2007 Nitto Tire King of the Street - Battle For The Throne

'99 Saleen Speedster S351R
Minnesota Lake, MN
Horsepower: 8
Ride and Drive: 9
Engineering: 9
Drag Race: 9
Fit and Finish: 8
Popular Vote: 2
Total Score: 62.65

Disco Dan Schoneck was back at this year's Nitto Tire KOTS, but this time with a customer's car. This '99 Saleen S351 Speedster was originally piloted by Liz Saleen, and painted Lizstick Red. Dan says the car was one of the Saleen press cars back when new, and one of two centermount exhaust cars built for that model. Bryant Sloss purchased the car, and sent it to APS Auto Works (Todd Hardy) in Chaska, Minnesota. In a move sure to send Saleen Melvins falling on their Speedlines, the factory engine and tranny were removed and sold. While at APS, the back half of the car was also taken apart to make room for widened Saleen wheels. Then Tinman Fabrications installed through-the-floor subframe connectors and welded-up torque boxes. Tinman also built a custom aluminum gas tank to clear the 3 1/2-inch exhaust, which is still a centermount orientation.

That's Outlaw/Renegade racer... 

   

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That's Outlaw/Renegade racer Dan Schoneck at the wheel of John King's '99 S351 Speedster getting the Nitto 555R Extreme Drag radials warmed up for his one and only quarter-mile pass. Dan ran one of the fastest passes in KOTS history with his 10.72 at a mind-bending 142 mph. Our jaws hit the pavement when we saw that mph light up the scoreboard at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Evidently, it caught the attention of the tech staff, too. Since the Saleen Speedster is a convertible with a lightbar as its only safety gear, the Beech Bend staff politely asked Dan to park it. Dan was unsure if the Nittos would be up to the task of planting 800 rwhp to the pavement, but he said they dead-hooked so he stayed in it all the way down the track. The sound of the Vortech YSi-Trim supercharged 410ci Windsor at full go-time was music to our ears.

Back at APS, Todd hid the MSD ignition, the FAST system, and the fuel pressure regulator in the fenderwells. He finished off the car by assembling the Saleen's rearend, engine, transmission, and installing a Vortech YSi-Trim supercharger. Dan upgraded the supercharger from a 30mm cog pulley to a 50mm cog drive and added a custom tune to the FAST.

However, even after all that, the most interesting part is that this car was purchased by John King, a customer and good friend of Dan, the night before leaving for Bowling Green. John simply wanted to have a car to compete in the KOTS, and the easiest way to accomplish that was to buy this Saleen.

No matter who owns the car, this Saleen is the real deal, in more ways than one. First off, it's a real Saleen. Second, this brutal street car makes all the right noises at all the right times. The car offers no-excuses performance. We didn't have to wait on the power like with the turbocharged KOTS cars. Thanks to good ol' cubic inches and a big huffer, all we had to do was mash the gas, and we were off. The combination of Windsor power with a big blower had us as giddy as a 10-year-old at Christmas. We could hardly wait to unwrap the Saleen's horsepower on the Ride and Drive, and as soon as we did, there were smiles all around.

It wasn't just the horsepower that amazed us, though. The car was docile for having said cubic inches and a blower usually reserved for 8-second race cars. We should've known that would be the case given Dan's history with a FAST system and the attention to detail he shows to his cars. The car was equally at home on the street as it was on the track. The ride was as supple as the Saleen's Recaro seats, while the brakes were nothing short of spectacular. Given the car's Saleen heritage, we should've known those characteristics would be true as well. Even with all the power on board, the car was nice and comfortable. If we needed a Mustang to shake up the locals, we'd be hard pressed to find one better than this Saleen.

To summarize, the car scored an 8 in the Horsepower segment by making 779 corrected horsepower. On the Ride and Drive, the only thing we counted against was the lack of A/C. For that reason, it scored a 9. Tech Editor Jones obviously loved the car since he gave it a 9 in Engineering, while Editor Turner gave the Saleen an 8 in Fit and Finish. With an eye-opening 10.72/142-mph blast (at 3,995 pounds with Dan at the wheel), Dan also scored a 9 in the Drag Race category. He said the provided Nitto 555R Extreme Drag radials dead-hooked, and he was off to the races. Dan stayed in it all the way to the finish line to realize the top mph, possibly in KOTS history. Dan had few Children of the Korn fans at Bowling Green, resulting in a score of 2 in the Popular Vote.

If Dan gets into the next KOTS, he should bring some Children of the Korn with him because more votes from that constituent would've helped the final score. We loved the Saleen, and can easily see why it's so desirable among Dan's friends. We just can't wait to see what he dreams up for the next KOTS.