THE SLEEPERS

JASON DAVIDSON BECOMES RACE CAR BARN-FIND TONNER

before Drag EIGHT weeks Davidson dragged Challenge, Jason out of a chook this HQ one-tonner South Wales. It shed in rural New shit (literally) and was covered in in bugs, with rust crawling with roof. the floors to the everything from some parts “I remember picking years ago, then out of it about three to Drag Challenge eight weeks prior and bought it for I called the guys $125,” Jason said. Powerglide trans The motor and project Jason had came from another on the go. an Edelbrock “It’s an LS1 with cam and 800cfm manifold, Lunati Jason said. “It Quick Fuel carb,” on 98.” makes around 370rwhp Jason was in At Drag Challenge ran DYO class, and the Tuff Mounts a consistently with low 13s pretty His best for the spread of 0.1055. 12.87@108mph. week was all over on Day By the time it was on wanted to keep Five, Jason just up driving the going, so he ended the Hunter Valley tonner home to in NSW. good time though, “We had such a back again next I can’t wait to come car!” year and build another

DOMINIC PELLE CARLOAD OF MATES + SLEEPERSPEC KINGSWOOD = FUN

IF YOU ever doubted that the age of The Sleeper is upon us, look no further than Dominic Pelle’s HK Kingy. It’s looks like a cool cruiser until you open the bonnet and discover 5.7 litres of alloy LS1 and a turbocharger hanging off to one side. Dig a bit deeper and you’ll also find a Powerglide with an 1800rpm converter and a nine-inch diff with a 3.25:1 Truetrac centre. “There’s nothing big-dollar in it,” Dominic told us. “The engine is a dead-stock, 140,000km LS dragged out of a wrecking yard. I put a set of valve springs in it, but I really shouldn’t have bothered. The turbo’s a 60mm Garrett T04B and we used that ’cos we had it on the shelf. We did the whole conversion ourselves.” Travelling with a couple mates and a boot full of stuff, Dominic decided to leave the trailer at home for the week and do the trip without hauling the entire contents of his shed. “I reckon we’ve been getting about eight litres per 100km, and that’s sitting on the limit,” he said. The car completed Drag Challenge 2016 without any hassles, running consistent low 11s at each track in the Tuff Mounts DYO class. This sleepy HK is the real deal.

ANTHONY BURNS BODY BY FORD, POWER BY HOLDEN

a few ANTHONY Burns first came on our radar was years ago via our Facebook page. Anthony wagon, swapping an LS1 into an XD Falcon Ford prompting howls of outrage from true-blue were fans. But while most of the keyboard warriors the wagon busy achieving sweet FA, Anthony got it in Street up and running and successfully ran Drag Challenge last year. Machine car a For this year’s event, he gave the and an birthday, with a more powerful donk Xe-style makeover. In short, Anthony has replaced the long-suffering WM LS1 with a 6.0-litre L98 out of an ex-taxi no rings!” Holden Caprice. “We put bearings in it – Anthony said of the high-mileage mill. 4L60E Behind the 420rwhp L98 is a tweaked up by a four-speed auto, and it’s backed EA Falcon Borgwarner axle stolen from a later almost wagon – the leaf springs and brakes perfectly match with the older XD wagon. but with The wagon had already run an 11.8, got it better tyres for Drag Challenge, Anthony Now he’s down to 11.4 seconds on the last day. wondering which way to go with the wagon. need to “A turbo would be fun,” he said, “but I’d the familyfriendly fit a rollcage, which would detract from aspect of the car.”

MARK BUSSCHER AUSTRALIA’S QUICKEST 6000LB STREET CAR

All-wheel-drive traction – that’s gotta be a good thing for grip and high performance, doesn’t it? “I thought it might help me out,” said Mark Busscher of his Holden Adventra’s all-wheeldrive system. “But as soon as you took off, it hit the brakes and pulled timing to about the 660-foot mark – half the run!” That’s a shame, because Mark, who’s from MB Performance Competition Engines in Werribee, Victoria, reckons the engine in his Adventra wagon is capable of 10s in the right car – perhaps one that doesn’t weigh more than three tonnes! On the engine dyno the 416ci LS3 has 640hp and 580ft-lb. “It’s got really solid torque,” Mark said. “The cam’s not too big.” Prior to DC the trans blew the input shaft, then fourth gear, then the front CVS. “So I got the shits and pulled about 180hp out of the tune!” Mark said. The big wagon’s best at Drag Challenge was 11.97@113.5mph. “I’ll be back next year,” Mark said, “But I’ll probably be in the Outlaw Aspirated class, with a different car.”