese of Orlando, Florida, nabbed the runner-up spot when he broke-out by running an 11.941 against his 12.0-second dial-in.  In the competition for fastest...  In the competition for fastest fifth-gen, Ronnie Hackelton of Hazen, Arkansas, took home the big trophy with a final run of 10.411 at 130.58 mph.  Calabrese’s breakout gave...  Calabrese’s breakout gave New Yorker, Louie Filippides, the win in the Camaro Performers magazine Fifth-gen Shootout with his 10.466 (against a dial-in of 9.50) second run. Congrats to Louie for fighting his way to the finals and coming out on top!
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