Pontiac LSX Engine Event - GM Performance Parts LSX Shootout

To prove the True Street Class capability of the LS-series engine design, the overall NMCA "King of Memphis" crown was wrestled away from all-comers by Mike Brown of Huber Heights, Ohio, in his street-legalized '99 427 LSX Trans Am Drag Radial Class car. His 8.648 average saw him overcome all the turbo big-block Chevys, Fords, and Mopars to take home a six-foot trophy, crown and cape, as well as $250 in prize money, and a new LSX Bowtie block. (Something tells me we'll be seeing that block again next year.)

Scored separately from the NMCA True Street Classes, the LSX True Street Classes "King of Memphis" also went to a Pontiac Firebird. David Childress drove his car from his home in Glen Allen, Virginia, so the 30-mile loop was of little concern for him. However, a major concern for his '98 Trans Am was that, although this street-driven car had reportedly made a pass of 9.05 at 156 mph, he didn't have an NHRA competition license or chassis certification, so he had to stay out of the 9-second range or be booted from the track for safety violations. Thus David had to "pedal" his way to the LSX crown with a 10.147 average on his three runs, taking home the LSX Overall $250 winner's purse and six-foot trophy. But he promised to be back next year with the proper paperwork to unleash the Trans Am.

The LSX Dyno Challenge, run on the DiabloSport/Dynojet chassis dyno, also concluded on Saturday. Paul Major won this event with his '01 Drag Radial Class Corvette, with 1,146 hp at the wheels. Although Wade Stevens was badgered into loading his Drag Radial Trans Am onto the dyno to see if he could grab the top spot from Paul, a sour fuel pump sabotaged his efforts. However, exposing the fuel pump issue before eliminations allowed him to fix it and survive rounds that he would likely have lost if he hadn't taken the dyno run.

Index racing of the LSX classes was also treated as a separate class from the NMCA regulars, and after six rounds and more than 90 cars in the LSX Index Classes alone, Leo Mlocki Jr. of Brunswick, Ohio, emerged victorious over Derek Carter in an all-'98 Trans Am final. The victory netted Leo the First Place prize of a new LSX Bowtie block, $1,000, an LSX letterman's jacket, and a plaque. A nice haul, though making it through that many competitors was no easy feat.

The LSX All-Motor rounds saw dominant qualifying performances by the Chevy Camaros of the School of Automotive Machinists' (SAM) Judson Massingill, who ran several 9.04-range e.t.'s, followed closely by NMCA racer Joe Huneycutt, who qualified second with a 9.141. Although Joe's Chevy bested the entire rest of the field by over 0.4 second, the Pontiacs exacted their revenge, as Joe's new engine package went sour in the first round and he could only watch Ashley Gable's '00 Trans Am drive by.

Semi-final round action found Ashley coming out on the losing end to the evil-looking black '95 LS-powered Firebird driven by Kevin Patterson of Roseville, Michigan, who then moved into the finals against number-one qualifier Judson's notorious red '99 Camaro. Although Judson's qualifying time had Kevin covered by half a second, Kevin was on rails, clocking from first round into the finals within 0.05 of his best run. He grabbed the holeshot and put a dent in the floorboards of his Pontiac trying to hold off Judson's fast-gaining Chevy. As luck would have it, Kevin was able to perform the upset of the weekend, taking out Judson's monster SAM Camaro when the latter couldn't get Fourth gear to engage, and he had to watch Kevin's "consistency train" pull away.