 |
The Eliminator: Brian Fitzpatrick's Lucas Oil Competition Eliminator Rail
By Justin Banner
When I went to the Winternationals, this was the original reason. To know that there was a 2JZ-GTE powered anything in the NHRA going up against monster V8s in the quarter mile, I couldn't believe it existed. Yet, here it was and in Competition Eliminator. I had heard of the class before, but had not realized that it allowed for such interesting builds! There were GM 4.3L V6 powered and nitrous fed rails beside Toyota V6 NA roadsters. Big Block V8s against Turbocharged cars. If I, or well, anyone from the Sport Compact era knew about this class, I think you'd see more turbo 4 cylinders from years past in this class. Actually, it makes me wonder why there aren't any right now!
 |
| Well, the point of this feature isn't to tout the class, but instead to look a bit deeper into the Lucas Oil/Tap It Brewery Comp Eliminator Rail. We'll start with the rail's most blantant feature, the twin Garrett turbos. These twin GTX4294 turbos have been on the car for years without ever being serviced. Yes, despite the rigorous environment and the lack of filters, these Garretts have not been serviced once in their time on the rail. Goes to show you the reliability of Garrett turbos! |
 |
| The next part you'll notice is the lack of an intercooler. There isn't even a simple air-to-air intercooler and boost goes right into the Ross Machine Racing intake manifold with no reduction in the 60psi of boost pressure. |
 |
| So how does the forced in air not get so hot the engine detonates? Two ways: the first is a pair of injectors that sit prior to each massive throttle body. These injectors allow the fuel to cool the air prior to it being ingested by the engine. |
 |
| The second was is the fuel itself: methanol. Yes, the 2JZ-GTE is powered by “Wood Spirits,” which have a lower burn temperature than gasoline, much like ethanol does. However, methanol can typically be cheaper to buy as it's also easier to produce from sources other than corn. It's also very toxic to humans and burns “invisibly”. If you remember the days when CART ran Methanol, you'll also remember the times when there was a fire and you couldn't see it except for the driver jumping around until someone sprayed him with water. |
 |
| To supply the Twin Turbo 2JZ-GTE engine, each cylinder has two injectors to feed it. These massive injectors are required to feed the 2,000 Horsepower this engine produces. The sheer amount of fuel also requires a crankshaft driven fuel pump as your standard electric fuel pump just doesn't flow enough gallons of methanol to keep up with the demand of this 2JZ. |
