The Hoonigan YouTube series, THIS vs THAT, does a great job of creating drag racing matchups that enthusiasts are unlikely to see. The latest episode is just such a match race where we have a state-of-the-art Italian supercar in one lane, and a purpose-built modern American muscle car in the other lane. This pair of cars are on opposite ends of the spectrum which makes the matchup entertaining. Let’s see if the Texas Speed Trans Am can take down JOTECH Motorsports’ modified Lamborghini.

In THIS lane is Kenny Tran and his 2018 Lamborghini Huracán Performante. Tran is the owner of JOTECH Motorsports, so it should come as no surprise this Lambo is highly modified. Starting in the rear of the car where all the magic happens, Steve Morris Engines rebuilt the V10 to handle plenty of boost from a pair of turbochargers. JOTECH added its in-house intake manifold as well. Power is transferred through an AMS Stage 5+ transmission that features an upgraded Dodson clutch and billet gearset. According to Tran, his Huracán also received bigger axles and other upgraded driveline components to increase the car’s reliability at four-digit horsepower levels.

All in, Tran says the Lamborghini makes over 1,400-wheel horsepower in its current configuration. Everything is controlled with a MoTeC M1 system to keep the engine and transmission happy. Additionally, the MoTeC allows the car to be put into two-wheel drive mode for burnouts, and back into all-wheel-drive drive mode for making a pass. Helping in the traction department are 18-inch diameter center-lock Forgeline front wheels wrapped in M&H Racemaster drag radials. In the rear of the Lambo you’ll find 17-inch diameter Belak Industries beadlock wheels with Mickey Thompson drag radials.

In THAT lane we have Justin Cavazos and his blue 2000 Pontiac Trans Am known as Scrappy. Cavazos works for Texas Speed and Performance and does a great job of showcasing what the company’s engines and other components are capable of. Justin and his Trans Am are commonly found most weekends at drag race events. Powering Scrappy is a 427 cubic-inch LS engine built by Texas Speed. It utilizes an LSX block for its ability to easily handle the 40-plus pounds of boost. Justin feeds it from a VS Racing billet 102/118 turbocharger. Texas Speed topped the short block off with a pair of its PRC 260cc cylinder heads and its Titan intake manifold to feed the cylinders large quantities of air and VP Fuels M1 methanol. A Texas Speed “Scrappy” camshaft controls the valvetrain, and is available for purchase for your own turbo LS engine build. A FuelTech FT600 ECU controls all the electronics and gives Justin a view of the car’s vitals.

According to Justin, his Trans Am makes 1,680-wheel horsepower. Getting the power to the pavement is a Powerglide two-speed automatic transmission, narrowed 9-inch rearend, and Mickey Thompson 28×10.5-15 ET Drag slicks mounted on 15×12-inch Weld Racing beadlock rear wheels. Justin competes in many different types of drag racing events that take place on a variety of surfaces with varying amounts of prep. Part of what helps his Texas Speed Trans Am get traction is the rear suspension that has been converted to a ladder bar setup with coilovers by Straightline Performance.

With the introductions made, the two drivers agreed the first of possibly three races would be a quarter-mile heads-up race. From the start, Justin and his Trans Am were out front and proceeded to put a three-car length gap on Tran and his Lamborghini. Going into the second race, Justin agreed to give Tran a one-car length head start and the hit — meaning Tran would launch first. Justin wound up jumping the start of the second race due to blurred vision from the methanol fumes his car produces while on the two-step rev limiter. For the third and final race to determine a winner, the two drivers agreed to run the race with the same stipulations in place from the second race. This time things started without a hitch and within the first couple of hundred feet Justin came around the Italian bull and drove off to another win with a sizable gap between the two cars.

It was a good day for Justin and his Texas Speed Trans Am. No doubt Tran’s Lamborghini makes a lot of power and is a quick supercar, but the Trans Am’s weight and horsepower advantage combined with Justin’s experience on less-than-ideal racing surfaces proved to be too much.