Yesterday marked the opening day of the 2011 Formula Drift season and GM opened the season up with a bang! Thanks to some fearless driving during qualifying by Conrad Grunewald and his GM Performance Parts-powered Chevy Camaro, GM earned the first qualifying position among the top 32 competitors out on the field. Conrad’s Camaro is powered by a GMPP Crate Engine version of the upcoming supercharged Camaro ZL1 powerplant, so there’s plenty of power to swing the Camaro’s rear end around. We’ll be excited to see just how well those ponies can leave little bits of Hankook rubber on the Streets of Long Beach track today.

Formula Drift action opens up today at 11:30 PM PST and we’ll be carrying all of the action here on GMTunerSource.com via the livestream here - http://www.gmtunersource.com/gmracing/drifting/formula-drift-live

In case you can’t sit glued to your computer all day, GMTS will be broadcasting up to the minute updates during competition runs on our Facebook page here - http://www.facebook.com/GMTunerSource

SOURCE: Wrecked Magazine

The go-fast crazies at GM Performance Parts are kicking off the 4th-annual LSX Shootout this weekend at the Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, MO. There’s going to be plenty of racing and fun going on of course, with several drag racing and car show classes so every car touting an LS motor can jump in on the action. GMPP is even brining out a few toys of their own that make our toys look like well, toys. A LSA-powered ’96 Impala SS, a ’89 Camaro with a LSX454 fitted underhood and a 4th-gen Camaro with a LS9 shoved between the front rails will be on display for your gawking pleasure.

If you have the pleasure of owning an car with a LS powertrain, then you really don’t want to miss this event. It’s a no-hold-barred LS series love fest with plenty of fun for every taste and attitude.

The full press release is included below, but for the full details on the LSX Shootout, head on over to www.nmcadigital.com/lsx.

 

OFFICIAL RELEASE:

GM PERFORMANCE PARTS SHOWS PROJECT CARS AND NEW LSX PARTS AT FOURTH-ANNUAL LSX SHOOTOUT

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – GM Performance Parts returns as the title sponsor for the fourth annual LSX Shootout and will be on hand with an impressive display of crate engines, parts and project vehicles – including the three GMPP vehicles featured on the cover of the November 2010 issue of GM High-Tech Performance. Each is powered by a new GMPP crate engine.

The project vehicles include:
·        An LSA-powered 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS, using the same 556-horsepower supercharged 6.2L engine found in the Cadillac CTS-V series
·        A 1989 Chevrolet Camaro powered by GMPP’s LSX454 crate engine
·        A fourth-generation Camaro equipped with GMPP’s new LS9 crate engine, which is based on the 638-horsepower supercharged 6.2L engine used in the Corvette ZR1.

Also on display will be the E-ROD ’55 Chevy, featuring the emissions-compliant LS3 E-ROD crate engine package (California EO pending). The E-ROD package includes the 430-horsepower LS3 engine, catalytic converters and other emissions equipment that enable vehicles to pass California’s stringent emissions tests.

The LSX Shootout takes place Oct. 7-10, at Gateway International Raceway, near St. Louis. It features several drag racing classes and car show classes for all vehicles powered by LS engines.

“The LSX Shootout is the premier event for racers and street enthusiasts with LS power, and GM Performance Parts is behind them 100 percent,” said Dr. Jamie Meyer, product integration manager for GM Performance Parts. “The project vehicles we’re bringing demonstrate the possibilities for swapping an LS engine into any vehicle, and we welcome enthusiasts to look them over and ask questions about how to do it themselves.”

GMPP’s parts and engine displays will include the latest LSX maximum-performance parts. They’re suited for drag racing and are designed to support engines making 2,000 horsepower, or more, with supercharging, turbocharging or nitrous. Among them will be the LSX Bowtie blocks – including the tall-deck version for building large-displacement engines of up to 500 cubic inches – as well as new drag-race six-bolt cylinder heads, intake manifolds and forged rotating components. GMPP personnel will be available throughout the event to answer tech questions and explain the key attributes of the new parts.

“As more and more competitors discover the advantages of running an LS engine, we’re rolling out more racing-specific parts that give them the tools they need to go quicker,” said Dr. Meyer. “General Motors designed, engineered, and brought to market the LS engine family, and there is simply no other manufacturer that offers more parts to build the LS engine of your dreams.”

Racing and street enthusiasts can also tap the hands-on expertise of technicians from Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center, one of the country’s largest GMPP dealers and installers.  

“Our guys are true LS gearheads,” said Nickey Fowler, of Scoggin-Dickey Performance Center. “We invest in training on things like camshaft and valvetrain theory, so the technicians we’ll have at the LSX Shootout draw from a deep well of classroom and hands-on knowledge.”

Along with the technical support and parts displays, Scoggin-Dickey will stock popular parts for purchase at the event, in the event racers need a last-minute part to keep them in competition.

It pays to win
GM Performance Parts will award the fastest LS-powered racers at the LSX Shootout and pay a $250 bonus to any racer who wins his or her category using an LSX Bowtie engine block. GMPP will also supply awards to all racing class and show class winners.

More information about GM Performance Parts is available at gmperformanceparts.com. Details on the LSX Shootout are available at www.nmcadigital.com/lsx.

About GM Performance Parts
GM Performance Parts (GMPP) fuels the passions of automotive enthusiasts with factory-engineered and fully assembled crate engines, engine parts and vehicle accessories, including specialized licensed parts and accessories. GM Performance Parts is the only source for brand-new, classic small-block and big-block crate engines, which use all-new parts, including the cylinder block, rotating assembly and cylinder heads. GMPP is also the leader in “LS” performance, with a full range of production-based crate engines and the growing family of LSX maximum performance engines and parts. GMPP’s LS-based E-ROD engine packages include emissions equipment that is certified in California for special-construction vehicles, delivering high-performance with low emissions. No other manufacturer offers a comparable emissions-compliant system. Customers can view information and purchase engines and parts at gmperformanceparts.com.

 

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The team at GM Performance Parts has a few screws loose if you ask us – but that’s just the way we like them. Without their noggins being properly bolted together, they come up with performance packages like the new LS9 Supercharger Package which just screams insanity. If you’ve been searching for some type of power adder to bolt up to your LS3-powered Chevy since you drove it off the lot, the search is over. This bad boy of a kit will make your factory monster LS3 V8 seem docile as the package can make your seemingly stock Camaro or Corvette put out up to 650hp with the properly paired components.

The official press release hasn’t hit the wire yet, but we know some people that know some people and we got the hook up for you all so you can be the first at the parts counter to order yours and surprise the heck out of your friends. When you step up to the counter just tell them you need part number 19244103 and make it snappy, there’s fresh tires on your car that you need to break in! The kit will include all of the components to make the kit work right out of the box of course and will carry the same warranty that all GMPP carry which make this kit knock the funk out of the competition.

When the official release gets out, we’ll update you all here with the full statement for your enjoyment.

Thanks GMPP - Let’s kick the tires and light the fires!

 

The results are in! And it turns out that the 4th Annual CrateEngineDepot.com Sport Compact Meet was a resounding success! As we all know, it’s the people that make up a community, and luckily we have tons of great people that make up the GM small car family – and apparently some that have a little bit too much free time and access to tons of blue painter’s tape! Hit the jump and check out the mischief and fun that went down at CED this past weekend.

The party started with some good ole fashion drag racing Friday night at the Great Lakes Dragway. This was the first time at a drag strip for quite a few Cobalt owners who were anxious to lay down the best passes possible to show they had the goods before Saturday’s beauty pageant. One of the most notable passes of the night was by a 70 year old veteran who had not raced in over 50 years. That fact surprised a lot of those in attendance though because he was able to pull off a .089 reaction time and hit 14.1 through the whole 1320. Quite impressive indeed for 50 years of dust to shake off! You can check out all of the great shots of Cobalts taking on some classic drag cars in our image gallery at the bottom.

On Saturday, the festivities made their way over to Rockenbach Chevrolet which was the official gathering point of the meet. One of the best things about a large meet like this is being able to check out all of the unique modifications each person has done to their cars, and boy was there ever an eclectic range of ideas on display at Rockenbach. Everything from a Batman-inspired HHR and a Cobalt with Italian Police livery to lambo doors and grand sport stripes. The customization didn’t stop there either as the blue painters tape was out in force and even completely covered a Cobalt’s hood, which was good because it served as a message board to display some very descriptive and seemingly very important information about a few owners at the show (you can check that image out in the gallery and see if you can spot all of the not-so-subtle notes).

Something really exciting about this year’s show was the vast distances that owners came from. There were Cobalts from as far away as California, Florida and New York that made an appearance which only means one thing… The ION, SKY, Solstice and HHR groups need to step it up for the fall show! For those that did make it out, there were special gifts and deals available from GM Performance Division and GM Performance Parts. Never one to miss an event, Bill Duncan from GMPD was on-site to answer questions and bounce ideas off of which he seemed to never stop doing all day long.

If you couldn’t make it out to Rockenbach Chevrolet for the event, don’t fret. We have almost 60 pictures documenting the weekend that you can thumb through in our gallery below. Do you see your car in the coverage shots? Give us a shout below and let us know who you are!

 

The HOT ROD Power Tour keeps on moving along and for day 5 of the tour, Chattanooga, TN is the destination. The first couple days of the Power Tour was mired with rain and clouds but Chattanooga brought out the sun for the convoy of hooked up rides that follow the tour from city to city. There are some amazing cars at this stop, like every stop, but in TN a restored, flat back drop-top with suicide doors and an LS1 stuffed under the hood made us drool. Check out the gallery for full details on that sick piece of metal.

One of the unique opportunities of catching up with the Power Tour is that the GM Performance Division always has the coolest items on display for gearheads to check out. One of those features is the very detailed cut-away and stock engines they have in the GMPD booth. For the Power Tour, GMPD has been showcasing a few of the top dog engines that hot rodders of any age will appreciate.

On display is an old style Z383 small block with a Holley carburetor for the old school and budget minded while a 572 cu in. is showcased for the Big Block fans. But what engine display would be complete without a LS9? That’s right, you can check out the mighty LS9 at the GMPD booth in all its supercharged glory. The LS9 is not for the power- or price-squeamish though as it commands $22,000 for all 600hp of its supercharged ponies – and that doesn’t even include the accessory drive, wiring harness or ECU. If that’s too rich for your blood, or your tires, you’re in luck as GMPP has an engine for every budget on display.

GMPD is also featuring the new E-Rod street package, which is a 100% California emission-compliant package and it comes bundled to a few of GMPP’s most popular motors including the LS3. As any novice knows, the LS3 has over 430hp and at only $9,400 for the entire package you might as well be stealing it – word around town is that if you ask your GMPP dealer nicely you’ll get a hefty discount off that price too.

We’d like to give a special callout to Keith & Donna Kenney who have been participating in the HRPT since year 3 and have made quilt from past year’s HRPT shirts. Now that’s dedication! Take a look at their masterpiece in the gallery below.

Be warned Birmingham, AL. The Power Tour is coming to you next!

 

Last week we got word that famed race car driver and former Assistant Chief Director for Corvette and Director of the GM Performance Division John Heinricy would be driving around in a Cobalt SS Turbo that was fitted with the upcoming LNF Stage 1 kit. Upon hearing that, we reached out to you to send us questions that you would like to see John answer about his thoughts on the LNF Stage 1 kit. We compiled those questions and shot them over to John, who after spending some time getting to know the Stage 1 Cobalt SS better, answered them for the GMTS fans. We're excited to have John on here for you guys so without further ado, here is his take on the Cobalt SS LNF Stage 1 kit and answers to just about all of your questions.

The Cobalt Stage 1 Kit is well along its way to being available at a dealer near you. As such, we hear more details weekly that we can then pass on to you, the Cobalt SS Turbo owner and fan. If you are the lucky owner one of these turbocharged monsters, you’ll be able to run out and buy the new Stage 1 kit from a GMPP dealer and instantly add 20hp and 60lb.-ft of torque to your Cobalt and keep your full factory warranty intact. In addition to the added power, the kit serves as the gateway mod for the Cobalt and will disable the “learn down feature” of the stock PCM. This nifty feature allows your Cobalt to fully utilize any other modifications (intake, header, exhaust, downpipe, etc) that you’ve may have or wish to add in the future – making your dream 350hp Cobalt a very close reality.

Creating any sort of factory-backed performance upgrade is a task that is destined to be plagued with issues. However, the great folks over at GM Performance Parts are experts in this arena and have fought hard to deliver a performance upgrade tailored to exactly what Cobalt SS Turbocharged owners are looking for. This is important while developing performance upgrades that will let you toast your tires without toasting your warranty. Now this is where it gets good. We know all of you have been waiting rather patiently for some news and updates and we have been waiting patiently to deliver something to you.

 Last week we brought you a feature on how to install a roll cage in your Chevy Cobalt. We know, not the typical modification, but definitely needed when you start upping the boost and become a terror at the track. Keep in mind, roll cages aren’t just for when you have 1000hp and have to hold on for dear life when you plant your right foot down. Roll cages serve a dual purpose and can be a terrific way to add some structural rigidity to your vehicle as well as impressing your friends and judges at your next car show or local hangout.

We have been working with GM on some updates here for you on the Cobalt SS Turbo Stage 1. We know that all most of you want to know is WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE AVAILABLE?! I can’t tell you how much we appreciate your patience and continued support for GM during this waiting period - you have all been great.