The S-10 and S-15 trucks seem to be one of the most versatile and capable vehicles on the dragstrip. You can find them in the tailgate, small tire, big tire, no-prep, and even radial classes. Its small size and aftermarket support make it a serious contender in just about any class.
One truck that recently caught our attention is Justin Heckman’s 1985 GMC S-15 know as Red Savage. Justin and his crew made some updates to the S-15 over the winter and were looking to get some seat time with the new combination. They loaded up in Joplin, Missouri, and made the 7-hour trek to Xtreme Raceway Park (XRP) in Ferris, Texas, for the Flashlight Shootout just a few weeks ago.
Photos by: Van Voris Media
The little red truck is home to a 388 LS engine with a monstrous 102/108 ProMod turbo. This combination is good for mind-blowing 1,829 horsepower on the dyno at 49-pounds of boost. As far as times go, this street truck has been a 4.48 with 41-pounds of boost.
For this event, Justin entered Red Savage in both Small Tire and True Street to get some passes on the new combination. The S-15 would be up against some heavy hitters too, like the LS-powered wagon of Lea Ochs and J.D. Campbell’s nitrous-huffing first-gen Camaro.
Justin managed to make it to the semi-finals before being taken out of the small tire class by an SN95 Mustang. However, he also took the S-15 into the final round of the True Street class against a fast ProCharged third-gen Camaro. As the two competitors lined up, Justin left first in what was thought to have been a jump. After a video review, it turns out that Justin and the Red Savage cut a killer light and went on to win the class.
Even though Justin went to XPR for some testing and seat time at the Flashlight Shootout, they had a very successful night and took home a win and $2,500.
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