JOSH Lopreiato had to attend a
wedding on the weekend before Drag
Challenge, so his mates trailered his
epic HSV ClubSport all the way from
Wanneroo, WA – 2700 kays one-way.
That’s mateship for ya! And it helped
him win the Longest Distance Travelled
trophy.
Powered by an 1155hp 402ci LY6
V8 that breathes through an 88mm
BorgWarner turbo, Josh’s FEDPSI
VZ ran like clockwork all week and did
incredibly well to finish fourth outright.
“It was a wicked event,” said Josh. ”I’ve
been the last two years as a spectator,
and helped out on a mate’s car last
year, so I had to bring my car this year.
The car was fine all week and it droveoff the trailer once we got home.”
Unlike other big-power cars, FEDPSI
didn’t have issues in the heat of the first
two days. “The hot conditions didn’t
affect it,” Josh reckoned. “We didn’t
really struggle with the power, and the
only time we had traction issues was
at Swan Hill. I think it was a new track
and there wasn’t much rubber down
compared to the others.”
Josh’s quickest time all week
was an 8.52@160mph, though his
favourite time was driving FEDPSI on
the open road each day, despite the
challenging weather conditions and an
unimpressed Adelaide Highway Patrol.
“Driving it on the road was probably the
best part for my car,” he said.JUST being at Drag Challenge is a big
commitment: The event requires that all
participants drive from track to track – 1652km
over the course of the week – but there are
a number of dedicated street machiners who
drive, not tow, their Drag Challenge cars from
home, too.
This year’s Longest Distance Driven gong
was carried off by Kim Smith. She cruised her
2011 VE HSV Maloo from home, an hour north
of Newcastle, NSW, totalling 5600km door-to-
door, driving just a little further than Newcastle
resident Steve Nightingale in his bright orange- and as Steve describes it, thirsty! – XA
Falcon sedan.
The Maloo is Kim’s ex-daily driver, but since
the ex-LSA supercharger went on to pressure-
feed the 6.2-litre LS3 V8, it’s become her
weekend warrior. In the past 12 months Kim has
competed at the Ultimate Street Car Invitational
at Winton in Victoria – a multidisciplinary
event consisting of motorkhana, eighth-mile
acceleration/sprints and other stuff. She’s also
competed in the Atura State Championship at
Sydney Dragway and completed several other
track training days, too. Whew!
JOSH LOPREIATO
KIM SMITH
LONGEST DISTANCE
TRAVELLEDHSV VZ CLUBSPORT
Class: Haltech Radial BlownSPECS
Engine: 402ci LY6 Chev V8
Turbo: 88mm BorgWarner
Transmission: TH400Converter: 4500rpm
Diff: 3.25:1
Power: 1155rwhpPrevious PB: 8.25@166mph
Best Drag Challenge Pass:
8.52@160mph2011 HSV
VE MALOO
Class: K&N DYOSPECS
Engine: GM/HSV
6.2-litre LS3 V8
Blower: GM/ Eaton
LSA-spec
Transmission: Six-
speed manualClutch: Direct
Clutch Services
dual-plate ceramic
Diff: 3.7:1
Power: 597rwhpPrevious PB:
11.6@121mph
Best Drag
Challenge Pass:
11.7@118mphLONGEST DISTANCE DRIVEN
JOSH Lopreiato had to attend a
wedding on the weekend before Drag
Challenge, so his mates trailered his
epic HSV ClubSport all the way from
Wanneroo, WA – 2700 kays one-way.
That’s mateship for ya! And it helped
him win the Longest Distance Travelled
trophy.
Powered by an 1155hp 402ci LY6
V8 that breathes through an 88mm
BorgWarner turbo, Josh’s FEDPSI
VZ ran like clockwork all week and did
incredibly well to finish fourth outright.
“It was a wicked event,” said Josh. ”I’ve
been the last two years as a spectator,
and helped out on a mate’s car last
year, so I had to bring my car this year.
The car was fine all week and it droveoff the trailer once we got home.”
Unlike other big-power cars, FEDPSI
didn’t have issues in the heat of the first
two days. “The hot conditions didn’t
affect it,” Josh reckoned. “We didn’t
really struggle with the power, and the
only time we had traction issues was
at Swan Hill. I think it was a new track
and there wasn’t much rubber down
compared to the others.”
Josh’s quickest time all week
was an 8.52@160mph, though his
favourite time was driving FEDPSI on
the open road each day, despite the
challenging weather conditions and an
unimpressed Adelaide Highway Patrol.
“Driving it on the road was probably the
best part for my car,” he said.JUST being at Drag Challenge is a big
commitment: The event requires that all
participants drive from track to track – 1652km
over the course of the week – but there are
a number of dedicated street machiners who
drive, not tow, their Drag Challenge cars from
home, too.
This year’s Longest Distance Driven gong
was carried off by Kim Smith. She cruised her
2011 VE HSV Maloo from home, an hour north
of Newcastle, NSW, totalling 5600km door-to-
door, driving just a little further than Newcastle
resident Steve Nightingale in his bright orange- and as Steve describes it, thirsty! – XA
Falconsedan.
The Maloo is Kim’s ex-dailydriver, but since
the ex-LSA supercharger went on to pressure-
feed the 6.2-litre LS3 V8, it’s become her
weekend warrior. In the past 12 months Kim has
competed at the Ultimate Street Car Invitational
at Winton in Victoria – a multidisciplinary
event consisting of motorkhana, eighth-mile
acceleration/sprints and other stuff. She’s also
competed in the Atura State Championship at
Sydney Dragway and completed several other
track training days, too. Whew!
my car, he said.LONGEST DISTANCE
TRAVELLEDHSV VZ CLUBSPORT
Class:HaltechRadial BlownSPECS
Engine:402ci LY6 Chev V 8
Turbo: 88mm BorgWarner
Transmission:TH4 00Converter:4500rpm
Diff:3.25: 1
Power: 1155rwhpPreviousPB: 8. 2 5@1 66 mph
Best Drag Challenge Pass:
8 .5 2 @1 60 mph20112011 HSVHSV
VE MALOO
Class:K&N DYOSPECS
Engine:GM/HSV
6.2-litre LS3 V 8
Blower:GM/ Eaton
LSA-spec
Transmission:Six
speed mClClututchch::DiDirerectct
ClutchServices
dual-plate ceramic
Diff: 3 .7:1
Power:597rwhpPrevious PB:
11.6@121mph
BestDrag
Challenge Pass:
phission:Six-
manualChallenge
11.7@118mLOL NGEST DISTANCEC DRIVEN