Holden pickup-car runs low 11s with a naturally aspirated LS1 and a manual transmission.
This Australian-flavored drag race comes to us from the Fullboost YouTube channel and it features a Holden Commodore VS Ute making a few passes down the quarter mile. This is an odd feature for the channel, considering the LS1 under the hood doesn’t rely on any boost. Instead, this Holden Ute is packing a naturally-aspirated engine with a manual transmission. Oh, and it lays down some solid elapsed times.
NA LS1 Powa
The LS1 engine is likely one of the most commonly used engines in the drag racing world and in Australia, it is the chosen powerplant for many of the high performance Holden products tearing up the track. However, with how well these engines take to boost, most racers who want to make big power turned to turbocharging, supercharging or nitrous oxide.
On the other hand, this Holden Commodore Ute is powered by a naturally-aspirated, stock displacement LS1. The engine was built by Flowcraft with a forged bottom end, ported cylinder heads and a custom hydraulic camshaft, leading to an output of 418 rear wheel horsepower on 98-octane pump gas.
That power is sent to the rear wheels of this modern-day El Camino by means of a T56 manual transmission with a twin plate clutch and a 9-inch rear differential with 4.50 gears – helping to transform this work-ready utility vehicle into an impressive race car.
Ute in Action
The video begins with a few shots of the Holden Commodore VS Ute at rest, including a look at the built LS1 under the hood. After a list of modifications, it is time for the good part.
After a big, smoky burnout, the Commodore eases up to the line where it does battle with some variety of Holden sedan from the HQ line. As the two stage, we can hear the car in the near lane build boost and when the greenlight drops, the sedan goes tearing down the track. The Commodore gets beaten pretty soundly, but in doing so, it lays down an 11.16 at 126 miles per hour.
The second run is filmed from the in-car camera, giving us a chance to watch the driver bang through gears as the Holden Ute covers the quarter mile in just 11.15 seconds – so not only is it quick, but it is consistent.
"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.
