C7 Corvette Coasts to the Drag Radial Quarter Mile World Record

Twin turbocharged Corvette runs in the high 5s at over 250 miles per hour after lifting early.

While running at the recent Import Vs Domestic World Cup Finals, Ken Quartuccio Jr. covered the quarter-mile in just 5.86 seconds, setting the world record for the quickest quarter-mile run by any vehicle on drag radial tires. The folks from the BigKleib34 YouTube channel were on hand to catch the record being set more than once at this event.

Best of all, he set the record while letting off before the finish line, so this car could go considerably quicker on a full pass once Quartuccio Jr. becomes more comfortable with his wicked C7 Corvette.

Proline Power

The video above begins and ends with footage of this monstrous C7 race car participating at the Import Vs Domestic World Cup Finals and we will talk about the runs in a second. First, we want to talk about the details of this little red Corvette, which we learn in the middle of the clip.

When the cameraman catches up to Ken Quartuccio Jr. in the pits, he explains that the car is powered by a Proline 481X race engine, fitted with a huge pair of turbochargers that are mounted just upstream of the exhaust tips poking out of the front fenders. The engine is tuned to produce around 3,800 horsepower and while we don’t know if that is at the wheels or the crankshaft, but it really doesn’t matter, as either number is impressive. More importantly, while the power numbers are impressive, this C7 Corvette is set up to make the most of that power, using the Skinny Kid Racing chassis to pull short times in the 1.0 to 1.1 range.

Finally, while speaking with Quartuccio Jr., we learn that he usually runs an 8^th mile series, so he just came out to the quarter mile event for fun. He explains that the car could run 5.70s in the quarter mile, but as he is learning the car, he lifts early to stay in the 5.80s. Mind you, while letting off and coasting through in the 5.80s, he is still setting a world record for drag radial race cars.

Track Action

The first track action in the video shows the red Corvette making a single pass down the track and even as the car dances around a bit, Quartuccio Jr. runs a 5.97 at 218 miles per hour. Next, he takes on a 4g Camaro, running a 5.98 at 234 miles per hour, but in the third run, the racing really gets good.

While taking on a Plymouth Barracuda, Quartuccio and his Corvette laid down a 5.88 at 250.88 miles per hour, setting the quarter mile world record for a car with drag radial tires. After that, he took on an unidentifiable pro stock-style import and reset the record, running a 5.86 at 253.75 miles per hour.

The video ends with a couple “slower” runs, as Quartuccio Jr. runs a 5.91 to beat another random import racer before losing to a Ford Mustang on his final run. On that losing run, he had more mid-track traction issues, allowing the Mustang to win with a balmy 6.23 at 220 miles per hour.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com