THE latest addition to the drag racing community, the Top 1 Oil drag car, was unveiled to the public at Susie’s Bakery in St Andrew last Friday.

“This is a partnership between Top 1 Oil, Lueboyz Racing, and Rosado Racing,” Dwight Lue of Lueboyz Racing, told Auto.

Lue explained the whole process of getting the car to the island began when a mutual friend made contact and enquired about the Corolla.

“We then reached out to Top 1 Oil to bring the car here,” he said.

The car would be in the island for a few months. However, should it perform as well as expected, its stay could be extended.

“Honestly, we’re curious to see what this style of chassis can do in Jamaica,” he said.

Fans of import drag racing would quickly recognise the iconic 1982 Toyota Corolla that defined a generation of import drag racing and performance in the United States. Built by owner Richie Rosado, it was a staple of drag strips across its home of South Florida, eventually being retired as a pure six-second quarter-mile car. Motivating it down the track is 1300 wheel horsepower from its methanol-powered Toyota 3S-G engine. A Liberty five-speed clutchless transmission allows shifts at maximum speed as it sends all that power to a pair of huge Mickey Thompson slicks at the rear. Having made sub 10-second passes from its inception the Corolla’s profile may say stock, but it is far from such with a chassis prepped by the National Hot Rod Association — the governing body for drag racing in the US. That means full safety gear, along with the rear section of the car, is tubbed to allow the massive drag slicks to fit.

With its pedigree, the Top 1 Oil Toyota Corolla will be fighting tooth and nail with two established local names, Dean Shaw and Adrian McLymont. Shaw has posted a best 8.726 second run in his Camaro. McLymont is the current National Drag Racing Circuit rear-wheel drive (doorslammer) V8 record holder with an 8.075 pass. Only Bryn Morgan has gone faster at 7.635 seconds, however, in purpose-built dragster rail.

“Lueboyz will provide technical support,” he said.

The Top 1 Oil Toyota Corolla will be driven by its regular pilot Alex Dieguez when it makes it competition debut at Supligen Drag Challenge #4 at Vernamfield in Clarendon, on November 13.