As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. Forrest Kennedy spent many years in school; both he and his wife Krystal agreed they’d live like students until he finished so that they could build an X275 car that they could both enjoy.
Fast forward five years and this 1971 Chevrolet Camaro RS Z28 is practically their child.
Although the car took some time to acquire, it was no stranger to Forrest as he watched his dad race against it growing up back in the NMCA EZ Street days. In fact, the look and feel of the Camaro was so entrenched in
his fond memories of those weekends at the track that he vowed to keep it as close to what he remembered as possible, while modernizing everything else and adding some serious power. “I remember as a child standing at the fence watching the car that I now own race against dad’s butternut yellow 67 SS/RS that he and my mom dated in.
One of the biggest goals in building this car was to make it modern and competitive but keep its looks as close as possible to how I remember it as a child,” Kennedy said.
Aside from his dad’s influence, Forrest’s mom Scarlett loved drag racing too, and she is the reason for the Z28’s name “Scarlett Fever.” “I wish she were
■ A 1971 Z28 RS split bumper Camaro is a rare piece and the Kennedy’s have gone to great lengths to retain as much of that classic Camaro style as possible, while still building the competitive race car they wanted. The car is simply stunning, still having the factory GM steel and glass intact.
here to see what we are doing now,” Forrest lamented. Almost as if choosing this car was destiny for Forrest, although the bright red paint work and super clean body have stayed untouched the last 30 years, the former
owner of the car, Dean Brooks, did the body and paintwork, and ironically the paint code is called “Scarlett Red”.
The car itself is an original all-steel piece aside from the hood, and even the glass remains in place.
■ All the original detail and trim work on the car remains, but as you can see there are some hints of the build that are impossible hide. A 3rd gen Forced Inductions 88mm turbo lurks behind the grille while a Sunoco composite hood hides the LSX mill and a chute hangs off the rear. Oh, and the side exit exhaust is pretty hard to hide, too!
Brazzel Performance Fabrication installed the original certified cage and a Smith Racecraft front subframe was added. More recently, the ladder bar system was updated by Allan Pittman at AP Race Cars.
Most of the substantial changes were
made in the power department where it was out with the old and in with the new. Since Forrest and Krystal wanted a modern classic, what better way to achieve that than to go with the LSX platform. The new heart of the rare Camaro was created by Scott Sublet of PIG
■ The PIG Motorsports-built 440 inch LS started with a Dart LS Next block stuffed with a Callies billet crank and billet aluminum rods with custom forged pistons. LSX DR 11-degree raised runner heads are equipped with Jesel billet steel rocker arms and a GM LSX DR intake is topped with a custom elbow and Holley throttle body. A Forced Inductions 88mm Gen 3 X275 turbo resides front and center.
Motorsports, and when there’s an issue or maintenance required, he gets a call. “Although the car is our child, we refer to this motor as Scott’s child because he is very meticulous about how it runs and how it is maintained,” Kennedy added. No “junkyard” swap here; Forrest wanted nothing but the best for Scarlett, and there’s good reason for that; “In the late 90s we would struggle to be competitive in EZ Street for numerous reasons. I remember my dad telling me when I grew up to position myself to ‘spend until you win’. Although that is not possible and certainly doesn’t guarantee success, it
was a motivator for me to go to school.” That schooling not only kept Forrest out of trouble, but also led him to a career that would enable him to buy the Camaro and make sure that it was built to be competitive.
Rotating inside the Dart LS Next block is a Callies Ultra billet crank, billet aluminum rods and custom coated JE Racing pistons, with the final cubic inches working out to 440. A set of high-flowing LSX DR 11-degree raised runner heads with Jesel billet steel rocker arms cap off the short block and the intake manifold is also a GM LSX DR (Drag Racing) piece.
■ Placement of the electronics is on a raised panel on the passenger side and provides for easy access. Note the trick glove box fastening that allows even more space to work when removed.
Forrest’s end goal is to not only compete in, but be competitive in the X275 class, and that means running a class legal forced induction setup, and he chose turbocharging. A Forced Inductions Gen 3 X275 88mm turbo provides boost and Jason Brazzel completed the associated piping and installation work. Being that the Z28 runs on Methanol, there’s no need for an intercooler setup and Billet Atomizer 850s supply the 440 LSX with Meth. A Holley Dominator system wired
in by Devin Vanderhoof of HCR Innovations controls the mill.
Forrest didn’t skimp out on the rest of the drivetrain or suspension either, choosing only the finest parts for the job. Byron Rabon of Cameron’s Torque Converters set him up with one of their converters and a two speed TH400 transmissions. Power runs through a Currie Enterprises fabricated 9-inch complete with gun drilled 40-spline axles and a 3.90 rear gear suspended by the afore-
mentioned AP Racecars updated ladder bar/coilover setup. Another critical element in Forrest’s modernization is what Scarlett rolls on. Polished RC Components Torx reside on all four corners, with the polished finish
complementing the car’s red paint and original trim work. 17-inch front runners were used while 15s fill the rear wheelwells with Mickey Thompson rubber on all four corners. Forrest must run a 28-inch radial for his class and beadlocked
M/T 28x10.5 Pro Bracket Radials to the rears.
Maintaining that goal of “modernized classic,” much of the factory interior remains untouched. Forrest retained the factory dash and door panels as well as the car-
■ From left to right: Krystal Kennedy, Forrest Kennedy, Bruce Kennedy, Heidi Barker, Kenny Parker, Travis McCormack and Bubs Barker.
