When you hear '72 Camaro vs. '15 WRX STI, you might be a little perplexed why this would be a great battle (unless you read our preview introducing the cars, that is), but this battle is astonishingly close. Both cars have similar weights and horsepower numbers, and both drivers have made suspension upgrades that they credit as doing the most to better their times around the track. They may not look similar, come from similar places or have a long-established rivalry, but that doesn't mean they aren't perfectly matched. In this battle of classic American muscle against modern Japanese machinery, with both running on Nitto NT01s, who will run the fastest around Chuckwalla?

Watch the video above to find out!

Like this battle? We have a bunch more!

Southern Californians may be spoiled with near perfect weather, miles of coastline and a heavy concentration of In-N-Outs, but gearheads will all agree that it also has an unbelievably strong car culture. Summer is the peak of car show season and Spocom is undeniably one of the most popular events. The show started in 2007 by founder Eugene Inose in attempt to stimulate what seemed to be a decaying sport compact car scene. Now in it’s 12th year, the first stop in the ‘18 tour was at the Anaheim Convention Center and with so many top-notch builds under one roof came heavy foot traffic.

The moment you enter the convention center you can’t help but be drawn to Auto Fashion USA’s booth. We’re talking SEMA quality presentation with lights, a DJ and their Lexus GS300 and Honda S2000 both rocking Mode Parfume Ga Mu aero. Honda aficionados stopped and drooled over the Mugen S2000 that Ryan Basseri of RyWire had built. If you’re into the essential '90s JDM, the Auto Concept Elite crew brought its well-known Top Secret Supra and the Kazama Mazda RX-7. Going deeper into the convention center, you’ll eventually run into the Bay Area based group Endless Projects with some of the best VIP cars California has to offer. At the Meguiars booth were a few heavy hitters such as Jonsibal’s RWB Porsche and Brian Duong’s Varis Scion FR-S.

If Japanese nostalgic cars tickle your fancy, the ‘73 Datsun 240Z sitting in the Naked 100 E-Liquid booth is the car you want. The exterior has a trendy Pandem aero kit with a BRE (Brock Racing Enterprise) inspired livery installed by Auto Tuned. A set of Rotiform LHR wheels combined with Nitto NT01s match the modern take on an old school chassis. It gets even better when you pop the hood and instead of an L series motor is a more potent RB26 with an offensively oversized Turbonetics turbo. The swap was done by JER Development, who also retrofitted electric steering. The car is street-tuned at a healthy 480hp, and a kind Naked 100 representative says that the car will eventually hit the track.

The sport compact car scene is unpredictable, but if you’re looking for the hottest trends or even a trip down memory lane, Spocom isn’t a bad place to start. It’s a huge part of sport compact car history and will be for years to come. In fact, the demand for Spocom is so strong, they added an unplanned San Diego stop later this year. It doesn’t get more California than that. To see more from this awesome show, flip through the gallery above!

Want to see another 240Z, but this time with an LS-swap? We found one that burns brightly.

It was just a few weeks ago when we found out that Dodge would be introducing some upgrades for the 2019 Challenger lineup, including the addition of a new Hellcat Redeye that’s basically a slightly toned down version of the now discontinued Demon.

It turns out the the Redeye isn’t the only new high performance option that’s joining up the ‘19 Challenger lineup. This week Dodge also announced it will be building the Challenger Scat Pack 1320, which trickles down some of the Demon’s tricks to a much more affordable package.

Like the Demon, the Scat Pack 1320 is aimed at weekend drag racers, but unlike that supercharged monster machine, the 1320 is powered by the same naturally aspirated 485hp 6.4L Hemi V8 found in the rest of the Scat Pack cars.

Despite the lower power number, the car is still said to be capable of a very impressive 11.7-second quarter mile time right out of the box thanks to some tweaks learned during the development of the Demon. For starters, the 1320 includes adaptive dampers with drag mode, a line lock and transbrake, as well as 20-inch drag radial tires. It even gets its own unique take on the Scat Pack logo.

To insure the car holds up during heavy launches and repeated drag racing, it’s also equipped with beefed up 41-spline half shafts. Extra weight is trimmed by removing the passenger seat and rear seat, although both can be optioned back on for $1.

With the required automatic transmission, the Scat Pack 1320 will retail for right around $46,000 when it hits dealerships early next year. Not too bad for a brand new car that will do 115 mph in the quarter and hit 60 in just 3.8 seconds.

Want to see what else Dodge has announced? They're also coming out with a Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye!

How does NASCAR, one of the most popular sports in the world, secure its future in the ever-advancing world of motorsports? The easy answer is get youth involvement. Cue NASCAR Next, an industry-wide initiative designed to promote talented young drivers and help them find their way to a racing career.

Since its inception in 2011, the program has helped 51 young aspiring racers into the driver’s seat. Thirty-nine of those drivers took their skills to one of the three national series, and around 25 percent moved on from there to compete in the Cup Series. The participation among females has also increased. Toyota Racing has embraced Hailie Deegan, who is barely 17, as the youngest member of the current NASCAR Next class. She’s also the only woman competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West (and East) 2018 season and is driving the no. 19 Toyota Racing Development (TRD) Camry for Bill McAnally Racing.

From Dirt to Asphalt

Deegan’s name should sound familiar because she grew up in a family that lives and breathes motorsports. Her career began with off-road racing at age eight, inspired by legendary athlete Brian Deegan, otherwise known as “Dad.” Hailie’s playground is 31 acres of carved out tracks and trails behind the family’s California home, where she and Brian often race each other in off-road trucks. "My whole family just wants to race," she said. "It’s all we talk about at the dinner table. We even take our vacations at the racetrack. It's our life."

Deegan also gets much of her practice by racing a Polaris on the property. “I never get bored of practicing,” she said. “I race it until it breaks, fix it and do it all over again.” Deegan is hands-on when it comes to fixing and improving her off-road rigs. When racing on pavement for NASCAR, she works with the Toyota crew by clearly explaining any issues with the car or stating which adjustments are needed.

It’s easy to put the petal to the metal and go fast, but technique is what will make or break an aspiring racer. The skills Deegan built while battling through dirt racing’s challenges act as an indestructible foundation, and she’s building on it quickly by taking what she learned off-road to the asphalt.

Serious Dedication

Racing may look like all fun and games to a spectator, but Hailie’s mom, Marissa, confirms that Deegan is a nonstop workaholic. “She does paperwork during flights to and from races,” Marissa, said. “She runs on 4 hours of sleep most nights and it doesn’t phase her.” Hailie chimed in, “When I’m not asleep, I’m racing. And when I’m not racing, I’m practicing or watching racing videos. I just love racing. It’s what I want to do, and if I have to make sacrifices to get there, it’s all worth it.”

Deegan worked hard to graduate from high school two years early so she could devote all her time to her racing career. Her graduation was held at the Sonoma Raceway, right before the Carneros 200 K&N Pro Series West qualifying rounds. That’s right. She changed from her graduation garb and jumped straight into her race suit to battle it out for her spot on the track. Fun fact: Due to the availability (or lack thereof) of women’s size race wear, all of her race suits need to be customized for optimum safety and comfort.

Racing at Sonoma

Aside from the glimmer of excitement in her eyes, Deegan was calm and collected before hitting the track for qualifying, even despite her dad being over 2,000 miles away to race in Missouri on the same weekend. “I’m not nervous,” she said without hesitation. “I’m just bringing the skills I already have from off-road racing to the pavement, and then building myself up from there.” Her experience with racing trucks in desert-like heat through thick, billowing dust clouds also conditioned her for the intense heat that radiates from asphalt.

Hailie won multiple championships during her time off-road, but asphalt brings new challenges. The biggest change is making small gains with every lap, which, being only inches away from the stock cars in front, behind or beside her, requires precise calculations and fluid movements. This is a skill that she’s fine-tuning. Only once did Deegan veer off into the dirt after taking a turn too fast, but she made a smooth and immediate recovery as if it was a natural reflex. “Once I hit the dirt, I felt right at home,” she beamed.

After qualifying third, Deegan was glowing. She immediately connected with her anxious, and then overjoyed, dad via FaceTime. The feeling of pride for his daughter was transmitted all the way to the Sonoma Raceway.  “It went great, the car is amazing and everything felt good,” she exclaimed to Brian. By the end of the race, she held her place in the top 10.

Looking Ahead

Deegan wants to show that she has the talent, passion and drive to be among the best, and that includes competing for a championship. "I’m going to give it 110 percent until I'm able to run up front. I will not stop improving my skills until I'm able to run up front."

She certainly has the qualities necessary to be the next face for women in NASCAR, and her personality traits will work in her favor as she pursues championship titles. She has a disposition that shines through any camera lens and she adores her fans. She’s calm and collected, articulate and as smart as a whip, and has the grit needed to compete with the pros. "When I'm on the track, I'm a whole different person," she said. If we had to describe a track-bound Hailie in one word, it word be “fierce.”

“I’ve never looked at myself as being ‘just’ a female driver. I’m a driver that happens to be a female,” she said. “Fans see me as just another racer until I get out of the car.”

Despite the NASCAR Cup Series running for almost 70 years, a woman has never won a championship. Only one woman, Shawna Robinson, won three races between 1988-89, and only four women, including Robinson, Danica Patrick, Tammy Jo Kirk and Mara Reyes, have won pole positions. Deegan is striving to change that: “There’s never been a girl in NASCAR history to win a championship, and I want to be the first.”

Toyota has some exciting NASCAR news. They're rolling out the Supra for the Xfinity Series next year!

Now that the battle is over, it's time to watch the raw footage. Both George in his '72 Camaro and Brian in his '15 WRX STI ran with Nitto NT01s and were able to pick up six seconds as the day wore on, despite the blazing temperatures. 

Are you just tuning in right now? Don't let this spoil the battle for you! Go watch the battle first, then come back for the raw footage, and if you're wondering why we would pit these two cars against each other, we have a full breakdown of the cars explaining that, too.

Like the battle? We have a bunch more!

This edition of Ultra4 racing got a bit dirty. Thunderstorms came in before the race, turning the racetrack into a mudpit. Every car was caked in a layer of dark mud so thick, you could barely tell who was who. Maybe you could tell the chassis apart, but that was about it. You'll have to take our word for it that Erik Miller took the win, narrowly edging out fellow Nitto teammate Derek West by only 12.92 seconds. Michael Ayersman rounded out the 4400 podium in third. 

The weekend was quite successful for Nitto on the whole, with victories in the 4800, 4500 and 4600 classes, along with the top two 4400 spots. In the 4800 class, Casey Gilbert continued his dominance, with yet another win this year. Will anyone be able to stop him before the season ends? Shaun Rajski finished second and Jody Ford came in third. Even though Brocky crossed the line first in the 4500 class, it wasn't Vaughn Gittin Jr. behind the wheel. The amount of talent in the RTR stable is astonishing, able to take the win even when their star isn't there. Shawn Rants Sr. and Duane Garretson finished second and third in the 4500 class, respectively. In 4600, Christopher D'Auria lapped the field on route to a win, with Albert Contreras and Michael Justo a ways back in second and third.

Next up is the Rigid Rampage at Ridgecrest, finishing out the 2018 Western Series. The California desert should be have starkly different terrain from Kentucky. In fact, it's quite similar to King of the Hammers, except this race is at night. Stay tuned to Driving Line for coverage of each race in Ultra4!

The muddy terrain was similar to another Eastern Series race this year: Pennsylvania.

The longest break on the Formula Drift calendar marks the halfway point of the season, and drivers often emerge from the break with newfound horsepower and enthusiasm. For the Worthouse drift team of James Deane and Piotr Wiecek, they picked up where they left off after Wall Speedway by climbing both the qualifying and tandem charts at Evergreen Speedway in the Seattle suburb of Monroe, Washington.

On Friday, Wiecek qualified at the top of the charts in his Worthouse Nissan S15, while his teammate and current championship points leader Deane won the event on Saturday, with Wiecek joining him on the podium in third place. The only loss either driver took over the course of the weekend was to each other, as Wiecek lost the battle between teammates in the Top 4. Ryan Tuerck took the middle step on the podium between Wiecek and Deane, his best finish and first podium of the season.

Evergreen Speedway Course Layout

The Evergreen Speedway course layout hasn’t changed much in the thirteen years they have been coming to the track, and it’s still one of the fastest layouts on the schedule. Drivers leave the start line at the end of the back straight, entering the first banked corner of the track in clockwise orientation, the opposite direction of traditional oval racing. Entries around the 5/8 mile banked track often top triple digits, and riding the top line around the bank is one of the longest full throttle drift sections of any competition course in the world.

After the long bank, drivers cut across the infield through the “power alley” and transition to face the crowd in the main grandstands, dragging the rear bumper of the car through a rear clipping zone. The cars continue to an inside clipping point directly across the infield from the crowd, then transition back to an inside clip before crossing the finish line and winding down around the inner 3/8 mile oval. In previous years, drivers would take a tighter, hairpin turn closer to the wall and in front of the crowd, but as the cars have gotten faster and grippier over the years, the current layout was implemented to be more fluid and allow for a more predictable line that was easier for the chase driver to follow.

Qualifying

For the second time this season, Piotr Wiecek topped the qualifying charts, scoring 96 points out of 100 from the judges and matching his pole position effort from the first round in Long Beach. Kristaps Bluss and Justin Pawlak both put up scores of 95, with Bluss earning the tiebreaker on his best qualifying effort of the season. Pawlak continued his strong qualifying results, with this the fourth consecutive event that he qualified in the top three. Deane and Fredric Aasbo rounded out the top five qualifying positions with matching scores of 94, Deane earning the tiebreaker to take the fourth position while Aasbo took Q5.

The Nitto Tire drift team qualified in 8th (Chelsea Denofa), 9th (Alex Heilbrunn), 19th (Vaughn Gittin Jr.) and 28th (Federico Sceriffo). Although 32 teams showed up for qualifying, only 30 drivers put a score up on the board. Forrest Wang experienced engine failure during his first qualifying run, and the team couldn’t track down a “no start” condition prior to the second qualifying run in order to put up a score. Austin Meeks failed to earn a qualifying score on either run, which meant he would be watching Saturday’s tandem action from the grandstands.

Tandem Battles

Saturday’s tandem action got started slowly with a bye run from Wiecek, but got exciting shortly after as Jeff Jones and Michael Essa needed to go “One More Time” in just the second tandem battle. Jones eventually moved on, as did Nitto drivers Denofa, Heilbrunn and Gittin Jr. Championship contenders Deane, Aasbo and Pawlak moved on, but Chris Forsberg’s misfire gremlins returned, and he lost his Top 32 battle to Matt Coffman, which definitely affects his championship hopes. Overall, the first round of tandem battles went mostly as expected, with only Jones, Gittin Jr. and Coffman moving on as underdogs.

During the opening ceremonies, sixteen young men and women were sworn into the Air Force in front of the fans and “Professional Funhaver” Vaughn Gittin Jr. did a gender reveal with his wife Abby by doing a burnout with a colored flare revealing blue smoke for a boy. The Ford Top 16 battles kicked off with another tough One More Time battle from Wiecek and Jones, with Wiecek eventually moving on. Heilbrunn won the Nitto Tire battle between him and Denofa, while Deane, Bluss, Tuerck and Coffman also earned wins in their battles.

Matt Field had the upset of the round by defeating Fredric Aasbo, although the loss was partially self-induced by Aasbo due to slowing down coming off the bank earlier than necessary and causing a collision with Field for which Aasbo was deemed to be at fault. Pawlak and Gittin Jr. also had a great Top 16 battle of Ford Mustangs, but the battle ended after a single run due to a collision that broke some major suspension parts on Gittin Jr.’s Mustang that couldn’t be repaired in time, allowing Pawlak to move on.

The Nos Energy Drink Great 8 ended the day for Nitto Tire driver Heilbrunn, as he lost to top qualifier Wiecek, which guaranteed Wiecek a podium due to being the top qualified driver and the rules that determine third place over fourth place based on qualifying position. Deane ended Field’s day, Bluss fell to Tuerck and Pawlak defeated Coffman.

In the Permatex Final 4, the Worthouse drift teammates of Deane and Wiecek faced each other for the second consecutive event and the fourth time overall, and Deane emerged the victor for the fourth time, as well. The battle was quite exciting, but Wiecek made contact with Deane multiple times from the chase position mid-bank, and although both drivers finished the run, the mistake was enough to give the decision to Deane. In the Final, Deane emerged the victor over Tuerck due to a few small mistakes from Tuerck.

Although disappointed he couldn’t defeat Deane, Tuerck was excited to get his first podium of the season and his first since Long Beach last season, a drought of eleven events. Deane won his second consecutive event and now takes a commanding 85 point lead in the Formula Drift Black Magic Championship standings over Aasbo. Wiecek sits just 35 points behind Aasbo in third place, with Forsberg four points behind Wiecek (124 points behind Deane) and Pawlak another nine points behind Forsberg (133 points behind Deane).

With three events left, it will take a pair of lackluster results for Deane to lose the lead, but the next round in St. Louis on August 10 and 11 is a new track to the series, which should even the playing field. If Deane were to take back-to-back championships, he would join Tanner Foust as only the second driver in history to win back-to-back championships (Foust won in 2007 and 2008). Should Aasbo find a way to overcome the 85-point difference, he would join Forsberg (3x), Foust (2x) and Samuel Hubinette (2x) as the fourth multi-championship driver in history, while a championship for Wiecek would be his first and make him the 11th unique championship winner in Formula Drift history.

Flip through the gallery below to see more of the action from Seattle. We’ll have coverage of whoever wins the championship here on Driving Line in the coming months! 

This year’s Nitto Tire Auto Enthusiast Day blew us away. From the drift demos, to Ultra4 cars taking flight, 130 vendors and all of the amazing show cars competing to be crowned Best in Show, there was something epic everywhere you looked. Of course, an event like this is nothing without spectators, and more of you came this year than ever before—a full 26,000! If you couldn’t make it out to Anaheim Stadium, don’t worry. The video above can fill you in on everything from Chevy Camaros to Nitto girls, but make sure to come next year. This year’s event was the best yet, and we’re sure that next year will raise the bar once again!

Want to know what stood out to us? We compiled a list of our top 5 cars and trucks from AED!

As the summer peaks and we creep into fall, we start looking forward to auto show season. New Cars! New Trucks! Concept Vehicles! But let’s face it, concept cars are often just blowing smoke. Sometimes, just sometimes, we get lucky, when the manufacturers arrive at the shows and nail it. They convince you and I that the car of our dreams is coming...soon. Let’s imagine what it would look like if this season they get it all right.

1. 2020 Nissan Frontier NISMO

It’s not that crazy of an idea. We had a NISMO Frontier back in 2008. Maybe it wasn’t that big of a hit, but those, my friends, were different times. The world was less chaotic; we were surer of our future. These days, we’re living in a world where our collective unease and dissatisfaction can only be cured by one thing: speed. What’s more fun than a sport truck? Exactly.

2. 2021 4x4 Chevy Bolt

It’s cute. It’s fun. It’s fully electric. It’s got a range of over 200 miles on a single charge, but imagine if it could climb mountains too! The 4x4 Chevy Bolt would be the perfect vehicle for off the grid living—solar power your ride, live in the sticks and stick to the man! Sure, Chevrolet may not be thinking about this demographic as much as it is pursuing DINKs, city-dwellers or Millennials, but hey, dirty hippie money is still green.

3. 2020 BMW 9 Series Van

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7…8… BMW is running through those numbers quicker than an '80s aerobics class, but there's one segment that the Bavarians have yet to touch. Mercedes is reporting record sales of its Sprinter vans, particularly here in the States, so why let Stuttgart have all the fun? Why doesn’t BMW just take this X7 Concept, remove some seating and box it out a little? Rich dads would snatch it up those luxe vans like crazy!

4. 2022 Ragtop Chrysler Pacifica

Speaking of vans, what about the mothers? Minivans have come a long way, baby, but they still don’t make you the "cool mom." You know what would? Letting the wind run through your hair (and everyone else’s) on the way to soccer practice. The ragtop Pacifica would be the perfect antidote to the carpool blues—top down, radio up and rugrats too windblown to whine. Mission accomplished.

5. 2021 Kia Niro Transformer

Since we’re dreaming, imagine if Kia took their popular hybrid, the Niro, and made it transform on the fly into a 1,000hp supercar. That way, you could commute to and from work, pickup your grandma at the airport and still spend your Sundays ripping through the canyons like a boss. Plus, when you get pulled over for speeding, you’ll press your “transform” button and your rubber-burning widow-maker will morph back into a sweet, calm, harmless little Niro. The officer would come back, lift his RayBans and rub his eyes before saying, “Sorry, I thought you were someone else,” and drive away. Sound like a pipe-dream? Hey, if Kia can pull off the Stinger, anything’s possible.

Let's not be cynical or pessimistic about what we'll see at this year's auto shows. Will we get a Jeep powered by positive thoughts? Will there be a Porsche GT3 that you can finance with a fist bump? Hey, you never know. 

Photos courtesy of: Nissan USA, Chevrolet, BMW USA, FCA North America and Kia Motors America

Now that we know which dream concept cars we want, we have a few problems for Elon Musk to solve.

Cramming copious amounts of boost into an engine is par for the course in the diesel world—and in the competition segment triple-turbo arrangements have become all the rage in recent years. Sled pullers, drag racers, dyno queens and street trucks alike have all benefited from having three windmills under the hood, namely in two-stage configurations. As a result of employing these 2-into-1 arrangements—two equal-sized (atmosphere) turbos blowing into a single high-pressure charger—competitors have been able to enjoy triple-digit boost with great reliability. Thanks to the atmospheric chargers effectively sharing the job of compressing air, their workload is relatively light when compared to traditional, two-turbo compound arrangements. As a result—and as the trucks below illustrate—a highly-durable, 2,000-plus hp can be made.

From one ground-pounding, 3,000hp sled-pulling monstrosity to four full-size drag trucks defying the laws of physics, the following triple-turbo arrangements have all pushed the limit in one way or another.

1. Erik Stacey’s Super Stock Puller

Our triple-turbo mayhem kicks off with what is arguably the most extreme example of the bunch: the two-stage trio of turbochargers aboard the one-off Cummins that powers Erik Stacey’s Super Stock puller. While the truck’s triple arrangement has since been relocated to the passenger side of the engine, this image captures the unique positioning of all three turbos out in front of Stacey’s custom Cummins. With plenty of fueling via a Sigma injection pump and John Deere-based injectors, the Holset HX82-based chargers combine to make an incredible 150 psi of boost, while the dry sump engine turns out well north of 2,400hp.

Smokinya HD

Although it packs a Cummins-based power plant, Stacey’s puller sports an ’06 Chevy Silverado body from GTS Fiberglass. Built for the 7,500-pound, Super Stock four-wheel drive diesel truck class, a tube chassis frame built by Barker Machine is also utilized, along with Rockwell axles, an SCS reverser transmission and quick change transfer case and a four-disc Crower clutch. The truck’s unique engine combination is the brainchild of Bob and Steve Holmes, longtime pioneers of groundbreaking sled pulling technology. A fully counterweighted 5.9L crankshaft spins 6,000 rpm and is located in a billet block that’s void of water jackets. A solid billet 12-valve cylinder head directs 150 psi of boost in-cylinder—but only after the twice-compressed air has been cooled down via air-to-water intercooling and water-injection.

2. Randy Reyes’ 2,100HP Dualie

When you pop the hood on Randy Reyes’ ’06 Dodge dualie, your eyes are immediately drawn to the two hulking 88mm compressor wheels in his triple-turbo arrangement. The big boost trio consists of two BorgWarner S400-based (88mm) snails blowing into a massive (94mm) S500 bolted to the 6.7L-based Cummins’ exhaust manifold. At full song, boost checks in at 130 psi on fuel alone—and 150 psi on nitrous. And what exactly do you get when you combine three turbos with three CP3s and then throw three stages of nitrous on top of it? How about 2,100hp on the chassis dyno!

7,700-Pound Race Truck?!

Incredibly, Reyes’ 7,700-pound third-gen Dodge, coined “Red Delicious,” has run a 9.62-second quarter-mile at 149 mph in six-wheel form. With a drag slick present at each corner, it’s skedaddled through the 1320 in as little as 9.42 seconds while trapping 151 mph. This means that, so far, Reyes has been able to put at least 1,800 of a potential 2,100hp to use on the track. Competing annually at the Ultimate Callout Challenge has only increased this truck’s appeal to the masses, as thousands of spectators have been privy to seeing Reyes’ street-driven dualie do things no dualie should be able to do.

3. Industrial Injection’s Big-Boost Shredder

Without a doubt, the triple-turbo arrangement feeding the common-rail Cummins on Industrial Injection’s ’01 Silverado is a work of art. Make no mistake, in addition to all of its bling, this system flat-out delivers. Turbo sizing is similar to Randy Reyes’ setup, with two S488 BorgWarner chargers feeding an S594 on the exhaust manifold. Based on the 5,400-pound truck’s recent 8.07-second pass through the quarter-mile at 180 mph, the triple-turbo configuration is supporting more than 2,100rwhp. While competing at the 2018 Ultimate Callout Challenge, driver Jared Delekta was also able to glean 2,188hp out of the Cummins-powered Silverado on the chassis dyno.

Duramax Delete Mod = Reliability at 2,400HP

Relying on a sleeved and deck-plated, 6.7L-based Shredder series Industrial Injection engine, the exotic inline-six has proven very durable despite making multiple passes at each event it attends. With triple-digit boost, nitrous and roughly 2,400hp being produced at the crank, it’s no small feat to keep an engine together at this power level—even a Cummins. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that a 48RE four-speed applies all of this power to the ground. Built by Randy’s Transmission with select Sun Coast parts, the Chrysler slushbox that was originally intended to harness 610 lb-ft of torque has been made to withstand the abuse of 2,500-plus lb-ft.

4. Johnny Gilbert’s Five-Blade Triple-Threat

After dominating Index racing classes for years, it only made sense when Johnny Gilbert decided to step up to the Pro Street category. In order to go head-to-head with some of the quickest in the business, he recently stepped up his engine program as well. The truck is now powered by a deck-plated common-rail Cummins and fed air courtesy of three S400s. As the owner of Stainless Diesel, a company that specializes in building cutting-edge turbos, Gilbert opted to run two five-blade 85mm S400s as atmospheric chargers and utilize an S480 on the exhaust manifold.

Low 5s at Nearly 140 MPH

The truck’s quickest pass to date came at the 2018 TS Performance Shootout, where it ran a blazing 5.27 at 137 mph in the eighth-mile. Capable of cutting 1.2-second 60-foots, Gilbert’s nasty Dodge is just about right where it needs to be to run with the top Pro Street rigs (where 5.0s and 5.1s are the norm through the eighth). Last November, the truck laid down a whopping 2,317hp number on the dyno on fuel alone. Power is sent through a stout 48RE put together by the folks at Wilson Patterson Diesel.

5. Brett Deutsch: Three of a Kind

Brett Deutsch’s Duramax-powered Pro Street ’69 Chevrolet C10 is a fan favorite in diesel drag racing. The old-school Chevy is graced with a built LLY code Duramax, enough fueling to support more than 1,500rwhp and is saddled with three equally-sized turbos from Bullseye Power. A pair of 75mm S400s (i.e. S475s) sit out front and serve as the low-pressure stage, while a third S475 resides in the lifter valley and serves as the high-pressure unit. The polished compressor housings and HSP Diesel piping make for a mirror-like finish, and despite having a lift-off race hood for the truck, Deutsch gets so many requests to pop the hood he rarely installs it.

Life in the 8s

Building triple-digit boost and sending roughly 1,500hp to the rear wheels, Deutsch can march his C10 down a quarter-mile track in repeatable 8-second intervals. His best pass to date has been an 8.39 at 168 mph, achieved in the fall of 2016. Currently the truck is under the knife and undergoing work to bring it up to date with SFI 25.6 specifications, which will allow Deutsch to legally run as quick as 8.00. Rumor has it that a full, Wagler-built Duramax will soon make its way into the engine bay, too. We look forward to seeing the finished product—and we fully expect it to be capable of outrunning its chassis certification.

Contributing photography provided by Amy Gilbert of Stainless Diesel

Want more crazy turbo combinations? We have 3 more for you!

There’s nothing that adds a cherry on top of long summer nights like the smell of gasoline and sound of engines revving. That's why Texas Motor Speedway takes advantage of the season and hosts “Universal Technical Institute Friday Night Drags” for six weeks each summer.

Utilizing the track's pit road, it’s an eighth-mile heads-up race for glory. We showed up early for “Jeep Night” hoping we might catch some amusing action. But, rather than take up strip time, 385 Jeeps, mostly JKs, paraded around the Speedway’s 1.5-mile track before the evening's racing festivities began. While it’s not the usual place that these JKs would be spotted, it’s surely a thrill getting to take a lap around one of the top NASCAR tracks in your daily driver.

As the sun set, drag racing electrified the Speedway with an eclectic mix of racers. With seven divisions, there’s a place for everyone, and the staging lanes were packed with people who were there to have a good time, from Camaros to GT-Rs and even some black-smoke-blowing diesels. It is Texas, after all.

Browse the gallery above for more and let us know what your favorite local drag event is in the comments below… we just might show up!

The thrill of victory is back on the face of Erik Miller! Despite being one of the most consistent Ultra4 racers, a two-time King of the Hammers victor, a consistent podium finisher and a leading contender for the Manufacturers Cup, Team Nitto driver Erik Miller was riding a two year drought when it came to victories. He was edged out by 15 seconds in Shamokin to take second and he finished second in the 2018 King of the Hammers. 2018 has been an outstanding year of racing by any account, but victory had eluded him, until Saturday!

Team Nitto took every top spot outside of the UTV race at the KMC Battle in Bluegrass. Erik and fellow Team Nitto driver Derek West finished first and second in the 4400 Unlimited class, undefeated 4800 Legends class driver Casey Gilbert extended his record to 4-0 on the season, “Brocky” took the top spot in the 4500 Modified class with Eric Davis driving for Vaughn Gittin Jr. and first-time winner Chris “Dizzy” D’Auria claimed the victory in the 4600 Stock class. To make Erik’s victory even more dramatic, he did it using only seven of his eight cylinders! 

The Dirty Turtle Offroad Park in Bedford, Kentucky, is rapidly becoming a favorite of Ultra4 drivers nationwide. Its mix of short course, deep woods, creeks and hill climbs make it challenging, yet fun. Bedford is easily accessible to teams from all over the Midwest, South, East and Northeast. While not as intense as the 2017 Oklahoma race, the weather played a role in the weekend. Tornadoes, flooding, hail, and severe thunderstorms made the track an insane mixture of sliding, slick mud and controlled crashing. Scientists are still trying to figure out how that Kentucky mud could be so slick and yet still stick to everything in sight.

Drivers came off the course after the race both laughing and apologizing to each other for all the on-course collisions. “That was you?” was also a common refrain since every car was the same shade of mud by the end. Neither trees nor race cars were safe when these monsters went sliding down a hill. “Like playing Plinko,” was how one driver described parts of the course and how he would just bounce off things while sliding downhill.

Qualifying

Qualifying for all classes was a fast lap around the short course track. Easy enough, right? Mother Nature decided to help things by dumping rain and making the course a muddy mess. As they day wore on, however, laps around the track helped dry it out, and later drivers posted faster and faster times. Saturday’s races would be six laps for every class and an adjusted time race, not a Grand Prix finish, so starting position was only really important to avoid a pile up early in the race.

In addition to being the title sponsor of the race, KMC Wheels has also sponsored the “KMC Hard Charger” award for the fastest qualifier in each class. Hard Charger awards went to Levi Shirley in the 4400 class, Jimmy’s 4x4 and Team Nitto driver Cade Rodd took the pole for the 4800 Legends class, fellow Jimmy’s and team Nitto car “Brocky”–driven by Eric Davis–led the 4500 Modified class and Mr. West Coast Awesome Albert Contreras took the pole in the 4600 Stock class, with Jay Shaw leading the UTVs. Overall, 95 cars were taking the field for the Eastern Series finale, with 25 of those being UTVs. 

Race Day

Post qualifying and into Friday night, the weather actually became more frightening. Tornado warnings, flooding and overall general “natural disaster movie” quality TV was on that night as every station was broadcasting alerts and breaking into the regularly scheduled programming for updates. It was a long night for racers and fans to see what condition the course would be in the next morning. Saturday morning, however, broke relatively clear and bright.

Racing started at 10 a.m. with cars going off the line every 20 seconds. Each race was six laps and drivers started 20 seconds apart from each other off the line (30 seconds apart for the 4400 class race). At this pace, the Unlimited class was scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m., and the weather was calling for more storms to roll in at 3. But right then, the sun was shining and–being Kentucky–some folks even decided to wear their finest Kentucky Derby outfits to go “check out the ponies.”

The 4900 UTV class kicked off the festivities with a huge field of drivers fighting for the win. Slipping and sliding their way around the short course, drivers headed into the woods to see how bad it would be. Muddy hill climbs, bottlenecks at choke points and the natural toughness of racing soon took its toll on the field. Sean Haluch took an early lead, however, and never really looked back. Sean and co-driver Mark Shea took the top spot on the podium, lapping the field as the only UTV to complete all six laps. This is the second Ultra4 victory of the year for Sean Haluch racing after also scoring the win at the Shootout in Shamokin back in April. Jacob Versey took second place with Justin Barth rounding out the podium in third.

The Underclassmen were up next, with multiple storylines playing out at the same time. All three classes were racing together, but only competing against each other. The course was a little drier after the UTV race, but it was still a sloppy, muddy mess that really tested both man and machine. In the 4800 class, and overall pole position, Team Nitto driver Cade Rodd took a tumble and landed on his lid mid-way through the first lap, giving up his advantage on the field. After some hard work, he righted himself and laid down the fastest lap of the class, but was too far behind the lead group to make an impact on the final results. Fellow Team Nitto driver Casey Gilbert, however, continued his dominant streak, taking the lead by the end of the first lap and then laying it down fast and mean.

The Gilbert Brothers Motorsports #618 is undefeated this year, having won the G2 Legends class at the Everyman Challenge, as well as the rest of the Eastern Series races. Casey and his team stayed true to form and continued their undefeated season, winning the Legends class, but not without some intense racing with Shawn Rajski and Jody Ford. Never fully able to pull away from the field, the top three cars pushed each other hard all day, trading advantages in the woods and short course. When times were all squared away, Casey had only won by 38 seconds over Shaun and less than two minutes in front of Jody. Killer racing from some very talented drivers.

The 4500 Modified class had a familiar car at the front in Brocky, but this time piloted by season long codriver Eric Davis, as Vaughn Gittin Jr. was burning his Nittos at a drift competition. Eric took the pole for the 4500 class and then proceeded to show what he could do behind the wheel. In control and comfortable with the car, Eric maintained the lead the entire race, leading flag to flag in his class. Longtime 4500 class racer and one of the original EMC competitors Shawn Rants returned to the podium despite doing an endo on lap 1. A class act and dedicated family, the Rants are a well-known and respected race family. Congratulations on returning to the podium. Third place was taken by Duane Garretson, the only other car to finish on the lead lap. 

The 4600 Stock class provided one of the best feel good stories of the weekend. Six cars made it out for the race, including Albert Contreras all the way from California. Albert has been in every race this year, but the spotlight went to first-year driver, but long time Ultra4 guy, Christopher “Dizzy” D’Auria. (If you came off the line at KOH anytime over the last five years, chances are Dizzy started your Heavy Metal Concept GoPro for you.) Following his dream, this is Dizzy’s first year racing his own vehicle. After a DNF at KOH and in Pennsylvania, Dizzy chalked up not only his first U4 finish, but his first U4 victory! Surrounded by friends and family, the smile on Dizzy’s face was contagious. While nothing compared to the birth of his daughter earlier this year, the Kentucky race will be something that Chris remembers for a long time. Albert finished second, and Michael Justo rounded out the podium in third. Chris was also racing on Nitto tires, putting Nitto on top of the box of all four Ultra4 car classes for the weekend.

Not a part of the regular series, but certainly part of the event at the Dirty Turtle Off Road Park, was a Kids Cup class of young drivers racing on the short course in 170s. Thirteen young racers took the field, supported by fans and families cheering them on. Focused and dialed in, the young racers took their job seriously and laid down six laps around the short course. Entertaining and fun, it was difficult to tell if the kids or the parents had a better time. Who knows, maybe a future King was inspired from this event.

The 4400 Unlimited Race

All eyes were on the sky as the 4400 class cars lined up for the main event. Mother Nature didn’t ruin the event, but she made sure her presence was felt. The skies opened up and a half inch of rain soaked the course as the drivers were lined up for the start. True to the spirit of Ultra4, anything goes, and that includes the course. Levi Shirley was first off the line and the sound of horsepower echoed off the Kentucky hillside.

Running the UTV race with his son earlier in the day may or may not have been an advantage, but Brian Caprara, in his Campbell Enterprises chassis, took off like a rocket and looked like the car to beat. IFS vs. Solid axle is always a debate, and the general consensus is that IFS is better for desert, but solid axle is better for tight wooded racing. Coming off the first lap, however, it was IFS leading the way, not only with Brian, but with longtime U4 racer Clay Gilstrap and others powering their way around the course. Lurking just behind the lead group, however, was a strong contingency of experienced solid axle racers, including Josh Blyler, Erik Miller and Derek West. Cars bounced off each other, trees and rocks as adrenaline, horsepower and conditions created a melee on the first lap. A bottleneck early in the race created a gap between the lead pack and the field.

As the race wore on, attrition reached out its vicious hand and grabbed more than a few cars.  Race leader Brian Caprara had engine issues, Levi Shirley had electrical issues, Handsome Jay Callaway was upside down, Clay Gilstrap landed on his lid while leading the race and Casey Gilbert had taken a hi-lift to the jaw. It was only six laps, but it was a HARD six laps to finish. Team Nitto driver Wayland Campbell was moving forward in his IFS car, but the solid axle crew was starting to take over the race. By the time the checkered flag dropped, only seven of the 32 cars who started were on the lead lap. Half the field didn’t survive to the end of lap 2. Through it all, the one man who started the race already down a cylinder down started moving towards the front.

Following qualifying, Erik Miller knew something was wrong with the car. The Miller Motorsports crew tore the motor down the night before the race to try and find something simple to fix, but the issue wasn’t a repairable onsite, so the team made the call to play it safe, disconnect fuel to that cylinder and race it on seven, trying to just finish the race. Erik was entering the race as the points leader for National points and second in the Eastern Series. Finishing was paramount. (Writer’s note: I was speaking with Erik while he was staged for the race and we joked about, “when you win, claim that you intentionally only raced on seven to help govern your speed so you wouldn’t over drive.” While he’s not officially claiming that, my story is that he did it strategically, and I’m sticking to my story.)

It’s hard to argue with the effectiveness of the Miller Motorsports Pro Chassis for East Coast racing. Erik chalked up his first victory in over two years (despite numerous podium finishes). Showdown in Shamokin winner Josh Blyler (also in a MM chassis) finished fourth, and Rusty Blyler finished sixth. Erik’s victory was a hard-fought battle with fellow Nitto teammate Disco Derek West. Derek pushed his Jimmy’s 4x4 machine hard and actually finished the race in physical first. As with all adjusted time races, the waiting is the hardest party. By the time it was all sorted out, Erik had won by a mere 12.9 seconds! Michael Ayersman beat out Josh Blyler for third, taking home his first podium finish in Ultra4 racing.

Eastern Series Championships

The KMC Battle in Bluegrass was the final race of the 2018 Eastern Series. With the victory, Erik Miller locked up the Series Championship and will be the driver to beat at Nationals for the overall points Championship. Congratulations to Erik and the entire Miller Motorsports team for a very successful season and yet another championship to add to the list of accomplishments.

Fellow Nitto driver Casey Gilbert not only continued his undefeated season, but also won the Eastern Series G2 Legends series championship. Vaughn Gittin Jr. continued the Nitto championship streak as Brocky won all three Eastern Series races and secured the 4500 Modified class championship. The West took over the East in the 4600 Stock class with Mr. Consistent Albert Contreras winning the stock class points championship.

Up Next

It was an epic season of East Coast racing this year with all three races coming down to mere seconds. The Ultra4 season only has two races left: the Western Series finale, a hardcore desert race held in Ridgecrest, California, on August 10, and the season finale, Nationals in Reno, Nevada, on October 9. It’s been an exciting season of new and old faces taking home the checkered flags, and we expect Nationals to be no different. If you haven’t already, make plans to attend. You can get more information at www.ultra4racing.com. The other bit of big news, in case you haven’t heard, is that the 2019 Nitto King of the Hammers will have a $100,000 purse for the Unlimited Class. If you listen carefully, you can hear husbands desperately trying to talk their wives into new cars as we speak…because the beauty of Ultra4 racing is that anyone has a chance to win. The stakes have been raised.

Want to see more Ultra4? We cover the whole season from start to finish!

It's the toughest one-day off-road race on the planet. With nearly 200 miles of the most unforgiving desert terrain and rock trails in North America, simply finishing King of the Hammers is a victory all in its own. As if victory alone wasn't enough, Ultra4 Racing has made a bold announcement today to really up the ante for the 2019 Nitto King of the Hammers powered by Optima Batteries. Ultra4 Racing has tripled the prize purse for the 2019 4400 class to a total of $100,000. The breakdown is as follows: $75,000 goes to first place, $15,000 to second place and $10,000 to third place.

Surely this increase in prize money will have an effect on the race and racers themselves. The increase to $75,000 will have former kings pushing their limits, and new contenders chomping at the bit to prove themselves worthy of the podium. Will we see another repeat king win, or will a new first-time king take the prize in 2019? For now, we will be keeping a close eye on how these teams prepare for KOH 2019, so be sure to stay tuned into Driving Line for updates on our former champions and up-and-comers to watch for.

Want to know how the drivers have been doing this year? We cover the Ultra4 all year long!

Paramount Network has released the first trailer for their documentary on the famous Fast and Furious actor, I Am Paul Walker. The feature-length film will cover his life and humanitarian work, featuring old family films and numerous interviews from people who knew him well, such as his family, friends and manager Matt Luber.

The film will take a look into his personal life, showing the fun-loving and good-hearted man that unfortunately, many of us weren’t able to see when he was alive. You can watch the trailer above to see some of the interviews and old footage featured in the film.

Behind the project is Adrian Buitenhuis, director of the previous I Am Heath Ledger and I Am Sam Kinison documentaries. We’ll definitely be watching this when it releases, though with a few tissues in hand.

It won’t be too long until it comes out, too. The premiere is on Saturday, August 11 at 9:00 p.m. on Paramount Network.

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The last time we checked in with our 2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI Sport project, the car he just been fitted with a set of WedsSport SA-10R wheels and Nitto NT05 tires, both of which nicely complimented the previously installed ST XTA coilovers and rear sway bar.

Even driving on the street, it was obvious that the upgraded suspension, wider wheels and stickier tires had greatly improved the GTI’s grip and balance, but we were anxious to get the car back on to the race track or autocross course where we could really let it loose.

Back on the Autocross Course

Last weekend we had the chance to do just that, as the Fresno chapter of the SCCA San Francisco Region was holding one of its regular autocross competitions at the parking lot of the fairgrounds.

Anyone who was spent any time in California’s Central Valley during the summer knows how hot it can get, and the conditions for this particular event called for temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Starting out early in attempt to outrun the the heat, we arrived at the site to find a strong turnout of racers despite the scorching heat that would be tough on both man and machine.

Having already run at a couple autocross events earlier in the year at the same location with varying degrees of parts installed, we were excited to see how the “complete” suspension and tire setup would perform.

Of course, the one problem about autocross is that you can’t directly compare lap times with previous events because the course is never the same, and a huge part of succeeding is being able to quickly learn the course and the best way to navigate it, regardless of what you're driving.

Even so, comparing the new setup to how the car felt before, as well as seeing the lap times of similarly prepared cars, should be enough to get a good idea of where the GTI sits after its modifications.

Changing Classes

After handling photo duty during the day’s first season, it was time to hop into the car and have some fun. With the new coilovers, rear sway bar and wider wheels, the GTI moves from the GS class to the STH (Street Touring Hatch) class, which puts it up against lightly modified cars with similar power levels like the Subaru WRX. STH also allows for basic power upgrades even though this car has a 100% stock engine and powertrain.

If autocross competition is your primary goal with your car, you’ll want to make sure you follow the rulebook very closely, as you need to make sure your modifications are allowed within your desired class. In this case though, the VW is simply a daily driver and part time track car that sees occasional autocross time for fun, and we aren’t concerned about being a class winner.

Testing the Upgrades

Heading out on the first run, we were reminded once again just how much these upgrades transform the car. Using the GTI’s factory launch control, and turning traction and stability control as far off as they’ll go, the first of the six timed runs was a 46.210—not too bad for the first time out, but it was obvious there was plenty of time to shed.

In just about every area of the course, the car was quicker and more responsive. With the coilovers there was much less body roll than before, and the rear sway bar greatly helped keep the car in-line and allowed for much more rotation off throttle when going through medium speed corners and the two slalom areas on this particular course.

Even better were the wider and stickier Nitto NT05s, which made for a night and day difference when compared to the factory all-season tires. Their contribution could be felt on every part of the course, including quicker corner entry, increased grip in the middle of the corners and the ability to stick coming out of the corners and down the straights. These are areas where the old tires would howl and screech in protest.

Aiming for 44s

The goal was simply to get faster with each run, becoming more familiar with the course and the car’s limits. The next run was 45.873, followed by a 45.652 and 45.727. There were still areas that could be improved, and the new goal became to break into the 44s within the two remaining runs.

Run number five saw a 45.057, mere hundredths away from the goal. With the event winding down, the oppressive afternoon heat approaching and just one run left, it was now or never. The strategy was the same as the one used on the previous run, save for coming in a touch slower and turning in earlier in one area where the front end had been pushing.

The result? A 44.8 lap, which we were quite happy with. We would have been able to find even more speed, had there been additional runs, but one of the biggest challenges of autocross is figuring out how to go fast in just a handful of laps.

Again, it’s hard to directly compare lap times considering each course is completely different, so all you can really do is judge the how it feels behind the wheel and look at the times compared to other cars/drivers of the same day. You can see the complete results at the link here. The GTI was car no. 3 in the STH class.

All in all we were quite happy with how some basic suspension, wheel and tire upgrades transformed the car on the autocross course, and now we're really itching to get the car back to a proper race track. In the meantime we’ll keep enjoying the do-it-all nature of this lightly modified hot hatch on a daily basis. Thanks as always to the members of the Fresno SCCA chapter for throwing some of the funnest events around.

Getting here has been a process. Follow along from the beginning.

The golden age of video games is filled with driving and racing simulators focused on imports and exotics, and given that the cutting edge of digital simulation originated in Japan, that makes total sense. Still, although they're outnumbered in the modern era by franchises that offer a full range of drivable vehicles from every auto-producing continent, there were a number of games out there that shone their spotlight primarily on domestic brands, with Ford, General Motors and Chrysler all getting a chance to star on the small (or, by now, 52-inch LED) screen.

Let's take a quick look at some of the best domestic-focused driving video games of all time.

1. Midtown Madness

The first entry in the trio of games that would form the Midtown Madness universe was released in 1999. It took the then-unusual step of releasing players from the confines of a race track or carefully-delineated two-lane road and instead allowed them to explore the city of Chicago to their heart's desire.

Why Chicago? The developers had a deep love of the car chase insanity found in the Belushi/Aykroyd film "The Blues Brothers," and wanted to give gamers the chance to have the same kind of smash-up fun. By taking off the reigns, drivers could crash, speed and otherwise cause as much crazy chaos as they wanted to without having to worry about making checkpoints or lapping the competition (although if you wanted, there were specific modes that allowed you to test your skill against the clock and other cars).

Being set in the USA, the creators of Midnight Madness liberally sprinkled the game's virtual garage with American-made models. In fact, aside from a couple of Volkswagens and a single Ferrari, the entire fleet hailed from Detroit, including current and classic Mustangs (even one decked out in police livery), dually Ford pickups, Cadillac limousines, an Eldorado ETC, slab-sided Chevy delivery vans, the homegrown exoticness of the Panoz Esperante GTR-1 and, for some reason, a 1989 Geo Metro. Oh, and throw in a Freightliner 18-wheeler, too, at the opposite end of the size spectrum.

2. Crazy Taxi

The Sega Dreamcast might be long gone, but it's not forgotten by the legions of video game fans who helped make titles like Crazy Taxi transition from quarter-gulping arcade hit to million-copy-selling console title. Relying on a rag-tag collection of classic convertible Cadillacs and Chevys, Crazy Taxi asked players to deliver their fares from one part of the city to the other in as reckless and stunt-filled a manner as possible. Points for style and pure insanity were there for the taking, and the outside-the-box gameplay of this title helped it to conquer further consoles like the PS2 and the GameCube, while spawning a series of sequels that continue today.

3. NASCAR Racing

There's no shortage of NASCAR-related gaming titles out there, but the granddaddy of them all—and the one that introduced a brand-new fan base to the fun of stock car competition—was NASCAR Racing from Papyrus. Introduced in 1994, NASCAR Racing was aimed squarely at PC users, and it brought a surprising level of realism to the table thanks to the use of then-groundbreaking SVGA graphics, as well as the ability to play against up to 38 opponents over a network.

The game let you drive either a Ford Thunderbird, a Chevrolet Lumina or a Pontiac Grand Prix, just like your Winston Cup heroes. Other intriguing aspects of NASCAR Racing included multiple damage modes, early efforts at aerodynamic simulation, the ability to set up the car using various suspension, spoiler and drivetrain customizations and the use of actual sponsorship liveries rather than generic templates. Even tire temperatures had an impact on your vehicle's performance.

The current crop of NASCAR racing games can all tie their heritage back to this initial effort from Papyrus (with the rights transferring to EA a few years in to the new millennium).

4. Daytona USA

If you're a bit less serious about your stock car action, then might we suggest Daytona USA instead? A different kind of multiplayer stock car "simulator," Daytona USA took over arcades with its fun take on high-speed oval antics (as well as the opportunity to leave the established circuits behind and sample more exotic fantasy tracks). The soundtrack was unforgettable, the gameplay addictive and the graphics a revolution in polygon-based rendering—so much so that a number of follow-up games were based around the same digital engine. So what if the cars were more fiction than front-row at the real Daytona?

5. Driver

Driver took the open-world concept of both Midtown Madness and Crazy Taxi and added a plotline that weaved a near-cinematic story through each episode of driving shenanigans. For the purposes of our list, it also happened to feature a long list of classic American metal not just littering the streets of San Francisco, Miami, L.A. and New York, but also as playable vehicles.

This was no accident. The designers of the game (similar to the inspiration behind Midtown Madness) wanted to recreate the vibe of classic car chase movies like Bullitt, and that meant fun stuff like muscled-up Mustangs, Rancheros and Cutlasses, alongside more unusual digital fare like the Mercury Monterey, the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser and the Dodge St. Regis (itself a forgotten TV police car star from the T.J. Hooker days).

There were eventually seven, count 'em, seven full sequels to Driver, including a somewhat weird speedboat version that came out for Android and iOS phones.

Domestic cars have had their day on the big screen, too. We found the best Mopars and Mustangs to grace the screen.

All too often we find ourselves wanting something we can’t have. Growing up in the Philippines, Jay Kho was fascinated by American cars. However, after moving to Las Vegas and driving a ‘66 Ford Mustang for a few years, he eventually got over his muscle car phase. Truth be told, Jay didn’t have his eyes set on any particular car when he was in the market for a new project. His ‘83 Nissan Skyline R30 was more of a craigslist chance encounter. It’s safe to say this chassis hasn’t won any popularity contests like the first generation Hakosuka or even the ready-to-legalize R32.

So Much to Choose Between

Even before the Skyline got its Godzilla nickname, the boxy R30 was making a name for itself in the Super Silhouette races in the early ‘80s, copping two wins in ‘82 and five wins in ‘83. It has the four round tail lights that you’ll still find on the modern Nissan GT-R, and if you squint your eyes you’ll see headlights that look suspiciously similar to the most popular Skyline of all, the R34. The R30 was one of the most versatile generations of the Skyline—available in a coupe, sedan, hatchback and wagon.

After deciding which body style you wanted, you had the decide which engine configuration to go with, which didn’t make things any easier. Nissan offered five different motors during the R30 launch: L20E, L20ET (turbo), Z20, Z18 and LD28 diesel. By ‘83 Nissan was ready to revamp the R30 and made the RS version, which came with the four cylinder turbocharged FJ20ET. For Jay, the chance to acquire the underrated chassis was a no-brainer.

Finding the Right One

It wasn’t easy finding the R30. While scouring the internet Jay found a Hakosuka sedan and a GT-R clone, but wasn’t interested in dropping a pretty penny for a clone. After a few months he came upon an R30 RS. Jay recalls, “It looked like it just came out of a shipping container and pushed into the garage.” Luckily, the previous owner was open for a trade, and after exchanging a few messages, Jay ended up trading his perfectly running Mustang for a rolling shell R30. He accepted that he lost in the trade. “It may have been a stupid choice at the time, but I decided I was going to take care of this car—restomod it,” he laid out.

Perfect Upgrades

As it turns out collecting parts is equally as difficult as finding an R30. Slowly Jay restored the car, and when it came time to drop in an engine, he figured he’d restomod the car with a modern inline four DOHC turbo on the SR20DET. The previous owner already had plans to use an SR20 ECU with an FJ20ET. Currently the engine is stock, but deep inside Jay’s garage you’ll find boxes of parts that are waiting to be installed. Although the R30 is SR powered, the engine is mated to an original FJ20ET transmission with a Blitz Stage 1 race clutch.

A set of custom Feal coilovers were sourced to bring the classic Japanese metal closer to the gravel where your eyes will also find the quintessential old school Watanabe wheels wrapped in Nitto Neo Gen tires.

For the most part, the interior is kept period correct, with the exception of a sport tachometer and a Blitz boost gauge to keep things in check.

“I will always say that everything is for sale for the right price. But then after what this car did for me and the journey it took me through, it will be very hard for me to let go. When and if that time comes I’d probably back out,” Jay concluded. While the car isn’t as desired as a Hakosuka, these R30s are becoming extremely rare to come by. All it took for the AE86 was an anime series about a tofu driver. What was a loss in a trade might’ve just been a wonderful stroke of Vegas luck.

Tuning Menu: Jay Kho's Nissan Skyline R30 GT-R

Flip through the gallery below to see more photos of this awesome GT-R. If you want more JDM beauty, we have an LS-swapped Datsun Z that burns brightly.

Anyone in tune with the today’s automotive trends knows that GM’s popular ‘73-87 C-series pickups are hot. With millions of them produced during that period, there’s no shortage of worthy restoration or modification candidates, and because they’re so heavily supported by the aftermarket, their legacy should live on for generations to come. Buck the Truck, Preston Folkestad’s ’73 Chevrolet C-10, is a tastefully modified home-built example that’s truly a family heirloom.

It Runs in the Family

“I grew up in an automotive family,” says the 23-year-old Des Moines, Iowa resident. “My grandfather and my dad are big motorheads. I think the same oil that runs through my dad’s veins runs through mine. I was around three years old when my dad purchased my first motorcycle—a 50 cc Italian. I started riding it before I could ride a bicycle without training wheels. And I learned how to drive a car at the Bonneville Salt Flats.”

Helping maintain Preston’s obsession with vehicles is the fact that his dad, Bob, owns GC Cooling—a company that produces high-end cooling system components for a wide array of vehicles. “I have always helped my dad in the shop and have experience in welding, fabricating, assembly, machining and painting. I graduated from Iowa State University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and am his Marketing Manager, but I really fill in on any jobs that need to be completed at any given time,” he added.   

When Preston started driving, his regular mode of transportation wasn’t anything close to ordinary. “My great-grandfather, Maurice ‘Buck’ Heckart, purchased a new ’73 Chevrolet C10 pickup truck,” he said. “It was a long-bed in burnt orange with tan interior and an inline 6-cylidner engine. He primarily used it as a work truck on his farm in rural Iowa. I spent time a lot of time on Buck’s farm learning to ride dirt bikes, shooting rifles and enjoying the outdoors. I remember playing in the barn on the old tractors and the dusty Chevy truck.” 

Early Modifications

Buck passed away in 2005, and his C10 was passed down to Preston, who had plans to make it a roadworthy driver. “Being an old farm truck, it was in pretty rough shape when I inherited it. It needed some work, so my dad and I chopped the frame to make it a short-box, lowered it, dropped in a 350 ci small-block Chevy and painted it hotrod flat black. I drove it daily until I graduated college. Growing up around cars and trucks of a different caliber numbed me to what I really had, however. The truck was just a truck to me at the time, but looking back, I had so much fun with it,” he said.

Starting the Build

After its tenure as Preston’s daily driver, the modified C10 was in pretty rough shape. “I took care of it the best I could, but it was still a 40-year-old truck and showed its age,” he said. “The rockers, rear cab corner and bed were pretty rusty. The inner fenders were rough and the interior needed serious attention. I had been studying abroad in Rome, Italy and returned in December 2016. In my first marketing meeting back at GC Cooling, we learned the Camaro our customer was building to display in our booth at SEMA 2017 was on hold. We knew we needed a cool replacement. That’s when my mom suggested that we build the truck. My dad and I looked at each other and both had the light go on in our heads!”  

SEMA 2017 was GC Cooling’s second time exhibiting at the event. With its opening only months away, Preston and his dad were on a mission to build a show worthy truck. “We knew it would take good old fashioned hard work to get the project completed in time. We started the build in May 2017, and our goal was to have it finished by SEMA’s late-October opening so I could compete in the Young Guns competition. We worked on it every evening from 5 p.m. until 1 or 2 a.m. We’d then be back up at 7:30 a.m. for another day at GC Cooling.”    

Exterior Facelift

LMC Truck provided new rocker panels and rear corners for the cab along with a new short-box bed. Preston sourced used doors and original sheet metal to restore short-box side panels from a local salvage yard. The front bumper was flush-mounted and fitted, and the rear was replaced with a molded roll pan. The front marker lights were shaved from the fenders as were the lock cylinders from the doors and roof drip rail moldings from the cab. An aftermarket hood with cowl induction from LMC Truck replaced the original to enhance the muscular appeal.  

Beautiful Paint

Chris Cope of Cope Custom Paint Specialists in Des Moines, Iowa performed much of the body work and applied the beautiful exterior finish exclusively using House Of Kolor products. The Kandy Tangerine over Orion Silver color coat provides an attractive contrast that’s accented by an airbrushed pinstripe with a carbon fiber appearance. The entire finish was clear coated, wet sanded and polished to mirror-like perfection.

Custom Leather

Inside the cab, the attractive leather and suede seat pattern on the bench seat was custom designed by Preston and made by Steve Pearson of Upholstery Unlimited in Clinton, Iowa. The dash panel was wrapped in matching leather and features a carbon fiber instrument panel insert with Dakota Digital gauges. The original door panels were customized to complement the rest of the build. A layer of Dynamat sound deadener resides beneath the replacement black cut-pile carpet. Affixed to the factory column is a Billet Specialties steering wheel. Sparco harnesses keep passengers restrained while a Vintage Air system keeps the cab comfortable. Alpine equipment makes up the sound system.

Upgraded Engine

Preston custom-made new inner fenders for under hood with carbon fiber. Between the frame rails sits a 355 ci small-block Chevy built by Mike Six Sr. A mid ‘80s Chevy truck donated its four-bolt 350 ci block. The cylinders were bored .030-inch and filled with forged-aluminum JE Pistons riding on original forged-steel connecting rods. The original crankshaft was undersized and treated to a fresh set of Hastings bearings. A Melling oil pump pressurized the lubrication system while a Moroso road-race-type oil pan and windage tray provide oil control. Cast-aluminum cylinder heads by Automotive Machine Shop Services provide a compression ratio of 11:1. Comp Cams supplied the hydraulic roller camshaft and Scorpion shaft-mounted rocker arms turn lobe lift into valve lift.

Tuned for Power

An Edelbrock Victor intake manifold and Fitech Meanstreet EFI system handle induction, while Aeromotive products supply the fuel. MSD Ignition components initiate the spark, while NGK VPower spark plugs ignite the mixture. Total spark lead of 38 degrees is reached by 4,000 rpm. 515 Fabrication in Des Moines custom-created the stainless steel tubular headers that feature 1 7/8-inch diameter primary tubes and 3-inch diameter collectors. The exhaust system is comprised of 3-inch diameter tubing with an H-type crossover and dual Magnaflow mufflers, which exit just ahead of the rear wheel on each side. The total result is approximately 500hp.  

Backing the potent small-block is a built 700R-4 four-speed automatic transmission with a B&M torque converter that’s stall-rated to 3,500 rpm. A transmission fluid cooler from Fluidyne High Performance keeps operating temperature in check. A custom driveshaft from Fast Shafts in Des Moines, Iowa transfers power to the rear axle.

Putting the Power to the Ground

For the suspension, No Limit Engineering supplied its Front Independent Suspension kit, which included new spindles with at least seven inches of drop and a one-inch sway bar up front. Ridetech provided the coilover spring and shock absorber assemblies along with the power rack-and-pinion steering kit. A custom-fabricated pan hard bar positively locates the custom-fit nine-inch Ford rear axle with 4.10:1 gearing built by Quick Performance of Ames, Iowa.

The fully-modified suspension is complemented by a set of 20-inch Rambler wheels from US Mags in a width of eight inches up front and 9.5 inches in the rear. The attractive aluminum rims are shod on Nitto NT05 tires in 255/35ZR20 and 315/35ZR20, respectively. Wilwood braking components featuring six-piston radial-mount front calipers and four-piston rears provide stopping power.

Honoring a Great Man

High end show vehicles are typically given a name that defines the build. Preston’s C10 was afforded the same honor. “My great-grandfather was a World War II veteran who served in the 707th Tank division and was a motorcycle messenger and medic. Buck was such a precious person, and we lost someone very special when he passed away. We believe his legacy lives on with this truck and we ultimately named it ‘Buck the Truck’ in his memory.”

The Accolades Keep Building

At SEMA 2017, Buck the Truck was awarded a top 10 finish in the Young Guns competition and finished within the top 40 overall, and the awards haven’t stopped there. They include Young Guys Award presented by Goolsby at the Good Guys event in Texas as well as Top Truck at the Midwest Exclusives Car Show.

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When it comes to Corvettes, they don't get much faster or more powerful than Justin Keith's C7. With 1000hp at its disposal, it's capable of running 8.77 seconds in the quarter mile. This isn't the first iteration of this car to come down the track, and this might be the best one yet.

Obviously, to run this quick, quite a few modifications have been made to the car. Those upgrades include a Late Model Engines 416 ci LT1 with Frankenstein Engine Dynamics cylinder heads, a B&B Bullet exhaust and BC Racing Coilovers. It's also running on Nitto NT555 G2s up front and NT555Rs in the rear. 

Watch the video above to see everything that makes this Corvette so astonishingly quick!

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The term “bigger is better” is more than just a saying. In the year 2018 it’s a way of life. Case in point, 35-inch diameter tires are essentially the starting point for modified ¾-ton trucks these days. Long gone are the days of slapping a set of 33x12.50s on a stock height truck and calling it good. But, for most trucks, there is a cost associated with running a 35-inch tread. In order to gain adequate clearance and thereby retain the truck’s full functionality, the front end has to be lifted one way or another.

To solve the problem, there are lift kits—and there are also well-engineered, highly-refined lift kits. A good system doesn’t sacrifice anything in the way of ride quality or articulation. A great system improves your truck in both of those areas, and it does so without hindering its payload or towing capacities. Some companies offer high-quality steering stabilizer kits and even 4-link systems to further complement their lifts. One such outfit offering all of the above for late-model Ford Super Dutys is Icon Vehicle Dynamics of Riverside, California.

We recently came across the owner of a 6.4L-powered ’08 F-250 looking to add 35x12.50R20 Nitto Ridge Grapplers mounted on 20x10-inch wheels to his pride and joy, and he’d decided to install Icon’s Stage 4 2.5-inch lift. In addition, Icon’s 4-link system and dual steering stabilizer kit also made the cut. Not only did the full gamut of Icon parts achieve the owner’s primary objective of clearing the 35-inch Ridge Grapplers, but the truck now drives and rides better than it ever has. Below, we’ll spell out the parts and pieces that make Icon’s suspension and steering components a cut above the rest.

100-Percent Bolt-On

Icon Vehicle Dynamics’ 2.5-inch performance suspension system was designed for ’05-newer Ford Super Dutys and requires zero cutting, drilling or welding in order to install it. Its intended purpose is to increase wheel travel without impacting the truck’s towing capacity, and it’s well-suited for truck owners that tow regularly, engage in mild off-roading and want to maintain smooth driving characteristics on the highway. The Stage 4 version of Icon’s 2.5-inch suspension system includes dual rate coil springs, 2.0 aluminum series remote reservoir shocks, dual steering stabilizers, an adjustable track bar and can be had with the optional 4-inch rear lift blocks and corresponding U-bolts shown here.

Dual Rate Coil Springs

Approximately 2.5 inches taller than the factory coil springs, this is where the added height of Icon’s system comes from. Combined with the supplied match-tuned performance shocks (more on those below), its dual rate coil springs offer exemplary ride quality and they all but rule out body roll. As with any lift kit that comes with dual rate coil springs (vs. progressive rate and certainly linear rate), these components require extensive engineering and a much more involved manufacturing process—which is reflected in the system’s $3,795 overall price tag. But make no mistake about it, these springs are worth every penny. According to Icon, its dual rate springs will never fatigue (i.e. sag), and the company backs it up with a lifetime guarantee.

Match-Tuned Performance Shocks

Adding to the superb ride quality the Icon 2.5-inch suspension system provides are the company’s V.S. (for vehicle specific) 2.0 aluminum series remote reservoir shocks. Tailored for each specific application, the nitrogen-filled shock absorbers feature 6061 aluminum rod ends, top caps and internals for optimum durability and strength. A 6063 anodized aluminum body and reservoir tubing is also employed for effective heat dissipation and corrosion resistance. For noise-free operation, a Nitrite rubber top out bumper is also utilized.

Functional Dress-Up

While Icon offers traditional hose clamps as standard equipment for securing the remote reservoirs of its shocks, its optional 2.0 aluminum shock reservoir clamps shouldn’t be overlooked. They’re a good upgrade for both securing the reservoirs and enhancing the overall appearance of the shocks. Machined from 6061 billet-aluminum and then polished and anodized for optimum corrosion resistance, the clamps feature a laser-etched Icon logo and also come with stainless steel installation hardware.

Fabricated Four-Inch Lift Blocks

To level the truck’s finished ride height, the owner elected to replace his F-250’s factory two-inch rear lift blocks with Icon’s fabricated four-inch units. Flat like the OEM blocks they replace, they also feature built-in bump stops. We’ll note that this option exists solely for F-250 owners. On ’05-up F-350 models, four-inch blocks came standard from the factory.

Longer U-Bolts

To accommodate the taller four-inch rear lift blocks, Icon supplies longer U-bolts (i.e. one of its rear U-bolt kits for ’05-’10 Super Dutys). The new U-bolts feature the same 5/8-inch rod diameter as the factory units, but measure 15 inches in overall length. At the conclusion of our install, roughly 1.5 inches of thread was showing after the U-bolt nuts had all been snugged up. For a clean overall look, we cut them down, close to flush with the nuts.

Adjustable Track Bar

Icon’s beefy track bar features a spherical bearing rod end with machined rod end spacers to eliminate the sloppiness of the factory track bar bushing setup. Thanks to Icon’s innovative, patent pending pinch bolt housing design, full adjustability can be performed, which makes centering the front axle possible with the track bar installed on the truck.

Robust 4-Link System

For vastly improved articulation over what the factory radius arms offer, Icon’s 4-link system delivers, along with quelling front axle wrap and wheel hop in four-wheel drive. High-quality spherical bearings present in each link replace the sloppy radius arm bushings. These spherical bearings help minimize deflection, which in turn enhances the truck’s handling characteristics. Opposite of the bearing end, each two-inch diameter tube attaches to the axle via a ¼-inch thick, welded-on mount.

4-Link Adjustability

In the photo above, you can see the spherical bearing end of the bottom link installed in Icon’s supplied ¼-inch thick frame mount. Like the adjustable track bar mentioned earlier, Icon also incorporated its pinch bolt housing design into its 4-link system. Just like the track bar, this technology allows you to fine-tune the truck’s alignment without removing anything. Once you’ve determined the correct length of the lower link, you simply tighten the 12-point (3/8-inch) bolts to lock them in place.

Dual Steering Stabilizer Kit

The icing on the cake in Icon’s Stage 4 2.5-inch suspension system is its inclusion of a dual steering stabilizer. The kit entails two nitrogen charged (150 psi) 2.0 aluminum series shocks, a ¼-inch thick center mounting bracket that installs via two bolts in the factory differential cover (and a supplied U-bolt around the axle tube) and all necessary mounting hardware. The system is designed to minimize bump steer feedback and enhance the truck’s overall steering performance—and boy does it work. While driving the finished product over to the alignment shop, the steering feel was night-and-day different from stock and the truck’s overall handling and smooth ride almost makes you forget you’re driving an 8,000-pound solid axle ¾-ton.

Looking to upgrade the radiator on your 6.4L Power Stroke? We tried out one from Mishimoto Automotive!