Rado's Pro Outlaw front-wheel drive tC sports a 2.7-liter Toyota 3RZFE pushing out 1,200 hp using methanol fuel. On the flip side, the methanol-powered All-Motor/Pro Stock Class racer built for Durst expects to put out 320 hp using the stock 2.4-liter Scion 2AZFE motor. Durst's tC is fully race modified; don't expect your average stock tC to be able to push 320 hp on the stock bottom end. Featuring a full tube-frame construction, Durst's tC will debut at this year's SEMA show and is expected to run 9s shortly thereafter. Not to be left in the dust, Rado's tC should already be in the heat of competition, with the 2000-pound silver streak mica racer pushing into the 8s at least.
Rado is an infamous import drag-racing veteran, with years of dragging and plenty of experience and fame under his belt. In his World Racing Celica, Rado set the Atco Pro FWD track record of 8.478 seconds at 176.14 mph. Durst is Turbo magazine's 2003 Rookie of the Year and in just three years has been the first to blast through the 9s in class, setting the Pomona Raceway track record in the process. If these pictures are any indication, Scion Racing is putting its full weight forward, decking out the tCs with custom bodywork, huge turbochargers, full aerodynamics and fat slicks. Now if Scion could only make those lunchbox xBs run 8s straight off the showroom floor.
Stillen Opens WideOn June 4, 2005 the leading Nissan tuner, Stillen, opened its doors and invited every single one of its 300ZX, G35 and 350Z customers out for its annual open-house event. More of a gather-around and shoot-the-shit type of event than an open sales pitch, the event featured vendor displays from such companies as AP Racing, Eibach, Volk Wheels, Unorthodox Racing, ACT, Injen, Tokico and Goodridge in addition to shop tours, a live DJ, dyno runs and lots of Nissans. Inside the building, class was in session with Steve Millen himself hosting a supercharger seminar. Other seminars touted exhaust, suspension and braking systems lessons. Always a sight to see, Millen's fire-breathing No. 75 IMSA GT 300ZX was on display. The day's big surprise was the 300-hp 2006 Nissan 350Z driven to the event by an employee of Nissan USA. Next year will be Stillen's 20th anniversary, and the next open-house event promises to be the biggest so far. Don't be left out: www.stillen.com.
New Record For Raceline USAFor some people fast is good but record-breaking speed is even better. Veteran land-speed racer, Raceline USA, once again smashed new records and stepped closer to its goal of 215 mph in a stock-bodied Type R on the El Mirage Dry Lake. The weapon of choice was a 2.0-liter turbocharged 1998 Integra Type R packing 438 hp, as measured on a Dynojet chassis dyno. The car was entered in the G/BGC Class, which means production-bodied coupes (no extra wings or aerodynamics), race gas and 1.5- to 2.0-liter forced induction. Raceline set a new record of 176.1 mph, putting the company just 38.9 mph off of its intended 215-mph record. This proves once again that Elton Lo, driver of the Raceline Type R, has some of the biggest brass ones around because 215 mph is by far faster than we would want to go in a stock-bodied Type R. Keep up with the crazies at www.racelineusa.com.
Drift Tyco-OnsDrifting. You've spied it on Speed Channel and at the Formula D events. You've read the past few issues of 2NR and know a little about what parts it takes to turn your jalopy into a touge contender. The only problem is that paper hat you wear to work only brings in six bucks an hour. At that rate you'll have your first gray hairs before you have your first drifting mod. Before you go throw yourself off the nearest high rise in despair, pick up a new Drift Kings R/C car. That's right: drift cars, as in left the back end slide out in a hail of tire smoke. We haven't gotten much work done lately because we've been drifting ours all around the office. We even appointed judges to score our clipping points and drift angles and set up our own track. Tyco's current lineup includes the Mazda RX-7 and Nissan S15. Both cars are equipped with four-wheel drive, speed control and a set of both street and drift tires.
If we haven't enticed you yet, consider this: If you attend Formula Drift events, you could win your very own R/C car and then find yourself battling some of Formula D's heavy hitters. If your bucket of bolts can't beat them on track, you can at least challenge them off track. And at $69.99 you could work an extra shift to get the money to buy one.