Six Speeds Inc. Record Breaking LSX Camaro

Six Speeds Inc. breaks the 8 second barrier in a naturally aspirated LS1 T56 M6 Camaro being the first to break in to the 8s on a 6 speed manual transmission. This particular F-body is a 2002 Camaro Z28 stripper painted in a beautiful Sunset Orange Metallic – the only of it’s kind. The car weighs in at 3250-lbs with, driver, Joe Huneycutt in the seat and puts down a hefty amount of naturally aspirated horsepower.

Drag racing, today, has become a sport of machine. Throwing gears down a 1/4-mile strip has been something long forgotten by drag racers with the popularity of using an automatic transmission. The ease and precision made by using an automatic transmission allows for drivers to concentrate solely on throwing the car down the track safely and quickly. It is rare to see a highly modified drag car outfitted with a standard transmission these days. One of the most common go-faster upgrades in a drag car is a precision honed automatic transmission. Where has chivalry gone? With drivers hitting 7-second ¼-mi times on an automatic transmission, it grants a world to driver skill to say that the 8-second barrier has never been broken on a standard 6-speed transmission – until now.

Six Speeds Inc. (www.sixspeedsinc.com) had broken through that 8-second barrier on the 27th of January in 2008 on a naturally aspirated LS1 with an M6 T56 transmission at Houston Raceway Park in Texas. This car and driver are the very first of its kind, able to break this almost impenetrable 8-second barrier while manually shifting gears on a T56 6-speed manual transmission, placing it in the New World Record category.

Six Speeds Inc., founded by Joe and Amber Huneycutt in late 2004, is a company known for their expertise in T56 transmissions. They are experts in all types of high-power applications including Camaros, Corvettes, Firebirds, Vipers, and Mustangs. Being drivers and builders themselves, they understand the beating that drive-train components take in that sub-10-second ride down a quarter-mile. From the insane amount of torque generated to lift half of the car off of the ground and, on occasion, twisting chassis and breaking axles, to sustaining that power for the duration of the run, a world of stress is put on the entire car. For that reason, Six Speeds Inc. is considered a company of experts and specialists on the T56 transmission. Obviously, this one took a beating and kept on ticking.

This particular F-body is a 2002 Camaro Z28 stripper painted in a beautiful Sunset Orange Metallic – the only of it’s kind. The car weighs in at 3250-lbs with Joe Huneycutt in the seat and puts down a hefty amount of naturally aspirated horsepower. With a 403-ci or 6-liter LS1 engine, “It made 925hp to the flywheel with our LSX block. At the LSX event, we were one of the very first ones to ever blow one up. We didn’t put that one on there but it made roughly the same – 925.7hp,” notes co-founder and crewmember, Amber Huneycutt.

“It made 925hp to the flywheel with our LSX block. At the LSX event, we were one of the very first ones to ever blow one up. We didn’t put that one on there but it made roughly the same – 925.7hp.”

Joe Huneycutt, co-founder and driver for the Six Speeds Inc. car, is an accomplished drag racer in his own right. In 2006, he had won the LS1Tech.com North vs South Shootout in Milan, Michigan in the Super Stock class, obtaining the number 1 spot in both the qualifier and the entire event. He had also finished 6th in the NMCA Open Comp Class against 146 other drivers. The phrase “having your cake and eating it too” comes to mind when Joe takes the reigns on this car. Keep in mind, these reigns have 925 horses strapped to them with a 6-speed standard transmission.

The track conditions on this Texas day in January included dew and fog with a mess of humidity, creating an atmosphere dangerous for high speed passes. We’ve all seen cars on the driest of days lose control in a launch and spin wildly in the air after hitting the cement railings either in person or on the Internet. At 29.96 Bar., 80.11% Humidity, 311 DA, and 54-degrees, Joe Huneycutt took this car through the 60-ft at 1.286-seconds, the 1/8-mi at 5.729-seconds, and the ¼-mi at 153.37-mph resulting in a ¼-mi time of 8.935-seconds and a new world record.

While breaking the 8-second barrier might seem like a meager accomplishment, doing so on a human shifted standard 6-speed transmission equates to something never before done. Amber Huneycutt explains, “We wanted to be the first one to do it. I told Joe, ‘ I don’t care if the car blows up going down the track to do it – at least we got it once. It did it twice, thank goodness – we haven’t been able to get a track because its been raining since then.”

“We wanted to be the first one to do it. I told Joe, ‘ I don’t care if the car blows up going down the track to do it – at least we got it once. It did it twice, thank goodness - we haven’t been able to get a track because its been raining since then.”

Now, we know that Amber and Joe have been getting many questions as to how their engine is built, but are reluctant to release that information due to the fact that there are so many people calling in and emailing them trying to get the specifics of where to source these parts. I would suggest that our readers source this information on their own as Six Speeds Inc., have been so kind as to give us this much information on their build.

Engine Information:
• 2003 6L Truck Block 4.005
• Scat Billet Crankshaft 4-in Stroke
• Diamond Pistons
• Polydyne Coating on pistons
• GRP Aluminum Rods
• Clevitte Bearings Coated
• Total Seal Rings
• Cometic Heads Gaskets
• ET 255cc Cylinder Heads, hand finished by Greg Good
• Xceldyne Titanium Valves
• Jesel Custom Rockers
• Ultra Pro Machining Valve Covers
• Smith Brothers Push Rods
• Competition Cams Custom Grind (thanks Dean Harvey)
• Dailey Oil and Scavenge Pump
• ARE Pan
• Dry Sump Oil Tank from Petersen
• Jesel Belt Drive distributor with custom brackets by Six Speeds Inc.
• Jesel Keyed Lifters
• Beck Mechanical Sheet metal Intake with enlarged plenum by Greg Good Cylinder Heads
• Accufab 105mm throttle body

Ignition & EFI System
• Big Stuff 3 tuned by Don Bailey
• MSD 7531 Box
• Racepak V300SD 6 speed T56 Transmission with Viper Input Shaft, Viper Output Shaft, Faceplated and custom built by Six Speeds Inc.

Drivetrain
• 10-in Single Disk McLeod Soft Loc Clutch
• Custom Mechanical clutch linkage by Six Speeds Inc.
• Browell Bellhousing with cross shaft custom made
• Marks Williams Drive Shaft
• Moser 9-in with 5.29 rear gear

Wheel and Tire Package
The tires are Mickey Thompson ET Drags 28X10.5X15S on the rear and the
fronts are 26X4.5X15 ET front runners.

The wheels are Weld Magnum 2.0 15X3.5 and in the rear are 15X10’s.

The chassis is as follows:

Front Suspension is BMR Fabrication.
Rear Suspension is Madman and Company Racing
Afco Double Adjustable front and rear shocks
Madman and Company 12pt Rollcage

Exhaust
• Kooks 1 7/8 to 2” stepped headers

Six Speeds Inc, would like to thank:

DCB Enterprises for helping us with tuning
Greg Good Cylinder Heads for sponsoring the car and providing all labor free
Dean Harvey at Comp Cams for picking the camshaft
John Beck @ Beck Mechanical
Gibson Concrete for there sponsorship
BMR Fabrication for the sponsorship of the front suspension
Madman and Co. Racing for the sponsorship of the rear suspension

Six Speeds Inc. Crew: Scott and Amber
Six Speeds Inc. Driver: Joe