In the left corner: a blue pony. In the right corner: the blue pony-tamer.
We are looking at the matchup for the ages: a 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS against a 2017 Ford Mustang GT. At first glance, both cars seem stock. It seems as though both cars have an automatic transmission, so evenly matched in that regard. While there is no mention of drag radials, the Mustang has non-matching wheels which generally indicates stickier tires for track use. The Camaro, on the other hand, appears to have stock rubber all around. Initially, the Mustang seems favored to win.
Let’s talk basics: the Camaro SS is powered by the 6.2L LT1 V8 with 455 horsepower and 455lb-ft of torque. The Mustang GT is powered by the 5.0L “Coyote” V8 with 435 horsepower and 400lb-ft of torque. It should be noted that the Camaro is a bit lighter, so on paper, the Chevy should have the edge. Maybe that’s why the Mustang GT has the different rear tires, as an effort to even out the battle a bit. Those tires could swing in favor of the pony car, however.
The 2017 Camaro SS appears to pull around the burnout box while the Mustang GT does a quick burnout before each car stages. When the green lights drop, the cars appear to leave pretty evenly, but the Camaro quickly pulls out to an early lead. The Mustang GT closes the gap on the top end and runs a higher trap speed, but the Camaro SS gets there first by more than a tenth – running a 12.79 to the Mustang’s 12.95.
"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.
