Most enthusiasts do not immediately associate the Cadillac brand with auto racing, but the marque has always been known for its powerful engines and its racing roots go back decades with numerous SCCA and IMSA championships to its name. When the LS-powered CTS-V made its debut, enthusiasts flocked to the platform and have been modifying and progressing Cadillac performance on the drag strip ever since. Chris Conway recently set the bar in drag racing by becoming the first person to break into the six-second zone with a Cadillac CTS-V.

While he originally was planning to swap the CTS-V’s drivetrain into a Fox-Body Mustang, Conway spent the winter making updates to his Caddy that included improvements to his roll cage, as well as different pistons to boost the LSX engine’s compression ratio. He also installed a solid roller cam to extend the RPM range and generate more horsepower. The Mike Lough Racing Engines bullet is equipped with Mast Motorsports Black Label 255 cylinder heads, and is boosted by a Forced Inductions 107mm turbocharger. The powerplant made nearly 2,200 rear-wheel horsepower at 40 psi of boost—now that’s some real V-series performance!

Conway’s 2024 exploits began with a test session where he clicked off an easy 4.80 1/8-mile hit. He followed that up with several runs at US 131 Motorsports Park that were used to sort out some chassis adjustments to reduce the Cadillac’s wheel-standing antics. Eventually, he clocked a 1.11-second 60-ft time. 1,260 feet later, he stopped the timers with a 6.956 at 198.24 mph.

Not only is it the first CTS-V to break into the 6s, but it did so with the independent rear suspension intact and on a 275 radial tire.