Network
Being a resident of the Midwest, particularly in Ohio, isn’t exactly ideal if you’re a car enthusiast. Sure, we have car shows, cruises, quarter–mile drag strips, the Mid-Ohio racing circuit, and even the automotive aftermarket giant Summit Racing is based here. But unlike states in the warmer climates, we only get about six months of decent weather. Well, when we say decent, we mean “it doesn’t snow.” 
So when we were invited to Ohio LSX’s 2nd annual Dyno Day held at Dyno Tune Motorsports in Columbus, Ohio, we didn’t know what to expect. We were initially told that over 100 cars would be spinning their wheels at the event, but Mother Nature wasn’t having any of it. Nope, with the state of Ohio under a steady diet of rain for almost three solid weeks at that point on April 23rd, many of the big-number guys decided it would be best if they stayed home.
So what we were left with instead were some varying degrees of down-to-Earth LS street cars, ranging from bone stock 4th and 5th generation Camaros, to a home-built 627 RWHP, daily driven ’99 Silverado. In fact, there were three cars at the event that put down numbers in the 620 range and an ’05 GTO that almost broke the 600 RWHP mark.
The atmosphere was friendly, there was free food and pop provided by the guys (and gals) of Ohio LSX, and there were even a few cars that no one expected to see, such as a ’98 Viper GTS, a Bentley Continental Flying Spur, and even a ’75 Fiat X1/9 roadster owned by John Rucker of Intense Racing turned up. Sadly however, none of these vehicles were powered by our favorite small block, but the Viper did manage to have a turn on the rollers resulting in 420 at the wheels as a result of a couple of bolt-ons.
But this is LSX Magazine, so let’s focus on the LS power. One of our favorite cars at the event belonged to Dr. Roy “Buzz” Korth, a chiropractor out of Columbus, and he was the proud owner of an ’09 CTS-V. But not just any CTS-V – Buzz’s car was lowered an inch and put down a healthy 620 RWHP as a result of its modifications that included ported heads, a new cam, an aftermarket exhaust, and the inevitable pulley, tune, and cold air induction found on most of these cars.
Another car –er, truck that caught our attention was the aforementioned, subtle-looking Silverado owned by Brent Carpenter of Zanesville, Ohio. Brent’s daily was put together himself by dropping in a used LQ9 from an Escalade with low-compression pistons, a 76mm Turbonetics turbo, a custom cam, and ported West Coast Racing 317 heads. Brent’s truck seriously hauls as the 623 pound-feet of torque help every one of the 627 horsepower put most contenders in the rear view. Not bad for home grown…
Another contender you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about in the future is Anthony Green and his blown ’98 Formula. Although it didn’t put down any numbers on that particular day, Anthony has made a best dyno run of 618 RWHP and 562 pound-feet, with the aid of a P-1SC-1 ProCharger. Keep an eye out for Part Two of our 10 Real World Boosted F-bodies story, as Anthony’s car will be among the final five featured in the article.
So after a long, rainy day in Columbus, Ohio, we left with a full stomach, a great story, new friends and ultimately, a grinning face –being surrounded by some of your favorite cars for hours will do that to you. We can’t wait until next year!
