Got Boost? Under the hood...
Got Boost? Under the hood of Clark's '00 Vette is a modified LS1 engine wearing a D1 ProCharger that puts out up to 15 pounds of boost--enough to spin the dyno gauges into the 700 range for both horsepower and torque. Clark's best run of the day was 10.14 seconds at 137 mph.
Then it was time to hit the road and show what they could do, as they each had to survive the cruise route that was made up of public roads and their attendant traffic, signals, civilian-vehicle drivers, wind-blown bugs, road tar, and other hazards (that may have also included tourists with cheap GPS navigation units flashing the reassuring message "You're lost--go read a map!").
The heavy rains that swept through Atlanta and North Georgia the night before were gone by the time everyone arrived on the morning of the Shootout, and the roads on the cruise route were fairly dry. There was also no road construction of the emergency or long-planned kinds. The previous night's rainfall played havoc on the Atlanta Dragway's racing surface, washing away a layer of freshly applied VHT before the participants could make a run on it. Still, the track was in decent shape for both the round-robin quarter-mile runs and the make-against-make rounds set for the afternoon.
How'd our two C5s do? Joe Underwood's '99 ran a best of 11.20 seconds, solidifying his win for this Shootout that included a $250 gift certificate from YearOne. Joe says that times in the nines would have been possible had the newly installed Nitrous Express nitrous-oxide injection system been properly dialed in. At least Joe was able to drive home after the on-track session, something that Robbie Clark couldn't do with his red '00 droptop. Robbie made a quick 10.17/137-mph pass without the juice, and it was the best run he would do that day. As he launched on one of the round-robin runs (before he had the chance to add a spray of nitrous to his Vette's fuel stream), the rear axle gave up the ghost, and that ended his day early. Robbie was able to claim the Corvette Fever Best E.T. award of the Shootout, which also included a $250 gift certificate from YearOne.
 Launch Easy Underwood didn't...  Launch Easy Underwood didn't jump hard on the throttle, and the 1.7-second 60-foot time on his best run of the day showed it; an 11.20 was his best e.t. at the YearOne Shootout. Once the nitrous system is all dialed in, Underwood says his '99 will run in the nines. |  Torch Red, Plus For the YearOne...  Torch Red, Plus For the YearOne Shootout, MTI Racing graphics graced the quarters on Clark's '00 Corvette. |  Blue Cruiser Contestant vehicles...  Blue Cruiser Contestant vehicles in the YearOne Shootout not only have to run on the strip, but they also must go the distance on the road tour, as did Underwood's '99. |
 Plan B After the rearend...  Plan B After the rearend in Clark's Vette let loose, he needed some help to get back to his pit. Even though he didn't win, his previous 10.14-second run held up as the best Corvette Fever e.t. at the Shootout. |  Open For Business Waiting...  Open For Business Waiting his turn to make his quarter-mile runs, Underwood shows off the 421-inch LS-series engine under his '99's hood. |  Winner's Circle Underwood...  Winner's Circle Underwood scores his winner's prize package (which included a YearOne $250 gift certificate) from Alan Colvin (left) and YearOne's Pat Staton (right) |
 Patience Fortunately, Clark's...  Patience Fortunately, Clark's wait in the staging lanes wasn't nearly as long as the ones that Sportsman drag racers put up with in their early rounds when the NHRA's big national event comes to Georgia. |  ET Winner Clark also scored...  ET Winner Clark also scored a prize package from YearOne for the lowest CF e.t., presented by Alan Colvin and Pat Staton. | |