Out of the Meat Locker – Cameron Moore’s Formula Drift Scion FR-S
There is nothing easy about being a privateer in any form of motorsport. It is a trial by fire that nearly ever driver experiences somewhere along their journey. Success is measured in inches, the stakes are boundless, and the competition sees you as expendable, the back markers to run their boot over. But to those who underestimate Cameron Moore, you may be in for a shock. This Northwest native brought some serious metal to the 2017 Formula Drift series, in the form of this highly-tuned Scion FR-S.
Moore’s story is the kind that would make most weekend racers envious. Even before he took up supporting his family’s local market business as a butcher in Battle Ground, WA, he grew up around garages, fixing this or that, and competing occasionally on two wheels. Then, a trip to Formula Drift at Evergreen Speedway as a spectator in 2009 changed his life, opening his eyes to the sport and igniting a passion that said, “I’m going to do that.” Sure, many others have said it too… but how many have actually gone on to achieve it in less than a decade?
His first weapon of choice was a Lexus SC300, taking the car to the local go kart track for practice days when it was still bone stock in 2011. Engine swaps, roll cages, and many tweaks later, and Moore found himself paired with a dance partner that could dominate the local scene, crushing the 2013 and 2014 Evergreen Drift Series. This elevated him to the next step, taking on a full season program of Formula Drift Pro2 in 2015, and coming away with 5th place, enough to earn a coveted Pro license. Finally, in 2016, the team could see that they had reached the peak of the SC300’s performance, and decided a change was needed going into 2017.
Nameless Performance had been a key player for Moore in 2016, and it was a natural extension to continue that venture in a new platform, the Scion FR-S featured here. Nameless has run the Toyota 86 chassis in multiple forms of motorsport, and had heavily supported fellow Formula D Pro, Ryan Tuerck, for multiple years in the same lineage. Make no mistake though- Moore’s FR-S was not a case of badge engineering within the ranks, and it had more than a few tricks up its own sleeves. For this past year, the car featured a 2JZ motor swap, together with a massive Honeywell Turbo by Garrett GTW3884R, anti-lag system, nitrous injection, and ran E85 racing fuel. Altogether, it produced around 1,000 hp and 860 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. On the body, no rabbits were harmed in the making of this race car: its BN Sports kit was one of only five in the world at the time of install. Want to know more of the secret sauce? Read on to find out the rest of the gory details behind this blood-soaked build.
