As the sun began to rise on Gateway Motorsports Park around 6:30 a.m. on Monday morning, everyone knew something special could occur on the very first day of the 2015 edition of Hot Rod Drag Week. With morning temperatures looming in the high-50s, hoodies and jackets were the norm as the drivers filled the nitro seating beside the timing tower at the famed dragstrip located within the shadow of the famous Gateway Arch.

Jeff Lutz had his game face on from the moment he walked up to the track surface after the initial hours of track prep to the time when he pressed the starter button and rolled onto the 1320 feet of concrete and asphalt laid down before him with the sticky traction compound to top things off. Lutz unloaded one pass during Sunday’s Test & Tune session with a 6.05 at 249 miles per hour that sent shockwaves through the internet with its ‘soft’ launch and smooth power application from the Pro Modified and Drag Week wizard.

Jeff, Jr. giving his father a little pep talk and doing a few last minute adjustments before rolling under the timing tower and onto the racing surface at Gateway Motorsports Park.

The question loomed all morning: could the run be backed up or even improved upon on Monday morning in actual Drag Week competition? If so, he would stand alone in the record books above Larry Larson’s 6.11 from the 2014 running of Hot Rod Drag Week.

After a short burnout, Jeff Lutz, Jr., pulled his father into the beams, walked back, turned on the data logger and stood back with a little smile on his face–as if knowing what was coming before the car ever built boost on the starting line.

At the release of the transbrake, Lutz’s Camaro rolled down the quarter-mile tarmac, straight as a string with minimal movement and upon crossing the finish line, a 6.05 at 251 miles per hour blasted across the digital scoreboards atop the right hand lane at Gateway Motorsports Park.

Jeff and team were very pleased with the pass, which now stands as the official quickest and fastest run in Hot Rod Drag Week competition. After the run, they slapped the car in street trim, filled up the tank and off they roledl to the famed Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana for Day 2 of Drag Week.

Video courtesy Urban Hillbilly Videos

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