1,183-HP Chevrolet Camaro Is an 8-Second Dream Come True

Once I arrived in Kiskunlachaza for the second big drag racing event of the year, I naturally started walking up and down the paddock to check out the cars onsite. We do this at every event as we try to identify the ones worthy of a full feature here and on our YouTube channel. We were already bent on shooting the world's fastest AWD Volkswagen.

But it took a little while to settle on vehicle number two: the 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Super Pro E.T. Dragster. It instantly looks like it could be a hero car in any given movie, and I'm sure Toretto would have loved to get his hands on one of these. Not only does it look great, but it's pretty fast. And it's not just a 10-second kind of fast: this thing can run a quarter-mile (402 meters) pass in 8.17 seconds with a trap speed of 172 mph (278 kph).

I learned that the team came from Switzerland and that Mike Bruckmüller drove this 1/4-mile beast. After a quick chat, he agreed to bring the car from the paddock to a location we had discovered at the old airport. The Camaro might not be a fighter jet, but it felt perfectly at home in front of the private hangar. While the guys were shooting at it, I started chatting about his drag racing history with Mike.

My father infected me with the racing virus

Naturally, I was curious to learn how his passion for the sport came to be: "I think I was about eight years old when my father took me to a dragster event. There was a race near Basel (Switzerland) with many dragsters. That was how my passion for the sport began. My father infected me with the racing virus. After that, I attended various events for many years."

Mike originally intended to race a Pontiac Trans Am, which had already been converted but lacked an engine. But it wasn't built to FIA rules, so it was suggested to him to abandon the project in favor of something that followed the official regulations. "The friend who advised me put me in touch with the previous owner of my Camaro because he wanted to sell the vehicle."

"I immediately fell in love with the car and had to have the Camaro - even if the color at the time was not pretty. Although I've never driven a dragster, I bought the vehicle and assembled a crew. The crew was quick to pull together, and we all knew nothing about dragsters, but we knew it had to be a lot of fun."

I only knew the theory

Mike made his official drag racing debut in 2009 at one of the most significant events in Europe: at Hockenheimring in Germany. "Looking back, it was youthful recklessness to register for this event, but we wanted to race. We packed the Camaro and drove to Hockenheim, and I only knew the theory of how to drive a vehicle like that."

"The tension and nervousness were enormous, and the first run was terrible because I forgot to put in first gear because of the excitement after the burnout. So no real E-T, but the joy was great. However, the fun quickly turned into frustration because the engine broke down during the second run. That was my entry into drag racing in 2009. After that, we repaired the power plant and painted the car copper. Joy and sorrow are very close together in this sport."

Another movie quote comes to my mind when looking at the car: "I spared no expense!" The complete list of mods is perhaps too extensive to be listed here, but I will point out some of the most impressive parts. At the heart of it all, there's a 557 ci (9.1-liter) Merlin Aluminum Big Block V8 capable of delivering circa 1,200 horsepower and over 811 lb-ft (1,100 Nm) of torque. As expected, it has two Holley Dominator 4500 carburetors and a Moroso dry-sump system.

I invested tens of thousands of hours in this car

And the chassis is an Alston full tube frame with the original body! Power reaches the rear wheels via a Powerglide 2-speed transmission with Trans-Brake. But I'll include the complete list for anyone looking to learn all about the bits and pieces that make this thing tick. Speaking of his pride and joy, Mike elaborated on the topic:

"After the purchase, I completely disassembled the vehicle and rebuilt it with many high-quality parts so that you can be competitive in the Super Pro ET class. Over the years, we have developed the car to a time of 8.20 on good tracks. It is difficult to say how much time I have invested in the vehicle since 2009, but it is many tens of thousands of hours."

"We only use excellent quality parts, and I always orientate myself on the Pro Modified cars in terms of technology or parts they use. Because we do a lot of maintenance and disassemble the engine repeatedly, we only need a few spare parts during the season. Most of the material from the engine comes from Sonny's Racing; the rest we ordered from Summit. Apart from the tires, there is nothing that often breaks."

None of us could have guessed we would win the race

If you're curious how much seat time one gets during a drag racing event, hold on to your seats! Mike managed to get a total of seven runs in Kiskunlachaza, the fastest one was an 8.21-second pass with a trap speed of 164 mph (264 kph). That adds up to just about one minute of driving during an entire weekend! Given the nature of the sport, we are talking about some highly-intense 60 seconds.

"The event in Kiskunlachaza was excellent; the track is perfect. We have visited England at Santa Pod many times, and the surface is no better there. We were amazed at the very well-prepared layout. We were in Italy a month earlier and couldn't do a good run there. We came to Hungary mainly to test the new suspension; none of us could have guessed we would win the race."

"We completed seven runs and are very satisfied with the Camaro and the team's performance. We will surely come back to this event in the future. The suspension of a dragster is a very delicate component and challenging to adjust. I had the time in Hungary, which we don't have at the FIA races, to test all the settings at my leisure."

We'll be happy if we get a 7.99-second pass one day

Mike aims to get a sub-8-second pass shortly, but he knows how difficult that is to achieve. "We'll be happy if we get a 7.99 one day." He still has one more race to attend in 2023, the Nitrolympx in Hockenheimring, and we hope he manages to reach his objective. You might have noticed the "For Sale" sticker on the back of the car, so this car could be yours if you plan on a drag racing adventure.

"I don't necessarily have to sell the Camaro; if I don't get the asking price, that doesn't matter; I'll put it in my living room. No kidding, I won't sell it if the price isn't right or I don't like the person who wants to buy it. I have invested too much passion in the vehicle. I have no other project, and should I find a suitable buyer, I will retire from racing - but not just yet."

It feels to me that maybe drag racing has started experiencing a slow decline in recent years, but granted, I haven't attended such a big event in about a decade now. So I wanted to know where he stands on the topic, and I asked if he thinks that the sport is going through a decrease in popularity: "Absolutely not - drag racing is a passion and racing for everyone."

Passion has to come first

"Spectators can be close to the teams and are always welcome. Unfortunately, there aren't many opportunities to organize drag racing in Europe without interruption. Santa Pod Raceway is a permanent track, and you can see from the spectators on the spot and from the live stream that many like this sport more and more."

"What has changed over the years is that green politics is imposing more bans and regulations, making it extremely difficult for race organizers to organize events. It will not get any better in the future. If people don't fight for their passion, in a few years, motorsport may be gone. We must go to Hungary because there have been no more opportunities in Switzerland for a long time. Let's hope I'm wrong, and we can live our hobby for a long time."

Last but not least, I wanted Mike's advice for anyone considering getting involved in this sport. "Passion has to come first; after that, it takes a lot of money and time - If you have a wife or girlfriend who doesn't understand it, it won't work - I know that. You have to want it, and it requires a lot of discipline from yourself and ambition."

"If you have all that, I recommend this sport to everyone. Drag racing is the best school of life." With that being said, I hope you enjoyed seeing our feature video of Mike's Chevrolet Camaro. Below you'll see our burnout compilation from the race, including several shots of the Copper Dragster.