Owner Bio: Brett Rockey
"You don't see too many IRS cars drag racing successfully, especially one this heavy," says Brett, the 36-year-old owner of BMR Fabrication. "I wanted to see just how quick it would go on drag radials, so I bought it in January of 2004, and we began to develop parts for it." Though the process of building a late-model GTO capable of producing 10-second timeslips reliably wasn't easy, as you will read in "At the Track," the results speak for themselves. "This GTO was running 11s before most people even had a car," the 20-year racing veteran recalls. "It was the first GTO in the 12s, first in the 11s, and first in the 10s."
As of this writing, "It still holds the record for nitrous GTOs and still has the quickest 60-ft. time," Brett tells HPP.
| STRIP TUNING LOG |
| Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8 E.T./MPH | 1/4 E.T./MPH |
| 1 | Naturally aspirated | 1,600 | 6,400 | 1.67 | 7.61/NA | 11.98/111.33 |
| 2 | Nitrous, adj. two clicks stiffer on shocks | 1,600 | 6,400 | 1.44 | 6.69/105.99 | 10.38/132.90 |
| 3 | Actuate nitrous sooner | 1,600 | 6,400 | 1.65 | 7.18/104.46 | 10.90/132.32 |
| 4 | Delayed nitrous actuation 0.2 | 1,600 | 6,400 | 1.57 | 6.69/107.31 | 10.38/133.45 |
| BEST PASS CORRECTED | 9.88/140.21 |
| 5 | Same | 1,600 | 6,400 | 1.6 | 6.77/105.93 | 10.46/133.28 |
| The five most important runs are listed in the order they occurred. |
| Run Notes: 1) Bad 60-ft, slight wheelhop; 2) Accidentally staged with rear tires; 3) Nitrous actuated too soon, spun, and wheelhop; 4) Slight wheelhop but best run overall; 5) Slight wheelhop, otherwise good run. |
| Strip Specs |
| Year/Model: | '04 GTO |
| Race Weight: | 4,055 lbs |
| Curb Weight: | 3,915 lbs |
| Fuel Level: | 31/44 tank |
| Fuel: | 93-octane |
| Engine: | 6.0L iron-block |
| Cubic Inches Before/After: | 346/408 |
| Engine Built By: | BMR Fabrication |
| Power Adder: | Nitrous, Applied Nitrous Technology, 300hp direct shot controlled by a NOS progressive nitrous controller |
| Top End | |
| Intake Manifold: | FAST LSX 78mm |
| Airbox: | Speed Inc. |
| MAF: | '05 LS2, 85mm |
| Throttle Body: | MTI, 78mm |
| Fuel Injectors: | Ford 40 lb-hr |
| Custom Programming: | Jeremy Formato |
| Fuel Pump: | Aeromotive A1000 |
| Lines: | -10 |
| Regulator: | Aeromotive set at 60 psi |
| Heads: | LS6 with a Stage 3 port by CNC Cylinder Head |
| Flow Numbers: | 322/213 cfm at 28 inches of pressure |
| Valves: | REV stainless steel, 2.02/1.57 |
| Bottom End | |
| Pistons: | BRC forged 4.030, flat-top |
| Rings: | Sealed Power |
| Rods: | Carrillo billet, 6.125-in |
| Compression Ratio: | 11.4:1 |
| Crankshaft: | Lunati Pro Mod forged-steel, 4.00-in stroke |
| Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes |
| Camshaft | |
| Brand: | Comp Cams hydraulic roller |
| Duration at 0.050: | 232/236-deg |
| Lift with Specified Rocker Arms: | 0.595/0.601 |
| Lobe Separation Angle: | 113-deg |
| Installed Position: | Straight up |
| Rocker Arms: | Comp roller, 1.70:1 |
| Ignition | |
| Type: | Stock distributorless crank trigger coil on plug |
| Coils: | OE |
| Wires: | MSD 8.5 mm |
| Spark Plugs: | Autolite 103 |
| Total Timing: | Computer controlled, Ramcharger timing retard activated at full throttle pulls 8-deg timing out |
| RPM Total Timing is Reached: | Computer controlled |
| Exhaust | |
| Headers: | Stainless Works |
| Primary size: | 1.75-in |
| Collector size: | 3-in |
| Exhaust Pipes Size: | 3-in |
| Mufflers: | Borla XR1 |
| Crossover: | Custom 3-in x-type |
| Drivetrain | |
| Transmission: | OE 4L65E with shift kit |
| Converter: | Precision Industries Vigilante, 9.5-in, 3,600-rpm stall |
| Shifter: | OE |
| Rear: | Diff Technics aluminum 9-in IRS center |
| Rear Gear Ratio: | 3.50:1 |
| Posi: | 31-spline Detroit Locker |
| Axles: | BMR inner and outer 300M billet stub and BMR HD 300M CV shafts |
| Chassis and Suspension | |
| Brakes F/R: | OE disc |
| Wheels F/R: | Bogart 15x3.5/Bogart 15x9 |
| Tires F/R: | VW 165R15 / Mickey Thompson 275/50R15 drag radials |
| Tire Pressure F/R: | 40 psi/13-18 psi depending on the track |
| Suspension Front | |
| Springs: | BMR 1-in lowering |
| Control Arms: | OE |
| Stabilizer Bar: | OE |
| Struts: | OE |
| Suspension Rear | |
| Springs: | BMR 1-in lowering |
| Control Arms: | Stock, custom-notched for tire clearance |
| Stabilizer Bar: | BMR 31/44-in 0.120-wall chromoly |
| Shocks: | QA1 adj. set to #5, |
| customized to fit by BMR Fabrication | |
| Other Features: | 1-in mini-tubs for tire clearance |
| Chassis Mods: | Custom 5-point BMR chromoly rollbar with removable driver-side shoulder bar and removable hoop crossbrace |
| The Rest | |
| Interior Mods: | Console gauges for fuel pressure, oil pressure |
| Exterior Mods: | '05 GTO hood and rear fascia, rear spoiler removed |
| Safety Mods: | BMR driveshaft safety loop, battery disconnect, 5-point rollbar, SFI-approved drivetrain parts |
| Paint: | By Kevin Dittmar |
| Launch Technique: | Flash the converter 1,500-1,800 rpm, nitrous activates at 30% power after an 0.8-second delay and progresses to 100% (300 hp) over a period of 1 second |
| Best 11/44-mile ET, MPH Prior to Event: | 10.23 at 131.6 |