A 2002 Camaro SS knocks the block off a 2016 Mustang GT in a close drag race.
This drag race video comes to us from the Drag The Earth YouTube channel and it features a great race between a 2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS and a 2016 Ford Mustang GT. As many people reading this likely know, the 2002 Camaro SS was powered by an LS1 that produced 325 horsepower and 350lb-ft of torque while the 2016 Mustang GT packs a 5.0L V8 with 435 horsepower and 400lb-ft of torque. At the same time, the Camaro has a curb weight of somewhere in the area of 3,300lbs while the Mustang weighs more than 3,700lbs. So, while the Mustang has an advantage in power, the Camaro has a sizeable advantage in weight.
Of course, those are all stock numbers and we would guess that the SS is not stock, while the 2016 Mustang could be. In the long run, the Ford runs decent numbers for a stock car while the Chevy’s times are a bit too quick for stock.
The video above begins right as the green lights drop, with the 2002 SS and the 2016 Mustang GT leaving the line side-by-side. The Chevy might have a slight advantage on the launch, but as the two cars reach the 330-foot box, it is a very close race. Even as the cars near the finish line, it appears to be anyone’s race – but the Camaro gets the win light.
On the top end, the 2016 Ford ran a 12.505 at 112.54 miles per hour while the 2002 Chevrolet ran a 12.372 at 111.77 miles per hour. The Mustang was gaining on the big end, but with the slight advantage on the starting line and smoother shifts down-track, the Camaro got the win.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
