Cody U. 
Today we’re going to go back to the classic rivalry that needs no introduction: Camaro versus Mustang. And we’re going to examine it from the proving ground where the two vehicles are so often compared: the drag strip. And we’re going to specify it with who has the fastest “H-Pattern” muscle car out there. In other words: Who has the quickest, fastest muscle car in the world with a stick shift. Well, at the moment that title for the quickest H-pattern car in the world goes to Johnathan Atkins and his 1997 “Grubb Worm” Chevy Camaro. The fourth generation F-body Camaro puts out an estimated 2,000 horsepower and ran a 6.61-second quarter-mile time running at 216 mph earlier this month. It’s a record that was previously held by a Ford Mustang.
The Grubb Worm
The “Grubb Worm” Chevy Camaro is a product of North Carolina based Tick Performance and piloted by Johnathan Atkins. Atkins told That Racing Channel on YouTube all of the engine details after breaking the H-pattern world record. The power plant of the Camaro, is a 348 cubic-inch Chevy small block V8 with some modifications. Some of those modifications include, resizing the cylinder bore diameters from 4.030 to 4.130, as well as utilizing a custom welded intake manifold. The “Grubb Worm” Camaro was also treated to some upgraded header gaskets that were a consistent issue in design from the factory, that the team had to workaround.
The transmission, a tried-and-true Tremec T56, was built entirely in-house complete with a Tick Performance shifter. The “Grubb Worm” uses an 8-inch twin stamp steel pressure plate, 3-lever, long-style clutch which Atkins says everyone is usually surprised by. Also updated for this year is the rear end. The Camaro came to this year’s Outlaw stick shift race armed with new Racecraft suspension parts as well as a new Tick Performance adjustable torque box.
The previous world record for fastest H-pattern vehicle was an actual Tick Performance customer. Joel Steele and his Coyote powered Mustang posted a 6.81-second quarter-mile pass at the same track in Gainesville Florida, just last year.
