The automobile is emblematic of America.  The Model T Ford created by Henry Ford, a “modern” means of transportation affordable by the working man/woman, and the interstate highway system built by the Eisenhower Administration have defined America.  As a baby-boomer I learned to love cars while in high school.  The most vivid memories retained from that time of my life come from Sunday afternoons spent at a drag strip, a double lane of asphalt through the tall piney woods, just outside of Roxboro, North Carolina.  The pit area where the work was done was unpaved.  If you were lucky your car was  under a shade tree to lend some relief on a hot summer afternoon.  Detroit was in it’s heyday.   Factory sponsored teams, would show up with the race Mustang, or Camaro, or Barracuda in tow on an open trailer.

I know what it feels like when a car driver/owner works and prays for one more tenth second improvement in the timing lights.  One never has enough and is always looking for more; more horsepower or improved chassis tuning for a quicker launch.  More knowledge, more luck, more money…… 

That’s a 20th century, industrial age, gear-heads expression of the ancient human quest.

I mentioned seeing a 1970 Camaro parked at the rear of the showroom floor of the Roadster Shop in Mundelein.  The hood was raised, exposing the engine to view.  I should add that the body styling of the 70 Camaro has not been my favorite.   This one immediately appeared menacing, reminiscent of a hungry beast.

The front grill intake, was like a great white shark poised at the moment of attack.  A glance under the hood instantly made the connection with the wide open styling of the air intake of the grill.  This was a twin-turbo motor.  Two turbo chargers where hidden under the cowling.  That alone is enough to make a Chevy 427 powered street rod interesting.  I learned there was much more.  Phil and Jeremy Gerber, owners of the Roadster Shop designed two separate fuel systems for this car.  One fuel cell contains ordinary 93 octane gasoline such as you and I purchase at the pump.  A second fuel cell contains c16 race fuel, formulated to 117 octane.

One presses the pedal to make more power, as the turbochargers spool up, the on-board computer switches to the second system delivering the C16 fuel to the motor.  Is it dark-art, or is it science?  The Nelson Racing motor which normally makes up to about 900 horsepower leaps to 1600 horsepower under full boost with the c16 fuel.  Just press the pedal!

The Camaro is named Split-Second.

Shooting a few photos, deep in thought, walking around the car, I fantasized what it would have been like to see this car make a pass at the Person County Drag-A-Way in 1966?

No doubt that one more tenth of a second of through the lights would easily be found with this car.

The problem with this beast will be tuning the chassis to handle the sudden surge to 1600 horsepower……..