Camaro ZL1 1LE Evolves Into Supreme 850-HP Track Slayer

Hot Rod gives us the deets on this wicked Camaro ZL1’s suspension upgrades, lightweight body bits, extra power and more.

The modern Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE is the most road course-capable muscle car of all time, but every factory-built car has room for aftermarket improvement. Hot Rod recently featured the sixth-gen ZL1 owned by Tony Scalici, and it has been modified in all of the right places to improve on-track performance. The result is a Camaro that doesn’t appear to be dramatically different from a stock car but there is no doubt that it will turn even quicker lap times.

The Owner’s Story

This 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE is owned by Tony Scalici. When Scalici was 15 years old, he stole his mom’s 1969 Camaro and took it street racing. He got caught by the cops and they called his parents, but his passion for high-performance muscle cars was secured.

Years later, Scalici retired from his career as a Green Beret in the U.S. Army. To fill his newfound free time, he founded G-Rods Garage, where he began building pro touring vehicles. While running the shop, he got involved in the Optima Ultimate Street Car series, first campaigning a 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. He enjoyed competing in that car, but he wanted more performance, so he upgraded to the 201 Camaro ZL1 1LE shown here.

Like all of his builds, Scalici named this build and in honor of his mother, it was named “JoJo.” Although it was an excellent performer in stock form, to compete on the Optima Ultimate Street Car road racing events, it needed to be even better. Fortunately, he bought the car planning to build it.

Racier Camaro ZL1 1LE

This 2018 Camaro ZL1 1LE is modified inside, outside, under the body and under the hood.

The LT4 V8 was built by JDP Motorsports, adding forged internals, Lingenfelter Performance cylinder heads, a Lingenfelter Performance camshaft, a ported blower lid, a GripTech supercharger pulley and American Racing headers. With an E85 tune, this car makes an extra 200 horsepower, reaching a peak output of 850 horsepower. All of that power is sent to the rear wheels by means of a Centerforce twin-disc clutch and a QA1 carbon-fiber driveshaft.

Next, to improve the handling capabilities of the Camaro ZL1 1LE, Scalici added a custom roll cage and chassis braces from Detroit Speed. JRi adjustable coilovers at all four corners allows for fine tuning at the track and improved handling over the standard dampers. AP Racing brakes with 15-inch front rotors and 14-inch rear rotors adds stopping force and cuts significant amounts of weight.

Furthering the weight loss effort, Scalici added an array of carbon fiber bits, including the hood, doors, grille, dive planes, rear diffuser, belly pan and decklid. The result of all of these lightweight bits leads to a substantial reduction in curb weight to just 3,600 pounds, even with the added weight of the roll cage.

In addition to the cage, the interior has been upgraded with Rachtech seats while Forgeline wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich rubber help the Camaro ZL1 1LE stick to the ground. Finally, to pay tribute to his time as a solider, he has an American flag on the roof.

Strong Showing Thus Far

All of Tony Scalici’s efforts have paid off, as he and his Camaro ZL1 1LE current hold the top spot in the GT class of the Optima Ultimate Street Car series, claiming a class win at Pikes Peak. Based on the strong start, we are likely to see this Camaro atop the leader board until Scalici moves onto his next project.

Photos: Hot Rod

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Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com