Watch the Legendary Chevrolet "Big Red" Camaro Hit 216 MPH Over the Half-Mile

"Big Red's" racing career is simply too vast to include here, but let's just say that this modded Camaro did it all. From closed and open-course racing to the flying mile and land speed racing, "Big Red" left people speechless at every event. Oh, and it also ran hillclimbing events and at one point it was the world's fastest car with a top speed of 266 mph (428 kph).

This Camaro used several engines over the years. It started out with a 540-cubic-inch (8.8-liter) Donovan block rated at 850 horsepower and then went with a 598 cubic-inch (9.8-liter) Brodix block for up to 1,300 horses. A supercharged version of the same mill gave it up to 1,900 horses to tackle land speed racing.

Come 2021 and the "Big Red" team is back into half-mile racing in search of new top speed glory. Now powered by a procharged, 555-cubic-inch (9.1-liter), all-aluminum V8, the Camaro delivers more than 1,900 horses thanks to a methanol-gas mixture. But more importantly, it carries a massive wing that stands a few good feet taller than the roof.

The team is aiming to break the 220-mph (354-kph) barrier over the half-mile, but they have to settle for a top speed of 215 mph (346 kph) at the end of the day. They come back the second day with revised tuning that increases output to around 2,000 horsepower, but they also ditch the rear wing.

The 220-mph mark proves to be a bit too much for "Big Red," which doesn't go beyond 216.34 mph (348.16 kph). But that's enough for the Camaro to qualify for the big final. Unfortunately, the crew discovered a fuel leak they couldn't fix in time, so "Big Red" retired from the final sprint.

But needless to say, it's a cool display of power and determination, to go with an incredibly loud V8 engine. Check it all out in the video below.