During a test ‘n tune session at Beech Bend Raceway Park last weekend, 19 year old Adam Preston drove his third generation Chevrolet Camaro to a 7.991 second elapsed time at 172 miles per hour, becoming the quickest stock suspension, LS-powered car in the world utilizing a single nitrous kit on 29×10.5 tires, and the second quickest stock suspension LS-powered 29×10.5 nitrous car in the world. Adam unloaded an 8.01 off the trailer and followed it up with the 7.99 pass. A week prior, the team ran a best of 8.19 while competing in the Holley LS Fest, also at Beech Bend.
Owned and driven by Adam and tuned by his 16-year old brother Isaac, the Camaro is motivated by a 461-inch bullet based upon a GM LSX block, with All Pro Hurricane cylinder heads, topped with a cast GM intake manifold and a Holley Dominator carburetor with a single fogger nitrous setup. The motor is backed by a Bradco-prepared Powerglide transmission with a PTC torque converter. The Preston’s purchased the car a couple seasons ago and acquired the engine last year and have steadily chipped away at the elapsed times with each trip to the track.
Adam competes regularly in stock suspension 28×10.5 races in the Kentucky and Tennessee region, and the LS Fest marked his first crack at running the Camaro out the back door to the 1320′ mark. However, a gremlin in the engine caused a surging issue throughout the weekend, limiting them to the 8.19 at 168 effort after cutting the nitrous around the 1000′ marker.
Said father Shawn Preston, “After we bought the motor last year, it had some problems and we put a little money into it to try to straighten it out. We put it in and it ran high 5.30’s and low 5.40’s in the eighth mile, just like a bracket car. We kept fooling with converters and gears and got it down to the high .20’s and low .30’s. We put a 3.70 gear in it about a month ago and picked it up over half a tenth, just automatically. Then, I put some Santhuff struts on the front and that’s where the car has really started working.”
On the 7.99 pass, Adam went 5.13 at 140 miles per hour to the eighth mile, numbers they hope to back up in three weeks at the GM LSX Shootout in St. Louis.
“It’s impressive for a 19 and 16 year old kid…it makes dad proud. They did good. Adam has won the last 15 out of 17 races that he’s been to, and it was a big thing for us to run in the sevens.”