The lax attitude toward street racing notwithstanding, Jason acknowledges the dangers. As luck would have it, the Middle East is a great place for legal road racing, too. Not just any kind of road racing, mind you, but racing on some of the world’s premiere circuits. “Kuwait is a short drive to the new Formula One tracks in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. My friends run our cars there quite often,” Jason says.
After conversing at length with Jason, we get the impression that all those infamous YouTube videos are bogus. It’s not that they overglamorize the street racing in the Middle East. The problem is that they don’t adequately convey how crazy it really is. So forget all the geopolitical bs and your preconceived notions about this region of the globe, because at the end of the day, we car guys all speak the same language.
Inside, the Chevy II has all...
Inside, the Chevy II has all the right Pro Touring stuff. Occupants sit in custom seats with RCI five-point harnesses. The steering wheel is from Flaming River, and a Hurst shifter summons the gear changes. For cruising comfort, there’s a Pioneer stereo and DVD system, and cold A/C.
The Schwartz Performance frame...
The Schwartz Performance frame features kicked in ’rails that allow stuffing 345mm-wide tires into the wheelwells. Retro side pipes dump the exhaust right in front of the rear tires.
Jason Whitlock, 39 • Messila, Kuwait
Block: factory 4.125-inch bore aluminum LS7
Oiling: stock LS7 dry-sump
Rotating assembly: factory 4.000-inch forged crank, titanium rods, and 11.0:1 pistons
Cylinder heads: ported GM LS7 aluminum castings
Camshaft: Schwartz custom hydraulic roller
Induction: GM LS7 intake manifold and 90mm throttle-body
Ignition: factory coil packs and plug wires
Exhaust: Schwartz 1.875-inch long-tube headers, 3-inch collectors, dual chambered 3-inch mufflers
Cooling: stock water pump, custom aluminum radiator, custom electric fan
Output: 650 hp at 6,700 rpm and 575 lb-ft at 5,200 rpm
Built by: Schwartz Performance
Transmission: Tremec T56 Magnum six-speed manual, GM LS7 clutch, Hurst shifter
Rear axle: Winters floating 9-inch rearend with 3.70:1 gears and Detroit Truetrac differential
Front suspension: Schwartz frame, control arms, and sway bar; RideTech coilovers
Rear suspension: Schwartz four-link, RideTech coilovers
Brakes: Wilwood 13-inch rotors with six-piston front calipers, and four-piston rear calipers
Wheels: Forgeline ZX3P 18x9, front; 18x12, rear
Tires: BFGoodrich KDW2 265/35R18, front; 335/30R18, rear