December 2024 • by Tony Thacker • Photos Julian Hunt

Presented by MicksPaint.com USAutomotive.co.uk

UK Comp Eliminator racer Jordan Payne was recently crowned The FIA European Finals event Champion at Britain’s historic Santa Pod Raceway driving the family Corvette.

Much of Jordan’s childhood was spent at the racetrack with his father, Nigel, who was a fierce competitor within the UK’s National Drag Racing Championship. Nigel competed in a UK specific class ‘Super Modified’ from 2002 to 2012, created to allow naturally aspirated and nitrous assisted door cars to battle it out heads up in the mid-low 7 second range. Nigel achieved numerous National Event wins throughout his racing career, leading to three National Championship titles in 2008, 2009 and 2011.

As soon as Jordan grew tall enough to reach the tools in the toolbox he began wrenching alongside his dad at the races. “Jordan was always incredibly helpful when we needed to work in tight spaces,” joked Nigel. In 2015, aged 14, Jordan began racing in the Junior Dragster category. After splitting the initial cost of the car with his parents a deal was put in place that if Jordan wanted to race, he would have to do so without the financial backing of his parents, he’d have to work hard for it, raising sponsorship himself and building successful business relationships in the process.

A lot has changed since Jordan’s first event in 2015. Jordan, now an Automotive Engineering graduate and Formula 1 Design Engineer, is a seven-time National Event Champion, two-time European Event Champion, two-time UK National Championship Runner Up and a winner of the UK’s National Championship. Jordan stepped up from Junior Dragster in 2018 and now drives the car he used to help his dad wrench on as a kid, the Sticky Situation Racing 1962 Corvette.

The car started life as a British built Pro Mod, running in the late 1990s under the guise of a Nissan 300zx. Nigel acquired the car in 1998 and over the years transformed the Corvette into what it is today. “Although we refer to the car as a ’62 Corvette, there’s not a single ’62 Corvette component in sight,” explained Jordan. “The front end of the car was moulded from a 1958 Corvette, the rear end was created from a 1963 Corvette, and the drivers’ compartment was stretched and widened to join the two together and fit around the existing chassis.’

The Corvette is powered by a naturally aspirated 538ci Big Block Chevy, built by Jordan and Nigel in their home workshop, and has achieved a PB of 7.36/186mph. The engine comprises of a CNC-lightened Dart iron block and Dart Big Chief heads, developed by RFD, to compliment the custom Bullet Racing camshaft. A forged Scat crank, billet MGP rods and custom Diamond pistons dressed in Total Seal piston rings make up the bottom end. The cylinder heads contain Xceldyne titanium valves and PAC triple coil valve springs, IKSY lifters and 1.8:1 ratio rockers.

“Under the UK’s SM/A Comp Eliminator index there are a number of different engine rules and restrictions to allow for close competition between the nitrous and naturally aspirated cars,” explains Jordan. “Under the SM/A index, for our given combination, we are limited to use a block with standard 4.84-inch bore spacing, maximum valve diameters of 2.4 inches for the intake and 1.8 inches for the exhaust, and we must run a wet sump and carburettors amongst many other rules.

“Despite these power sapping limitations, VP Racing Fuels Q16 allows the engine to produce very close to 1200hp at 8500rpm, between 2.1 and 2.2hp per cubic inch. Prior to this years’ race season, several changes were made to the shape of the Corvette’s combustion chamber and piston crown, aiming to achieve better flame travel. Although this led to a lower compression ratio, horsepower gains were made across the board, with power figures improving considerably lower down in the rev range, where at 6000rpm a 60hp increase was achieved.”

The FIA European Finals is a 4-day event and the final round of the European Drag Racing Championship, held in the UK at Santa Pod Raceway each year. This year Jordan qualified 7th overall and won five rounds of racing on Sunday to claim the event win.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my sponsors, VP Racing Fuels, CTR Developments, Nimbus Motorsport, Cam Auto Developments, RaceTech Seats and Fuelab,” said Jordan. “I really appreciate their support and I’m glad that in return I’m able to deliver them good results.”

So, what is next for Jordan?

“I was incredibly fortunate to be invited out to the 4-Wide Nationals at zMax this year by our good friend Freddie Turza, Technical Manager at VP Racing Fuels.” Said Jordan. “Freddie and his wife Kim kindly offered for me to stay in their family home, I cannot thank them enough. During my visit Freddie introduced me to the team over at KB Titan Racing—they’re really good people. Eric Latino was very generous with his time. He introduced me to the rest of the team and showed me around the incredible KB Titan facility.”

Jordan wanted to thank Eric for his time and did so by running Eric’s business, Global Emissions Systems Inc. (GESi®) sticker on his car at the European Finals and promoted GESi® throughout the weekend. Winning the event was the icing on the cake.

“My dream, since I was a small kid has always been to compete in NHRA Pro Stock,” explains Jordan. “My heart has always steered me towards high revving, high horsepower, naturally aspirated race cars and spending the week with KB Titan Racing confirmed this passion for me.”

Jordan currently has big plans in motion to move to the US, work with a professional drag racing team, and race within the NHRA sportsman series. Jordan is a focussed and hard-working guy, with an ultimate goal to race in NHRA Pro Stock. I encourage you to follow his story and keep an eye out for ‘The British Kid’.

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