Gen 2 LT1-powered Camaro Continues Its Reign of Record-breaking Terror
Tick Performance created an absolute monster with their LT1 powered Camaro and shattered a whole bunch of records in the process.
LS and newer LT4 engines get all the attention they deserve. But what about the LT1 350 small-block that GM produced from 1992-1997? They’re not exactly the talk of the community. That’s a bit of a shame, because in the right hands, these engines are quite capable. But a recent string of record-breaking runs by Tick Performance could change all that. If you’re in the market for an Gen 2 LT1, you just might want to buy one now, because once word gets out about what the team accomplished, prices are bound to go up.
Jonathan Atkins, the owner and driver responsible for the historic runs, once again broke his own records. Jesse Kleiber, operator of the BigKleib34 YouTube channel, recently covered the latest runs. Atkins completed his latest record-breaking runs at the World Cup Finals: Import vs. Domestic, Oct. 30 – Nov. 3, at the Maryland International Speedway.
One Crazy Camaro
Kleib immediately starts the video listing what exact records Tick Performance smashed. Atkins is the new GM H-pattern stick shift record holder and the fastest rear-wheel drive H-pattern car in the United States. “The surprising factor about this thing is that it’s not an LS car. All of the record holders have been knocking each other off the top spot and they’ve been LS cars. But this particular car is powered by an LT1,” says Kleib. The Grubb Worm, or “Grubbworm,” as the team calls it, is a 1997 Camaro SS powered by an LT1 from a 1996 Caprice. It’s received a whole host of modifications to get it to this point. Tick Performance modified the T56 as well, and it’s available on their website.
How well did Atkins do in this latest outing? Very well. He destroyed the records he set earlier this year. “You didn’t just go for the record, you’re about to shave a whole second off everybody’s stuff!” says Kleib. Atkins didn’t expect the Camaro to run a 7.30 quarter mile time but obviously he’s not going to argue with results. Kleib asks a very important question about the state of the LT1 Camaro: “Do you still have more left in it?” Atkins thinks there’s a bit more to play with but feels that they’re close running out of turbo power. With its current modifications, Atkins is confident that the car boasts an output of about 1,450 horsepower.
LT1 FTW
Kleib doesn’t get any information from Atkins about how exactly he gets such good performance out of his Camaro. That being said, he does mention that the clutch has helped them with their success. Regardless of how they achieved it, it’s pretty cool to see a team so dedicated to the LT1 engine. While GM’s short lived engine doesn’t get noticed nearly as much as their newer small-blocks, it’s still got the performance chops to slay lap times. And people have swapped the LT1 into plenty of other cars. We’ve covered two Toyota Supra street racers that benefited greatly from their LT1 engines.
In any event, we tip our hat to Atkins and his team at Tick Performance. We hope they find more success with their Camaro and can’t wait to see what they do next.