WHEN we started planning VPW Drag Challenge 2014, Louis Younis from Sydney was super-keen to be involved. So keen in fact that he started building a new car specifically for the event.

Unfortunately the Torana coupe wasn’t ready in time, but Louis still showed up at Western Sydney Dragway to send us off, and check out the competition.

Even though he didn’t make the deadline, Louis stuck with the build and ended up debuting his glossy black LJ coupe at Summernats 28, where it made the Top 60 hall. But it’s not just a pretty ride; this beast has the potential to rattle a few cages at Drag Challenge 2015 with its 1100hp 420ci nitrous small-block.

“It runs an alloy Donovan block with Brodix heads and intake, and a 375hp single-stage nitrous system,” Louis says. “On the dyno it showed 1104hp. I’ve just switched to an MSD Grid as well, so I’ll be able to pull timing if the traction at some of the tracks isn’t quite there.”

On the road Louis uses E85, but he’s planning on tipping Roo16 into the beast for the quarter-mile. He’s already talking about doing a trial run to Newcastle and back before the event, and getting some track time at Western Sydney to give the car a decent shakedown. “Call it a mini-Drag Week. Just to make sure it tows a trailer all right and can handle some long-distance miles,” he says.

“I’m pumped though; I want to drive it all the way down to Melbourne, do Drag Challenge, run eights, and then drive home. I want to be the first Top 60 Summernats car in Australia to do Drag Challenge.”