Cool custom cars are awesome, but the stories behind the people who build and drive them are often even better. Top Gear host Rob Dahm found a perfect example of that phenomenon in Jesse Iwuji.

A current National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) racer, Jesse is also a former Navy Lieutenant Commander, an ex-college football player, and he’s built one killer Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06 drift car!

Iwuji told Dahm this particular 2006 Z06 is special; as Iwuji put it, “this is where everything began.” for his journey into performance driving. It served as his first track toy and led him toward a professional racing career.

When they talked about the engine, Iwuji revealed, “Aside from the supercharger, the motor is still stock bottom end LS7 that came with this car, literally has 222,000 miles, has never been opened up, never, nothing.”

To make it a true drift machine, Iwuji fitted a Wisefab kit for extreme steering angle – “I mean, I can back it into a corner if I wanted to,” he said. Feal coilovers and a hydraulic e-brake complete the essential drift modifications.

Before shredding real tires, Iwuji hones his skills on a racing simulator. “Honestly, it feels very much identical without the G-forces,” Iwuji commented, explaining how the sim builds crucial muscle memory.

Jesse Iwuji’s path to pro racing wasn’t typical. He explained to Dahm, “For me, I didn’t come from the racing world… my ultimate goal was just to become a driver, race professionally, have fun doing it, and compete.” His can-do attitude shines through his words: “Life rewards those who stay strong enough, long enough,” Iwuji stated.

Then, Dahm himself took the wheel for some drift lessons. Despite his nerves—”I’m gonna have a go in Jesse’s Corvette in the worst way possible – on camera, with the owner sitting right next to me,” he stated.

After some time, Dahm quickly got the hang of donuts and basic drifts under Iwuji’s coaching. A clearly stoked Dahm later said, “Today has been one of the best examples of why I love doing American Tuned.”

Watching Jesse Iwuji throw his supercharged C6 Z06 sideways is a masterclass in car control – a true high-speed dance that demands skill and a well-sorted machine.

This particular Corvette, with its tough, high-mileage LS7 heart and smart drift modifications, clearly showed it’s more than ready for that kind of aggressive driving.