F-150 Lightning is a ‘Fireball,’ just like its infamous pilot’s other race car.
The video above comes to us from the National No Prep Racing Association YouTube channeland it features a battle on a slick track between a first generation Chevrolet Camaro and a first generation Ford F-150 SVT Lightning. The Lightning is piloted by Ryan Martin, who also drives the Fireball Camaro that has become well-known in the no-prep racing world, which is why this F-150 sports the Fireball name.
While Martin spends most of his racing time beating people in his 5th gen Camaro race car, in this video, he is in a Ford truck taking on a red Camaro. While Chevy fans won’t enjoy the outcome of this race, Fireball and Ryan Martin fans should enjoy this clip from the recent No Prep Kings event at Maple Grove Raceway.
The Competitors
Unfortunately, there is no information included with this video and in hunting around online, we were unable to identify the first generation Chevrolet Camaro in the near lane. The video title states that it is boosted and the intake setup poking through the hood supports that claim, but we don’t know anything else about the antique muscle car-turned-race car.
In the far lane, we have the first generation Ford F-150 SVT Lightning of Ryan Martin. While there are plenty of discussions about this truck online, there is no hard data on what is under the hood. In pictures, it appears to be a big block Ford V8, but all we know for sure is that it has a massive twin turbo setup mounted just behind the removable front end. Is also has substantial chassis work along with huge rear wheels and tires, making this truck a drag strip beast.
The Battle
The video begins with the Lightning and the Camaro each doing a big, pro-style burnout before backing up to the starting box and preparing for the race. After both vehicles stage, the green lights drop and the F-150 is the first to launch, lifting the front wheels off of the ground as it leaves the line.
The Camaro is a bit slow with the launch, but it also pulls the front wheels and begins to chase the twin turbocharged truck. Unfortunately, around the 330-foot mark, the back end of the Camarokicks out, the nose points towards the outside wall and the driver lifts. This allows the Ford truck to race to victory. Although, we can see that the F-150 also runs into traction troubles on the top end.
"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.
