TPiS is the premier source for High-performance engines, performance parts, service, and tuning for your GM TPI, LT, and LS vehicles. All of our products are made right in our shop and we take pride in manufacturing the finest quality parts. We also take great pride in keeping the Late Model "Classics" on the road and track. With an extensive backround and decades of experience with TPI, LT, and LS cars we know what your car needs to set itself apart from the "regular" crowd. We have an in house engine dyno, chassis dyno, and engine shop. Please visit us at TPIS.com or give us a call 952-448-6021. I appreciate your interest in our videos and RU-vid Channel! I will be posting races from the 90's and 2000's, current road racing & drag racing efforts with our cars as well as project videos and product info.
These had the 'Tuned Port Injection' (TPI) 5.7L (350ci) engine, known by its Chevy engine code 'L98', and normally rated at 245hp / 330tq in the Corvette. Not a bad engine at all, actually. It makes serious torque from literally idle-speed on up. You have to go out of your way to even approach catching it 'flat-footed'; there is always power available. And it's very quick-revving and responsive. At the high end, its peak of 245hp is made at 4,300 RPM (with the standard exhaust). So it's a small-block Chevy that _acts_ like a big-block Chevy. TPI is a cool system, technologically on-par with contemporary German Bosch 'Motronic' systems, and it wrings a very competitive combination of low emissions, fuel efficiency, and power out of the ancient (1955) but compact and lightweight Chevy. For the Corvette Challenge race cars, I'm pretty sure all they did was make sure the engines were flawlessly built in fully stock configuration, including the exhaust manifolds (which are actually halfway-decent little short-tube headers). In this case, flawless means port-matching of the complete intake system, balancing the rotating assembly, and making sure all the measurements and tolerances were as nearly perfect as is possible. They were dyno tested to verify that power output was equal. The only mod was a completely free-flowing exhaust system, from the manifolds back. This combination brought the L98 up to the claimed ~300hp of the race cars. Sounds like they were making peak power something like 500 RPM higher - so about 4,800 RPM instead of 4,300. In race trim, with the added safety equipment, they probably weighed about 3,300 pounds (1,500 kilos) - plus driver. With a sophisticated and well-tuned suspension, world-class brakes, very wide stance and tires, low CG, and a fairly short (96in / 244cm) wheelbase that gave nimble handling, the C4 Corvette so utterly dominated its class in American SCCA racing (against all the world's best opposition) that they finally just created the Corvette Challenge as a separate, spec-Corvette class.
Also am just curious if you have any more Trans AM races from 1998 to 2000 as there's not much on here. No worries if you don't have it and thanks for putting out what you have..
Love seeing more programming from the days of Speedvision/Speed Channel get preserved! Please upload more of these broadcasts if you have them! They're truly appreciated!
