Back in Time

Who knew what kind of twists and turns drifting would have made over the last decade. It went viral and grew from an obscure parking lot event to a major motorsports force in a few short years. Drifting demos put crowds into a frenzy at major open-wheel races like Long Beach and the Grand Prix of Toronto. It even became a household name with ambassadors like Cindy McCain (wife of Presidential Candidate John McCain), getting involved!

With the support of new sponsor Hankook Tires, Grunewald had a world of opportunity to put the best product on the car and ensure the team was well equipped to be competitive.

One of the most interesting twists drifting took over the decade was the fact that domestics could play too. They not only competed, but won event after event and a championship in the first year of Formula D with the Mopar Viper. It was commonly held that domestics were too sloppy, heavy and lacked the response needed to get sideways and have the agility to transition. Well, the domestics were built to perform and have been causing havoc in Formula D since year one.

 

Conrad Grunewald knows all about the capabilities of domestics. He once campaigned a C5 Corvette, but has now shifted gears and built a stunning 2010 Camaro. With the support of new sponsor Hankook Tires, Grunewald had a world of opportunity to put the best product on the car and ensure the team was well equipped to be competitive.

 

The process started by acquiring a GM Performance LSA crate motor. This fiery 6.2L doesn’t need much out of the box, but they made some more jam anyway by adding a few tweaks. The LSA motor is delivered stock with a supercharger, 9.1:1 compression and a forged crank. From there a Hennessy Supercharger pulley was added along with a Holley 90mm throttle body to breathe freely. An Aeromotive fuel system supplies the juice and Stainless Works LS Headers mated to Blu 808 custom dual 3-inch stainless exhausts exits the fumes. The ensemble was tuned by Mitch Peterson using the AEM Engine Management System. All the new power was harnessed by the Exedy triple plate carbon clutch and PST carbon driveshaft.

 

With more than enough power and torque, the next step was to ensure the big domestic could possess the footwork needed to drift. A set of Eibach R2-Pro adjustable coilovers were added for advanced adjustability. Then Blu 808 custom lower control arms were added along with a Blu 808 aluminum front strut bar for rigidity. The rolling gear was given careful consideration, and a set of Forgeline ZX3R alloys were sourced. The lightweight alloys were wrapped in Hankook’s RS-3 tires to maintain the proper balance of slip and grip. The braking was ramped up with Brembo calipers and 2-piece cross-drilled rotors.

The exterior treatment was a blend of function and the desire to get noticed by fans to promote the Hankook brand. Seibon stepped in to supply a load of carbon fiber parts including carbon fiber: hood, trunk, doors and even fenders. The paint was completed by Los Gatos Body Shop before the vinyl was applied.

 

 

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