There’s a lot of things to love about the car community but one of the greatest aspects has to be the community itself. It is driven by family, friends, and the shared love of everything with compulsion. Holley’s LS Fest 2020 was full of examples of this sentiment. One such example came in the form of a 2006 Chevy Colorado driven by Jason Shell of Cleveland Tennessee. Holley’s film crew got a close up look at Shell’s truck and the story behind this fascinating build.
Well before Shell was old enough to drive, his father was into drag racing. Growing up with this influence led to Shell catching the speed bug at an early age and by the time he got his learner’s permit, it was set in stone, Jason Shell was a car guy. Many times, it’s a hobby, or more, handed down from generation to generation that shapes a person’s life and goals.
Shell’s goal was to be able to break into 200-mph in the quarter-mile behind the wheel of his street-driven truck. That goal starts with a 2006 Chevy Colorado that he picked up from a local junkyard. After picking up an LS engine for another project, he got the idea to drop in a naturally aspirated 6.0-liter. Then he decided to build a turbo kit for it. Next came the Ford Explorer 8.8-inch rear end to handle the extra power which proved to be too fast to be safe. This is the age old tale of “one thing leads to another” and next thing you know the truck ended up with a back half kit and a 25.3 certified chassis. 
Under the hood is a Dart LS Next 427-cid V8 with a Dart billet crank, six-bolt heads, and twin Precision 82.88 turbos. Connecting the turbos to the engine is a Holley high-round base with a Shaun’s Custom Alloy billet lid. A dual injector setup from 417 Motorsports handles the fuel needs and a custom built air to water intercooler setup keeps the intake air at an optimal temperature. At the heart of the system, and providing nearly infinite tunability, is the Holley Dominator. This is an awesome truck and we can’t wait to see this car on the track. We’ll be keeping an eye out for it at Drag Week, True Street, and of course LS Fest in the coming season.
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!
