The battle for stick-shift supremacy is blazing hot. Jonathan Atkins has sat upon the throne since October of 2022 with his 6.615-second pass. Since then, Nick Cole-Mann has been chipping away and inching ever closer to taking the stick shift world record for the quickest quarter-mile pass with an H-pattern manual transmission.

Cole-Mann’s twin-turbo LS-powered 1991 S10 is a well-sorted combination that he has continued to dial in by making rear-gear changes, turbocharger changes, and other adjustments that have helped him make multiple 6-second passes. Solidly sitting at number two on the list, Cole-Mann began 2024 with his eyes on capturing the world record. He had an opportunity at this year’s TX2K event to go head-to-head with Atkins and take down the king. Cole-Mann qualified number one with a 6.81-second pass at 209 mph. After making his way through eliminations to meet Atkins in the final round Cole-Mann heartbreakingly red-lit by -0.001-second.

Images courtesy of Alan Smith / Mr. Fabulous Photography

Remaining focused on the goal, Cole-Mann returned to testing and improving his combination. His 400 cubic-inch LS engine boosted by twin 88mm Forced Induction turbos and tuned with a Haltech Nexus R5 ECU propelled his S10 to a 6.64-second pass at 209 mph, putting him a mere .003-second behind Atkins’ world record. “The only thing that separates me and that number one spot is a warmer race track,” Cole-Mann posted to social media following the mid-six-second run.

Video courtesy of David Franke

Yesterday Cole-Mann got his wish for better track conditions at US 131 Motorsports Park. He placed his name at the top of the record book by running a personal best of 6.600 seconds at 210 mph. Shortly after capturing the world record for the quickest vehicle with an H-Pattern manual transmission, Cole-Mann made history again. This time crushing his newly acquired record by running a 6.49-second pass at 219 mph.

Helping Cole-Mann secure the stick shift world record and setting him apart from many racers is his GFORCE T-56 manual transmission filled with Tick Performance goodies with a Black Magic clutch. According to Cole-Mann, his combination has plenty left in it to lower the record further, and if Jonathan Atkins has a say in the matter, he’s going to need it.