Veteran Australian campaigner John Ricca wheeled his screw compressor-equipped Jerry Bickel-built 2017 Camaro to an incredible 5.379-second quarter-mile blast to shatter the record for the world’s quickest and fastest supercharged production car during testing at Victor Alvarez’s Bradenton Motorsports Park, in Bradenton, Florida, on a pristine surface prepared by traction guru Wade Rich.
The Melbourne, Victoria, performance shop owner used the 5.37 to conclude a stunning series of runs, which included a previous pass at 271.02 miles per hour to make Ricca also the first driver of a supercharged Pro Modified machine over 270 mph.
Using a PSI screw supercharger on a Pro Line Racing MH7 Chrysler Hemi engine mated to one of Mark Micke’s M&M TurboHydro 400 three-speed automatic transmissions, Ricca’s first test runs in the unlettered Chevy on Thursday, November 21, 2024, resulted in an shut-off 3.59 at 210 eighth-mile effort which was quickly followed by nearly identical half-track numbers on the car’s first quarter-mile shot, a brutal 5.43 at 268 mph which made the Aussie star the fourth quickest and third fastest blown quarter-mile racer in the world.
The team’s final run of the day resulted in a 3.58 at 212 which ended with an astonishing 5.40 at a stunning 271.02 mph! The speed was an all-time record for any doorslammer utilizing a screw compressor, centrifugal supercharger or Roots blower and broke the 269.56 mph record set on January 27, 2023, clocked by Georgian Eric Dillard in the seat of Jose Gonzalez’s orange Q80 Procharged 1969 Camaro, (also set at Bradenton). The 5.406-second elapsed time put Ricca a mere thirteen thousandths of a second from the 5.393 record for supercharged cars set by Dillard the same day almost two years ago.
On Friday, November 22, the team opened with a 3.60 at 211 eighth en route to a shut-off 5.49 at 234.21 but followed with a blistering 3.58 at 213 and a 5.412 at 270.81 to efficiently confirm the previous day’s best. On their final testing run under the lights in 905 feet corrected elevation, Ricca rocketed to a staggering 0.906 sixty-feet ET, a 3.55 at 213 eighth-mile and a monumental 5.379 at 270.75 miles per hour to become the king of the supercharged door car world. Although he was the thirteenth door car pilot over 270 mph, John Ricca is now the only human to do it without turbochargers.
Ricca, who owns the renowned RPM (Race Parts Melbourne) Automotive Speed & Performance emporium on Australia’s southeast coast, was elated for his sponsors, Tuff Streeters (located in Carrum Downs) and Joel’s Garage Gear (based in the Australian capital of Canberra). Ricca immediately offered the credit to ProLine’s tuning powerhouses, Steve Petty and Brandon Stroud.
Among the large crew accompanying the car to the United States was another Australian drag racing icon, (and occasional Georgia resident), Paul Mouhayet who is best known for retaining the world record for any machine on 10.5-inch rear tires since July 17, 2016, when his own twin-turbocharged Chevy-powered 2006 Mustang clocked a 5.86 at 255.29 on “Ws”, (and who, only five days before arriving for this test session, won the 2024 New South Wales Pro Import Championship at Sydney in the Gas Racing Toyota Corolla six-cylinder running 6.04/243!). Mouhayet’s own twin-turbo Pro Modifieds have run as strong as 5.53 at 274.33.
“We plan to make the car legal, (specifically weight and supercharger overdrive), and come back for the last two races of the Drag Illustrated Winter Series at Bradenton,” noted Mouhayet.
Ricca added, “We’re done for the year now, and we won’t run again until next January. I really want to thank Michael Lynan and Stephen Ricca for keeping RPM Race Parts Melbourne going while I’m away racing. Without these guys, we can’t do what we do. I’m elated with the performance, and my entire family is here in Florida with me on holiday!”
Also of note during the same test session was the blistering performance of another recognized Australian team, the brand new RJ Race Cars twin turbocharged 2024 Camaro of Wally and Daniel Szabovics and Frank Marchese from Wodonga, Victoria. The team is already known for their previous 2022 RJ Camaro which is the quickest and fastest car on radial tires in Oz at 3.57 at 210 using a centrifugally supercharged ProLine MH6 Chrysler Hemi.
Also a customer of M&M transmission as well as FuelTech, TurboSmart, Braille Racing and Rife sensors, the team stepped up to a new Precision Turbo PLR Hemi and slicks to produce a best of 3.64 at 223.14 mph in the eighth and a shocking early shut-off quarter-mile of 5.423 at only 259.66 mph for driver Daniel. The effortless run was the fourth quickest turbocharged pass in doorslammer history. A later effort produced a 5.51 at 267.53.
This story was originally published on November 24, 2024.
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