Alec Robbins Formula Drift: Putting LSX Concepts To The Test

When we covered the LSX Concepts Magnuson 2650 front bearing support and flex drive earlier this year, we mentioned that pro Formula Drift driver Alec Robbins served as the real-world test platform. It seemed appropriate to go directly to the source. Robbins has been running supercharged LS power in competition since 2017. His relationship with LSX Concepts goes back even further than the development partnership. He started as a customer.

His car is a 2008 Nissan 350Z built for Formula Drift competition. Robbins fabricated the entire chassis in-house. The build runs composite body panels, a rear-mounted radiator and heat exchanger with electric pumps, all Earls plumbing, Wisefab suspension, Fortune Auto coilovers, a Gforce G101 transmission, and an ACT twin-disc clutch. A Radium fuel system with twin Holley brushless VR pumps delivers E85. The engine is a 427 cubic inch combination built by DoryBuilt out of Fargo, North Dakota. It runs a BMP block, Callies Compstar crank and rods, MAHLE Powerpack pistons at 10:1 compression, a BTR PDS cam, AFR Mongoose heads, and a Holley Dominator ECU paired with a Pro 12.3 dash. Robbins also built the exhaust, running through 2-inch primaries and out a single 4-inch outlet. A Magnuson 2650 Hot Rod supercharger sits on top, targeting around 1,000 horsepower at the wheels, depending on the track.

From Customer To Development Partner

Robbins first connected with LSX Concepts the same way most builders do: he bought their product. Back in 2017, he was running an OEM LSA supercharger and wanted a more stable drive solution. The mechanical static tensioner on the LSX Concepts setup appealed to him. It held up well through his Pro2 years. When he moved up to the Pro class of Formula Drift in 2020 and partnered with Magnuson, he stuck with the drive system he already trusted.

As power levels climbed, weak points started showing up. That led to regular conversations with LSX Concepts owner Greg Reimche, trading ideas and working through problems as they came up. “Being a fabricator myself, I love solving issues and coming up with new ways to improve products,” Robbins says. “So it was always pretty fun for me too.”

What The Data Showed

Robbins tested the flex drive first. The change from a static manual tensioner to the automatic spring-loaded design addressed a specific failure mode. Without a spring to absorb slack, the belt would stretch and grab repeatedly under hard throttle cycling. That put serious stress on internal supercharger components and cut belt life short.

“With the mechanical setup, we started actually breaking parts in the supercharger due to the harshness that would happen with on-and-off throttle,” Robbins says.

The flex drive solved it right away. Belt life improved dramatically. He ran four or five Pro events and several local events on the same belt without any drop in boost pressure.

The front bearing support was a different story in terms of expectations. Robbins went into it focused on mechanical longevity, addressing visible pulley flex. He was not expecting a performance gain. The data logs told a different story. Boost pressure climbed by one or two psi after installation.

“Gregg explained that because the pulley was flexing down more and more, the belt is losing grip on the outside ribs,” Robbins says. “So, supporting the pulley, we gained all that pulley area back. It was really cool and something I would be super skeptical of if I didn’t see the data and feel the difference in the car.”

Pushing The Limits At Evergreen Speedway

Formula Drift puts demands on a supercharged engine that drag racing and street driving do not replicate. At full throttle, the belt carries a full load, driving the rotors at high speed. The moment the throttle is cut, rotor inertia reverses the belt forces. That cycle repeats through every run. The rev limiter adds another layer of punishment on top.

Between 19 and 21 psi, belt life was exceptional. As boost climbed toward 25 psi, certain conditions proved more challenging. The Alec Robbins Formula Drift program found its stress test at Evergreen Speedway in Seattle, Washington. The track features a high-speed banked section with vehicle speeds around 85 mph under sustained heavy load for more than 10 seconds, followed immediately by a full throttle cut and then back to full power.

“At 25 psi and the extended loads, my theory is the belts would get hot, and then when I chopped throttle or hit the rev limiter towards the end of the bank, we were actually breaking belts,” Robbins says. “They wouldn’t slip, just break.”

He is direct about the limitation. At that level of sustained load, the belts reach their design ceiling. He does not believe any drive system can fully engineer around that.

Simple, Rugged, And Ready To Bolt On

Robbins describes the LSX Concepts hardware in plain terms. “They are very simple but clearly designed to be bulletproof,” he says. “Having every pulley in double shear, the whole system is just very rugged, while still keeping things easy to work on and simple to look at.”

Installation has been clean every time. “Fit has always been spot on. I’ve never had alignment issues or any sort of troubles with the LSX Concepts stuff. Bolt it on and go,” Robbins says. Other drivers in the Formula Drift paddock have followed suit after seeing his results, though most run lower boost numbers.

For builders considering the supercharged LS route, his recommendation is clear. “If you are going the supercharger route on any LS build, this setup would be my only choice,” he says. “Without a good, reliable drive system, no supercharger is going to live up to its full potential.”

What Comes Next For The Build

Robbins keeps developing the car between events. His latest project is an electric over-hydraulic steering system. The goal is to eliminate the mechanical steering pump and simplify the engine bay. That work produced a new accessory delete bracket for builders running an alternator-only setup without power steering or A/C. It is available now through the LSX Concepts website.

On the competition side, Robbins stepped back from major Pro events this season and plans to focus on smaller local events. The 350Z and its Alec Robbins Formula Drift supercharged 427 combination that helped develop these products will keep turning laps. Knowing Robbins, there will be another weak point to solve before long.