Tassie bloke's HR Holden: from mild 202 to wild turbo LS3 Drag Challenge weapon

When your mates give you stick, you build a turbo LS

Sometimes all it takes is a bit of ribbing from your mates to completely change the direction of a build. For Tasmanian Heath Carroll, that's exactly what happened with his HR Holden — and it ended up taking him to Drag Challenge.

According to Street Machine, Heath's HR originally ran a 202 that was putting down a respectable 230 horsepower naturally aspirated. Not bad at all, but his mates weren't convinced.

"A few mates gave me shit about the 202, but it was no slouch," Heath explains. Fair enough too — but the chirping clearly got under his skin. A week later, he'd bought himself a cheap LS3.

The plan goes out the window

Heath's original vision was straightforward: keep it naturally aspirated, run a tunnel ram setup, and have a bit of fun. Simple, clean, effective.

But as any car enthusiast knows, plans have a funny way of evolving — especially when you start thinking about what's actually possible. The LS3 opened up a world of potential, and before long, Heath was eyeing off something a bit more serious.

The result? A turbocharged LS3-powered HR Holden that's proven itself on one of Australia's toughest automotive challenges. It's a proper ground-up build that shows what happens when a bit of motivation meets genuine mechanical know-how.

Tasmanian tenacity

Building a Drag Challenge car is no small feat, especially when you're doing it in Tasmania. The commitment required to not only build a competitive car but also get it mainland and tackle the gruelling multi-day event speaks volumes about Heath's dedication.

The turbo LS3 HR represents everything that's great about the Australian car scene — taking a classic Aussie body, modern proven power, and the determination to actually get out there and use it properly.

It's one thing to build a tough street car. It's another entirely to prove it over the demanding days of Drag Challenge.