COMP Cams® Crowns Steve Reinhard Champion Of 2007 Hot Rod Magazine Pump Gas Drags

Reinhard’s COMP Cams®-equipped 2000 Chevrolet Camaro defeats most competitive field of Pump Gas Drag racers to date

In dramatic style, Steve Reinhard of Glen Bernie, Maryland, overcame a tough field of competitors and an empty nitrous bottle to collect the Hot Rod Magazine Pump Gas Drags title, defeating the big cubic inch Hemi Dodge Charger of Jim Pranis in the final round of racing. Reinhard’s Camaro was equipped with an assortment of COMP Cams® valve train products, a common denominator and fitting choice among the 42 qualifying racers at the Pump Gas Drags, which is sponsored by COMP Cams®, the absolute leader in valve train technology.
   
The Hot Rod Magazine Pump Gas Drags sponsored by COMP Cams® is a unique event requiring competitors to not only win five rounds of racing, but complete a 30-mile on-road cruise to the race track to show their street-worthiness. After passing a rigorous tech inspection staged at COMP Cams® headquarters in Memphis, TN, each car’s fuel tank was drained and replaced with only 10 gallons of 93 octane fuel. At that point, the hoods were sealed and no further work was allowed during the 30-mile trek to Memphis Motorsports Park. Each racer was required to “check in” at various points along the route to ensure trip completion. Once drivers arrived at the track, they were allowed to tune their cars and make one qualifying pass to make the 32-car field. The winner of the race, which was staged for the first time on a Saturday night in front of a record crowd, earned the coveted Pump Gas Drags title.
      
Reinhard’s winning Camaro features a 414cid LS1 engine with elaborate racing modifications, including a special order COMP Cams® camshaft and Part #26921 high performance valve springs. In addition, he runs the COMP Cams® GM LS1 adjustable timing gear set that allows complete cam timing modification.

“We have always run COMP Cams® camshafts, and we experimented with four different cams before settling on this profile,” said Reinhard. “The best part about it is that [COMP Cams® CAM HELP® tech line] offered us an assortment of different profiles, and we selected the one we wanted. In this case we are running a big block style lobe. They are great about helping us design the right camshaft. Regardless of what we ask for, there is always a profile that meets our need.”

“We never expected to make it this far or even qualify for the race,” continued Reinhard. “We only brought four nitrous bottles to the event, and we ran out on the last run at the 1000 foot mark. We finished the run without any nitrous shot. It was that close.”

For complete results of the Hot Rod Pump Gas Drags, visit www.hotrod.com or for full video coverage of the event, visit www.powerperformancetv.com.