RPM Motorsports 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 become the first new supercharged GM muscle car to run in the 9-second quarter mile range.
The 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is an incredible machine, proving itself as the most road course capable muscle car ever at the German Nurburgring, but with 650 horsepower – the 6G ZL1 is a beast on the drag strip as well.
The folks at RPM Motorsports recently took delivery of a 2017 Camaro ZL1 with the new 10-speed automatic transmission and they immediately added headed to the drag strip – but only after adding lightweight wheels with drag radial tires and a 100-shot of nitrous with a good tune. They hit the track with the lightly modded Camaro when it had just 60 miles on the odometer, presumably kissing their warranty goodbye – but the ends justify the means.
The RPM Motorsports team was easily able to become the first to put a 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the 10-second range and after a little work, they became the first 6th gen ZL1 in the 9’s as well. Being the first into the 9s also makes the RPM Motorsports Camaro ZL1 the quickest of its kind in the world. We are guessing that the team doesn’t plan to stop there.
Over the next few months, we are likely to see more new Camaro ZL1 breaking into the 9’s and possibly the 8’s, especially with nothing more than nitrous, a tune and tires putting this 10-speed car into the high 9’s. Once shops begin adding extra boost, more fuel and freeing up the exhaust end of the system, power levels will climb and ETs will drop, but for now – the RPM Motorsports Camaro ZL1 is the king of the hill.
"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.
