Page 1 - The build

Page 2 - Modifications

This vehicle was built in collaboration with Luis Martinez Racing and Groundwerks Garage for professional drift competition (Formula Drift & Xtreme Drift Circuit).

www.luismartinezracing.com

www.groundwerksgarge.com

The pic on the left was how the vehicle used to look like. It was powered by a 578hp ka24de-t engine and stock transmission with uprgaded clutch and flywheel. Groundwerks garage began stripping down the vehicle right away and nothing was left except for the bare chassis. A new roll cage had to be designed to pass formula drift tech. Brad from Groundwerks is an expert chassis tech. I couldnt believe how fast he mached up the cage and got it fitted inside the car.

Wheel tubs were then created for some extra room underneath and turning radius. HKS Hypermax coilovers were installed, Sikky Manufacturing provided the sway bars, and Isis provided other suspension compenents.

After the chassis work was complete, Groundwerks started modifying some other compenents. KAAZ provided this sweet 1.5 way LSD,which is definetly a big help with getting the car sideways.

We chose to go with a Toyota 1uzfe V8 engine and a 350z transmission. We chose this setup because its different and no one has really tried this setup before. Custom adapter plate and mounts had to be made to make this work which is an easy task for the guys at Groundwerks! Spec clutch and flywheel were added because we know that Spec can handle the horspower and torque. We have used spec clutch's for many years now and we have never had one fail on us! That's performance folks! We test fit the engine and it pretty nicely except for the driverside header, which had to be modified to work around the steering assembly. Again, it was no problem for Groundwerks. All of the body aero was provided by the guys over at Extreme Dimensions. I have been working with this company for a few years now and love there duraflex products. They are definetly one of the best aero companies in the world.

The chassis was rolled over to the Groundwerks paint booth which was sprayed a bright white color with blue metal flake.

ATL fuel cells sent us one of there tanks and man this thing is so cool! Not only does it look cool but ATL cells have a strong reputation, they can with-stand any type of collision and remain intact. Saftey must come first for our driver! A custom tube mount was made for the cell, battery, and fuel pump. Aeroquip lines and fittings by Eaton Inc. were used for plumbing.

After the vehicle was painted it was time to re-assemble everything. Our original plan was to turbocharge the v8, but we realized maybe it would better to go NA to make things more reliable. A set of ITB'S were added which made the engine look mean. Helping with internal performance are Torco Lubricants. Konig wheels provided us with 2 sets of 18" wheels, which we painted to continue the white and blue theme of the car. Konig has an awesome wheel selection. It was very hard to pick which wheels we wanted to run on this car. To help us with some grip and smoke are a set of Kenda Tires. Kenda Tire signed Brad Hettinger for the 2011 drift season as his official sponsor.

 Brad Hettinger, owner of Groundwerks Garage and driver of LM Racing loved the feel of the new car right from the start. We tested the vehicle several times at Englishtown Raceway to get all the bugs out. In the cockpit we run a set of Recaro seats, Racepak disply / data logging system, Haltech stand alone ECU. ASD handbrake, Gforce harnesses, and Nardi steering wheel.

Here are some shots of the race car in competition and fully vinyl wrapped. The Kenda tires are so awesome and help us be more competitive on the track. You to can race on Kenda's by becoming a member of Kenda Tire's racer support program. You can find out more information about this on www.kendausa.com

We would like to thank all of our sponsors to help make this 2011 racing program happen: Kenda Tire, ScanGauge, Torco Lubricants, Spec Clutch, ATL fuel cells, Aeroquip, Armageddon designs, Konig wheels, Extreme Dimensions, Groundwerks Garage, Kaaz, Sikky, and Haltech.

More information can be found on: www.luismartinezracing.com