New Jersey engine builder Carl Stevens Jr. has been quietly capturing the attention of his peers in the outlaw Pro Modified ranks of late with runs and incremental numbers that, if all put together, showed some record-like potential hiding within his twin-turbocharged Chevrolet Camaro. But quiet went right out the window as Stevens unleashed on the Pro Extreme field at the PDRA World Finals in Virginia this past weekend with the fastest passes in doorslammer history.

Stevens, in the Camaro powered by a 489 cubic inch billet HEMI built by he and his team at Xtreme Racing Engines and paired with a set of 98mm turbochargers, stormed to the fastest speed ever recorded by a doorslammer in the 1/8-mile, and the first in excess of 230 mph, going 230.10 on a 3.566-second lap. Stevens earlier made a run of 229.00 mph that was, at the time, the fastest speed in history.

Between testing and qualifying, Stevens made runs of 3.69, 3.67, 3.60, 3.59, and a pair of back-to-back 3.56’s, cementing him as not just a frontrunner in the turbo game, but a certifiable contender in Pro Extreme.

In addition to building the car and the engine in-house, Stevens Jr. also tunes the Camaro himself, which is controlled by a MoTec M150, with support from renowned tuner Shane Tecklenburg. In earlier testing during September and October, Stevens had recorded 60-foot times in the .90 to .925 range (among the quickest any turbo car has ever clocked) and had posted an early-shutoff 3.69 at just 219 mph — a run that, intriguingly, resulted in a 5.86-second clocking to the 1/4-mile at only 179 mph.

Stevens’ performance begs the question of just how quick and fast he can truly go? The car reportedly broke a ring and pinion at 550-feet on the 230 mph run, and Stevens believes it would have gone 233 mph if all had held together. Adding to that, he’s still running conservatively through the middle of the race track in relation to the kind of 60-foot times the car is clocking. Are 3.40’s at 235 mph a reality? It would seem it’s only a matter of time.

A huge congratulations to Stevens Jr. and Sr., their entire team, and all of the supporters that helped them make it happen.

Photos courtesy Brian Wagner