Reminding us that the best way to make a fast Mustang is to install a Chevy engine.
This week’s Drag Race Monday video comes to us from the 1940_Willys_nut_job YouTube account and it features a pair of Ford Mustang “Fox Body” notchbacks going head-to-head in the quarter mile. Why Mustangs racing on an LS1 site? Because one Mustang is powered by an LS engine, and the other is packing a big block Chevy.
The competitors
Unfortunately, the details on these two Fox Body race cars are limited. We know that one has a big block Chevy and the other has an LS V8 of some sort. In looking around the YouTube channel, there are other videos of the white car with the black hood, and there are videos talking about a big block Chevy. Based on that, we can guess that the Mustang in the near lane is powered by the big block while the black Fox Body is the one relying on LS power.
We also know that the white Mustang has a Richmond 5-speed manual transmission while the black car appears to have an automatic – or an incredibly smooth-shifting driver. Both cars also have big, fat tires, presumably of the drag radial variety.
The video begins as the two Mustang notchbacks ease into the staging beams. The white car goes in first and shortly after the black Ford lights the bottom bulbs, the pro tree does its thing and the green lights drop.
The start of the race is fairly event, but when the white Mustang has an issue getting into second gear, the black car pulls out to an early advantage. The car in the near lane appears to be closing on the big end and the numbers show that it is – running 123.71 to 120.88 – but the far lane gets to the finish line first. The black Mustang runs an 11.06 while the white notch lays down an 11.17, both on Chevy power.
"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.
