Dirk Stratton, driver for Stratton Racing, is a multiple-series champion who is driving in competition drifting in Formula Drift Pro Am and Pro Am 2. For the 2016 season, he is driving in the Formula Drift Pro 2 events, along with the Midwest Drift Union and U.S. Drift Series. He will be taking his 2009 “Driftvette” Corvette with him to get into the winner’s circles, yet again. The team has recently made some changes to the car to include a Lingenfelter 427 LS7 engine.
The high-compression LS7 engine for Stratton’s car has been outfitted by Lingenfetler Performance Engineering (LPE) with the right parts to really make the Driftvette get up and go. It has Lingenfelter CNC-ported heads, a custom-ground cam with proprietary specs, 3-bolt camshaft conversion kit, oil pump and valvespring kit, a Callies crankshaft, Diamond pistons, Oliver rods, Clevite coated bearings, and an MSD AirForce intake. Learn more about how Stratton is going to utilize this engine in the official release below.
Official Release:
Midwest Drift Champ Dirk Stratton Chooses Lingenfelter 427 LS7 Engine
Dirk Stratton, 2015 Midwest Drift Union champion, has already cinched his fame with his natural drifting prowess and his 2009 “Driftvette” C6 Corvette. That championship earned Stratton a Formula Drift Pro 2 license as well as opportunities to run with even more experienced drivers on increasingly challenging tracks.
As a result, Stratton, who will compete in Formula Drift at Road Atlanta May 6-7, is set to ignite the world of drift with a new Lingenfelter Performance Engineering 427 LS7 engine. Stratton selected Lingenfelter Performance Engineering based on his respect for the brand’s workmanship, especially relative to Corvettes, as well as its reputation for delivering power with both driveability and reliability.
“LPE is a very trusted name and it seems every car Lingenfelter builds is really fast so it’s a good match to have a Lingenfelter engine in my car,” Stratton said. “I’ve always had respect for Lingenfelter. My car’s a Corvette and LPE has a big name in Corvettes. It will be a good combination.”’
The Lingenfetler Performance Engineering 427 high compression LS7 engine features Lingenfelter CNC ported heads, a proprietary Lingenfelter camshaft, Lingenfelter 3 bolt cam conversion kit, Lingenfelter oil pump, Lingenfelter valve spring kit, along with a Callies crank, Oliver rods, Diamond pistons, Clevite coated bearings, and an MSD AirForce intake manifold.
“Dirk Stratton is a talented, hardworking young driver with incredible intuition and ability on the track” said Ken Lingenfelter, owner, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. “We’re thrilled he’s drifting in a Vette, and we’re looking forward to watching him rack up even more wins running an LPE 427 LS7 in his Driftvette.”
Stratton, 23, taught himself drifting, which he’s participated in for the past three years. “It’s something I really enjoy doing and I picked it up very fast,” he said. “A friend taught me the basics and it’s snowballed quickly from there.”
With racing and performance in his blood, Stratton grew up traveling to tracks with his family, following his father, Don Jr., who raced the NHRA Competition Eliminator and won the World Championship in 2001, as well as many divisional championships. In addition to drifting, Stratton has also participated in autocross, drag racing and track days. From Beloit, Ohio, Stratton’s family has owned a Stratton Chevrolet since 1928, further fueling his choice of a Chevrolet platform for professional drifting.
What to expect:
- Dirk Stratton and Driftvette hitting 2016 drift circuits
- Lingenfelter built engine now powering Driftvette
- Lingenfelter 427 LS7 custom built with top performance parts
Elizabeth is a hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
