CRUNT HUNT
POWER LEVELS SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS AT SUMMERNATS, BLOWING MINDS AND RECORDS
NOT only did we see power records obliterated in the Haltech Horsepower Heroes competition, but the MPW Performance Dyno Cell saw more bighorsepower street cars than ever before. This came partly because of a change from the traditional roller (chassis) dyno to a Mainline hub dyno, bringing out a bunch of killer big-power rides.
More than a dozen cars made over 1000hp at the hubs over the three days that Adam Rogash and the MPW boys were running the show, with over 1300hp required just to qualify for the finals of the Forced Induction Eight-cylinder class!
At the other end of the scale was Christine Marimon’s KE55 Corolla. After the only other challenger in the NA Fourcylinder class didn’t turn up on Sunday for the finals, two pulls and 49.7hp at the hubs were all that was required for Christine to take home the tinware.
Scott Forrester’s ARROW Gemini is a Horsepower Heroes legend, having made over 800hp at the treads in years past. However, a mystery engine miss forced Scott to run the car on pump 98RON fuel and just 15psi, well down from the 45psi on methanol. The 279hp result was enough to take the win in Forced Induction Four-cylinder, as he was the only blown four-banger to turn up on Sunday.
Tony Spasenoski has won a swag of NA Six-cylinder trophies at Horsepower Heroes over the years, but he was at Summernats 32 with a new build. His ’72 VH Town & Country ute rocks a 265ci Hemi six running a billet crank punching 285ci, making a best pass of 451hp on Saturday. The open diff held him to 381hp in the finals on Sunday, but it was enough to take out the aspirated six-banger class.
Frank Gonzalez from Allsparks brought along his customer’s FG ute to have play on the dyno. With a forged Barra, Haltech plug-and-play ECU and Garrett GTX45 turbo under the bonnet, the E85-swilling brute made 1112hp on 29psi to take out the Forced-induction Six-cylinder class.
Brett Armstrong’s PROHK Monaro took on all comers at Tuff Street, then backed it up by belting out the highest power figure for an aspirated eight-cylinder with 962hp at the hubs, taking the class win. The 615in Sunset alloy big-block runs 14.8:1 compression, while the super-tidy coupe has done 8.79@154mph full-weight.
Brenden ‘Bubba’ Medlyn set the internet on fire when his VH Commodore made 2261hp at the hubs on Friday, top-qualifying for the Forced Induction Eight-cylinder class. The 398ci Torque Power Holden motor runs a pair of 88mm turbos and methanol fuel, and Bubba pushed approximately 50psi into the combo on Sunday to win the class – and Horsepower Heroes overall – with an astounding 2483hp!