THE COULDABEENS
CHRIS VELESKI POWER FORCE-FED TOYOTA
What the – ? TOYOTA Lexcen? Chris Veleski’s Don’t laugh, because a weapon. Running Lexcen is a total giant turbo pumping 2JZ donk with a 1150rwhp and over 50psi, it makes Yep, this has gone 8.1@170mph. Toyota. ain’t your grandparents’ 3.0-litre six survive So how does a “Honestly, the the torture of 50psi? close to standard,” motor is pretty forged internals Chris said. “It has big turbo, but it’s and obviously the close-to-standard a standard crank, intake manifold.” head, and standard Drag Challenge On Day One at a strong contender, the Lexcen was but 8.42@169mph, running an in lose form later it started to the afternoon. in the workshop “We got it back the entire bottom and basically rebuilt Chris said. “We end of the engine,” and bearings and replaced the crank and had it all back resized the rods, couple of days.” together after a to race again on Chris was ready Drag Challenge Friday night when Park, and set wrapped up at Calder – on a a new PB of 8.1@170mph massive 52psi!
ADAM STYLES COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTENDER
IN THE lead-up to Drag Challenge there were a few names being bandied about as contenders for outright honours, and Adam Styles was among that group with his twin-turbo LC Torana. With a string of low eight-second timeslips to his name, Adam arrived at his first Drag Challenge this year with high expectations. But the Torana had other plans. “We had a shudder through the car,” Adam explained. “We had three runs, and we discovered the trans fluid had metal all through it, so we knew pretty early that it wasn’t something that we could fix at the track.” So he put the car back in the trailer and headed back to Albury, and while the rest of the field were racing at Heathcote, Adam and his mates were fixing the transmission in the LC. The plan was to rejoin the field and make some passes for fun at Mildura. “Mate, I already had the week off,” Adam laughed, “so I was going to enjoy it.” At Mildura, the car ran the quickest pass of the day, a 5.41. After four passes he went to load the Torana on the trailer and discovered that the block had split from top to bottom on cylinder six. “I was pretty disappointed – but what can you do? We’ll be back next year.”
ROD KERR JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE
Holden V8 here!” “IT MUST be the only NA Iron Lionpowered said Rod Kerr of his old-school around the field Torana. And looking Holdens with at Mildura, full of classic olden be far wrong! LS conversions, he wouldn’t the Portland “I’ve owned it five years,” Garfield – or the local said. “It’s known as Trauma Trolley!” VS Commodoreera The engine is built on a a COME Holden V8 block swinging under a set of stroker crank for 383 cubes the V8’s valley is a COME alloy heads. Filling a Demon carb. Torque-power manifold with TH400 The trans is a built and manualised a nine-inch rear three-cogger auto, whipping carrying 3.10 cogs. staunch Torry Those basics give Rod’s and his number on around 550hp at the fly, Day One at Calder was 11.35@123mph. was living up Unfortunately, Rod’s Torana when we to the second of its nicknames spoke to him at Mildura. before Drag Leaving Melbourne had suffered a Challenge, the Torana Somewhere collapsed wheel bearing. it ingested a between Calder and Mildura was playing up bit of bad juice. The starter strip, and after an at Mildura’s eighth-mile back to town on engine issue, it was going a tilt-tray. Game over! surgery for throat But having been through of a good day, cancer, Rod knows the value hurt, he left the so even though his car was face. “I’m just so event with a smile on his doing these happy to be driving around a privilege.” tracks,” he said. “It’s been
VINCE STIGLIANO OVER 1000 WILD HORSES
IF YOU saw or heard Vince Stigliano’s 1970 fastback Mustang, you’d never guess it was an eight-second streeter. Aside from the Convo Pros, it looks basically stock and it idles quiet. What gives? If a bright red Mustang could be stealthy, this is it. Under the bonnet Vince has a 393ci Cleveland motor boosted by a big Garrett GTX42 turbo – a set-up that’s good for 843rwhp. “It’s been through a few different turbo set-ups,” Vince explained. “It went mid-nines with a basic truck turbo and a blowthrough carby, but of course I wanted more, so we went EFI with the more serious Garrett GTX42.” The rest of the set-up includes a Rossler TH400 and a nine-inch diff with a Strange 3.5 centre suspended by a set of Caltracs. During pre-event testing the car went 9.3@152mph on a measly 13psi, so Vince was confident he could run eights with a bit more boost. Sure enough, on Day One at Calder, the big red Mustang went 8.84@150mph. Bingo! But before the car had even slowed, disaster struck, and it torched a cylinder head. Bugger! Although he was spewing to be out on Day One, Vince was still happy to run an eight, and he reckons he’ll be back bigger and better next year.