Formula Drift Is an LS Lover’s Heaven at Irwindale Speedway
Iconic Chevy V8 finds its way into just about every single chassis one could imagine in the Formula Drift pits.
Do we really need to explain why the LS is an excellent choice for drifting? Furthermore, do we have to tell you why it’s a great choice for virtually everything?
Ask anyone running an LS in the pits and you’ll get the same answer. It’s cheap, it makes great power, and it has all the low-end torque you could ask for. It’s no wonder it’s a common choice for the competitors of FD. LS1 Tech took to the final round of Formula Drift 2019 season at Irwindale Speedway, and the screaming Chevy V8s were plentiful.
Obvious Ones
There’s a handful of chassis that run an LS stock competing at FD. Matt Field and Dirk Stratton both run C6 Corvettes with supercharged Chevy eight-cylinders. Additionally, Taylor Hull and Austin Meeks run a pair of Cadillac ATS-V drift machines, both running Magnuson Superchargers.
There is even a remarkably stock C7 Z06 competing this year, with Brazilian powerhouse Joao Barion behind the wheel. While the LS has been a choice of FD competitors for quite some time, American chassis have only started growing in popularity over the past few years. There are a few exceptions to the rule, as always, but they are becoming a lot more common.
Overall, it’s pretty awesome to see these chassis running at a professional level. The fact that the love for these American powerhouses is growing throughout the entire spectrum of drifting, from grassroots levels up to the pros. It opens a vast amount of ideas to the everyday person who may be interested in drifting.
The days of having to swap engines or get custom made parts to get into it are gone, and plenty of companies offer aftermarket steering and suspension components for all kinds of American chassis. This especially makes the C5 Corvette chassis, for example, a pretty affordable option to get started.
Everything from A to Z
This is where things get a little crazy. You seriously can’t throw a rock at Formula Drift without hitting something with an LS motor in it. We wouldn’t recommend doing that, but we think you get the point. There are plenty of other powerplants around, including the likes of the Toyota 2JZ, Ford V8s, a 3-Rotor Wankel engine, and even a pair of 1,000 horsepower Toyota four-cylinders. While those do offer some unique sounds and certain levels of coolness in their own right, the LS is like a drifting cheat code.
One of our favorite LS-powered cars is the Nissan 370z of Jeff Jones. Unlike most LS engines in the pits, his powerplant starts life as a standard 6.0-liter truck engine. You didn’t misread that, this 700 horsepower supercharged drift car is powered by an iron-block truck engine. Obviously, it has a substantial amount of internal work to keep up with the sheer abuse it sees. Still, it’s pretty awesome to see an iron block used at a pro-level.
Jones isn’t the only one running a Z chassis, though. Ryan Litteral made the switch from his straight-six powered Nissan 240sx to this monstrous 1,000 horsepower supercharged LS3 powered 350z.
With BMWs, Nissans, and Mazdas all having LS swapped heritage in Formula Drift, it’s certainly earned its staple as one of the best engines for drifting. Across all levels of drifting, you are bound to run into something sporting the bowtie under the hood, despite what badge it wears on the grill. It’s just hard to argue against the amount of power you can get out of a tight budget.
Standard Issue Formula Drift Car
Among those various drift events around the country, you are bound to find something in common. Even the smallest drift clubs are not exempt from the LS-Swapped Nissan 240sx. It’s the best of both worlds. It’s a simple, cheap chassis with plenty of aftermarket parts. Furthermore, it’s a platform with independent rear suspension and excellent weight balance. Couple that with the easy and affordable power of the LS, and you’ve got yourself the dream. Travis Reeder started the season in an electric Camaro, which is a tad ironic. We digress, as when Formula Drift deemed the electric Camaro ineligible for competition, he fell back to, you guessed it, his LS swapped Nissan 240sx.
Additionally, Dylan Hughes and the aforementioned Corvette driving Field both formerly competed in LS swapped 240sx cars. Also, Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis, who placed third overall for the Formula Drift 2019 season, drives an LS swapped S14 240sx. The proof is in the pudding!
Overall, it’s clear that the LS is the choice of Formula Drift and drifting as a whole for a reason. It’s just a fantastic powerplant that can be obtained cheaply and can safely take a monumental amount of power.
For more LS-powered goodness, check out the below gallery from Irwindale Speedway.
Photos for LS1 Tech by Braden Carlson
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