For performance purists, there’s no better feeling than ripping gears in a stick-shift car. As drag car power levels climb and elapsed times fall, many racers are opting for the strength and consistency of an automatic. But for Nick Cole-Mann and his fiancée, Sarah Jaeger , both of Sussex, Wisconsin, the manual transmission is the foundation of not just their racing identities, but also the life they’ve committed to building together.
Although their twin-turbo trucks share similar silhouettes and mechanical philosophies, their distinct journeys eventually converged in the staging lanes.
When Cole-Mann was just 14, a friend of his mother’s had a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air that left a lasting impression. “That led me to buy a 1987 Berlinetta Camaro,” he said. Not long after, he began exploring street racing culture. While it shaped his early experience behind the wheel, it also delivered a wake-up call.
On April 18, 2020, Cole-Mann lost control during a run.
“I crashed my truck into two trees and a telephone pole at over 100 mph,” said the owner of Cole-Mann Customs, his fabrication and performance shop. The accident left him injured and forced a reassessment of his priorities. “I built a new truck with safety and a dream in mind: to be number one in Stick Shift.”
That vision led to the creation of his “Native Nightmare” 1991 Chevrolet S10.
“The same night [of the wreck], a bunch of friends sourced a new truck with a good frame as the donor,” Cole-Mann recalled. “A few days later, the jig for the new and improved 6.00-certified chassis was being built, all while I was nursing a broken arm, bruises, and a concussion.”
Nine months later, the truck was track-ready, and it has since become one of the most feared stick-shift vehicles in the sport.
At its core is a 427 cubic-inch LS-based engine built in-house around a Dart iron block, featuring a billet four-inch stroke crankshaft and machine work by FastTimes Motorworks. Diamond pistons and MGP rods anchor the rotating assembly, while Brodix BR7 BS300 cylinder heads, ported by Late Model Engines, handle airflow duties. Jesel valvetrain components ensure stability under extreme load.
Cole-Mann selected a pair of Forced Inductions 92/99 turbochargers to deliver boost. Twin Turbosmart 60mm wastegates and matching RacePort blow-off valves help manage boost pressure. “I also fabricated the custom stainless headers with 2-1/8-inch primaries to 3-1/2-inch collectors,” he added.
Rather than switching to an automatic, Cole-Mann remains committed to a manual transmission. A G-Force T56 Magnum paired with a Black Magic NexGen clutch transfers power to a fabricated 9-inch rear housing (built in-house at Cole-Mann Customs), equipped with a Strange Engineering center section, spool, and axles. A carbon driveshaft from PST completes the drivetrain.
Custom suspension components built by Cole-Mann, along with AFCO shocks (valved by Ion Suspension) on all four corners, keep the truck stable at speed. “I’m also running Strange Engineering Evolution drag brakes front and rear, with Billet Specialties Comp 7 wheels and Mickey Thompson Pro Bracket Radial tires,” he said.
The truck is tuned by Cole-Mann using a Haltech engine management system. Fuel is supplied by a 32-gallon-per-minute Waterman fuel pump and FuelTech 720 lb/hr injectors. “It makes 3,000 horsepower and more than 2,300 lb-ft of torque,” he confirmed.
To date, Native Nightmare has recorded a best quarter-mile elapsed time of 6.49 seconds at 222 mph, along with a 1.02-second 60-foot time. The S10 has earned multiple wins, runner-up finishes, and number one qualifier honors at major events, including World Cup Finals, TX2K, LS Fest, and Street Car Takeover.
“I set the Stick Shift ET and MPH world records as of May 2024 and November 2025, and was the first stick-shift LS to run in the 6s,” he added.
Despite its performance, the truck carries deep personal meaning.
“I have the ashes of one of my best friends mounted on my trans tunnel,” Cole-Mann said. “Every pass down the track, he’s sitting next to me.” “There are so many sponsors, crew members, and friends who helped get this program where it is today. I’m very appreciative,” he added. “We only get one life, and I’m glad this is what I get to do with mine.”
While Cole-Mann’s reputation has been established for years, Jaeger’s path to the driver’s seat of her “Drama Queen” 1993 GMC Sonoma is more recent.
As a teenager, she spent time at local cruise spots and bought her first “fun car”, a Toyota Celica, at 18. “The only thing fun about it was that it was a stick shift,” she laughed. “Other than that, it was a ricer ride, spray paint, stickers, Plasti Dip, you name it.”
She began attending local street races, where she met Cole-Mann.
“I learned how to do a burnout, launch a car, and so much more,” she said.
Together, they built another stick-shift Celica with a turbo kit, but Jaeger wanted more power. In 2018, she found a rough truck on Facebook Marketplace. “Best $350 I’ve ever spent,” she said.
Jaeger’s Sonoma began as a slow, two-year build intended as her introduction to drag racing. Initially equipped with a single turbo, TH400 transmission, and hand-me-down parts, the truck produced underwhelming results. So, they changed everything.
“We upgraded the turbo, installed a G-Force T56 Magnum and Black Magic NexGen clutch, added fiberglass Racers Edge body panels, a carbon drag wing, and did bodywork and a wrap, and thought we were done… psych! The first night out, we knocked 0.07 seconds off my personal best,” Jaeger said.
After continued improvements and an engine failure at her first race, they replaced the engine trackside and converted to a twin-turbo setup. The new configuration includes dual Forced Inductions S476 turbochargers, FIS 45mm wastegates, FIS 60mm blow-off valves, and a billet air-to-water intercooler, with fabrication completed in-house at Cole-Mann Customs.
The engine is a 376 cubic-inch LS built by JA Competition, featuring a stock crankshaft, Wiseco pistons, Oliver rods, and Trick Flow 245cc cylinder heads. Fuel delivery is handled by an Aeromotive 7-gallon-per-minute pump and ID2600 injectors, plumbed with Red Horse Performance components.
The Sonoma’s suspension features Viking dual-adjustable shocks, a Trick Chassis anti-roll bar and control arms, and Smith Racecraft Assassin traction bars.
“We installed a 3.5-inch chromoly driveshaft from Badger Truck, a Ford 8.8 rear with a Strange spool and axles, Strange drag brakes, and Billet Specialties Comp 5 wheels with Mickey Thompson tires,” Jaeger said.
Still a work in progress, the truck is tuned by Cole-Mann using a Haltech R5 ECU and produces roughly 1,400 horsepower and 800+ lb-ft of torque. Jaeger’s current best is an 8.16-second pass at 174.9 mph, with a 1.17-second 60-foot time. While she hasn’t secured her first win yet, she’s working toward that goal.
Like Cole-Mann, her favorite part of the build is sentimental.
“The truck uses the shifter Nick had in his street truck when we first met,” she said. “That was the truck that started it all for us.”
The couple campaigns both trucks in the stick-shift category, often competing at the same events and preparing their vehicles side-by-side. Cole-Mann’s Native Nightmare S10 represents the top tier of the class, while Jaeger’s Drama Queen Sonoma continues to evolve.
Fabrication, tuning, and race prep flow through Cole-Mann Customs, with support from friends and family forming a tight-knit team environment. Now, as Cole-Mann and Jaeger prepare to say “I do” and build a life together. not just twin-turbo trucks, it’s clear they’re fully committed to each other and to the art of manual-transmission racing.
CAR: 1991 Chevrolet S10
CHASSIS: 6.00 cert built by Cole-Mann Customs
ENGINE: 427 CI LS with machine work by FastTimes Motorworks
HEADS: Brodix BR7 BS300 ported by Late Model Engines
CRANK: Dart Billet
RODS: MGP
PISTONS: JE Diamond
VALVETRAIN: Jesel
POWER ADDER: Twin Forced Inductions 92/99 turbos
ENGINE MANAGEMENT: Haltech
FUEL SYSTEM: FuelTech 720 lb/hr injectors, Waterman pump
TRANSMISSION: G-Force T56 Magnum
CLUTCH: Black Magic NexGen
DRIVESHAFT: Precision Shaft Technologies
REAR END: Cole-Mann Customs 9” housing, Strange center section and spool
SUSPENSION: AFCO shocks valved by Ion Suspension
BRAKES: Strange Engineering Evo
WHEELS: Billet Specialties Comp 7
TIRES: Mickey Thompson Pro Bracket Radial
HORSEPOWER: 3,000 hp
TORQUE: 2,300+ lb-ft
BEST 60’: 1.02 seconds
QUICKEST ET: 6.49 seconds (1/4 mile)
FASTEST MPH: 222 mph (1/4 mile)
CAR: 1993 GMC Sonoma
CHASSIS: 8.50 built by Cole-Mann Customs
ENGINE: 376 CI LS by JA Competition
HEADS: Trick Flow 245cc
CRANK: stock
RODS: Oliver
PISTONS: Wiseco
POWER ADDER: Twin Forced Inductions 476 turbos
ENGINE MANAGEMENT: Haltech R5
FUEL SYSTEM: Aeromotive pump, Injector Dynamics ID2600 injectors
TRANSMISSION: G-Force T56 Magnum
CLUTCH: Black Magic NexGen
DRIVESHAFT: Badger Truck 3.5” Chromoly
REAR END: Ford 8.8” with Strange Engineering spool
SUSPENSION: Viking shocks, Trick Chassis anti-roll bar and front control arms, Smith Racecraft Assassin traction bars
BRAKES: Strange Engineering
WHEELS: Billet Specialties Comp 5
TIRES: Mickey Thompson Pro Bracket Radial
HORSEPOWER: 1,400 hp
TORQUE: 800+ lb-ft
BEST 60’: 1.17 seconds
QUICKEST ET: 8.16 seconds (1/4 mile)
FASTEST MPH: 174.9 mph (1/4 mile)
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