General Motors is looking to capitalize on the popular of drag racing among those folks who buy and own a Chevrolet Camaro, so with the 6th generation muscle car, GM is working to develop aftermarket components to make the new Camaro even more capable at the track. GM offered up the first information on the Camaro SS Drag Race Development Program last week at SEMA and with a mix of Chevrolet production parts, Chevrolet Performance parts and some concept items – all of which have gotten the new Camaro SS into the mid-10 second range.
“The Camaro SS Drag Race Development concept is a work in progress, but Chevrolet is serious about developing parts and packages tailored for drag racers,” said Dickens. “As we continue to develop the car, we’ll be listening intently to customers’ reactions to it and what they believe would help them the most on the drag strip. This is only the beginning.”
Chevrolet hasn’t offered a rundown of exactly what was done to the Camaro SS Drag Race Development Program car, but the company has stated that they have recorded a best 60 foot time of just 1.425 seconds, a best eighth mile time of 6.764 seconds and a best quarter mile time of 10.685 seconds – with a trap speed of 125.73 miles per hour.
The Camaro SS Drag Race Development car is still fitted with the LT1 V8, but it features a set of worked cylinder heads, a new camshaft, an exhaust setup that I would guess includes headers and a “power adder” which I am guessing is a supercharger to build around 600 horsepower. The team also added a steeper 3.73 rear gearset in a 5th gen ZL1 differential, a 4,200rpm-stall torque convertor in a uniquely-tuned 8-speed automatic transmission, the 6th gen Camaro ZL1 half shafts, the 6th gen ZL1 prop shaft and smaller brakes inside of 16” wheels wrapped in a variety of different tire styles (drag radials and slicks).
So, with the beefed up drivetrain, smaller brakes, smaller wheels, sticky tires and an engine build with 600 horsepower, the 6th gen Camaro SS test car ran mid-10s with 1.4X short times.
“We worked this car just as hard as any serious racer would,” said Dickens. “We made pass after pass, pushing it harder, and were amazed at the capability and durability that came straight off the assembly line.”
Right now, this car is a great display of what you can do with a worked 6th gen Camaro SS and based on customer input, we could see more components from the Camaro SS Drag Race Development Program car offered via the Chevrolet Performance catalog.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
