Cono Turchio of Staten Island,...
Cono Turchio of Staten Island, grabs some big air with his updated '84 Mustang. Turchio qualified Eighth in the Open Comp category but broke in the first round of eliminations.
Each and every year, the Mustang racing season winds down during the late fall months. For Mustang racers in the Northeast, the final race before winter sets in is usually Fords at Englishtown. This year marked the 17th time Englishtown Raceway Park threw its Ford-only drag race and car show. For two days, Mustang and Ford enthusiasts had fun before they put their cars away for the winter.
Because a Fun Ford Weekend event took place earlier in the season, the Raceway Park staff decided to run more street-type classes rather than hard-core heads-up eliminators. There was the traditional Real Street Road Tour sponsored by Danny's Pro Performance on Saturday, along with a host of bracket racing-style classes. On Sunday, the program was opened up to include four heads-up classes-Cobra Shootout, Factory Mustang, Real Pure Street, and Drag Radial.
The Real Street Road Tour is modeled after the MM&FF True Street class, and it was a smashing success this year. Forty-four Mustangs invaded the Old Bridge area as the group hit the streets for a 30-mile trip.
Sitting on top of the field was Stephen Barone with his familiar '95 Saleen Mustang. The cruise did not faze the turbo com-bination, as it propelled Barone down the track with a three-run average of 9.52. Dropping into the Second slot was Charles Short with a 10.49. John Kelly was Third in the Real Street ranks with a 10.70 average.
The DOT-Drag Radial class headlined the heads-up portion of the event, and it brought out a few 8-second cars. The rules were simple-stock-style suspension out back and run whatcha brung under the hood. These Mustangs were required to run DOT-legal drag radial tires in the back. Ty Krean took top qualifying honors and claimed the class victory against Bob McDonald, 8.41 to McDonald's 8.51.
Justin Burcham of JPC Racing took home the win in Real Pure Street, setting the low e.t. of the class with a 9.82. In the finals, Burcham grabbed the win light when Ed Leonard of Taunton, Massachusetts, went red. Mike Washington, also from JPC Racing, took home the Factory Mustang title over Eric Laferriere. Washington ran 11.61 while Laferriere was right behind him with an 11.65 performance.
The '03-'04 Cobra Shootout was quite interesting when you consider how few competitors had a legal six-point rollbar, as per the NHRA rules. A few cars ran in the 11s and were warned by track officials. The final round looked like a bracket race, as both competitors got on the brakes to avoid breaking into the 11s. Brian Kelly of Wingdale, New York, ran 12.02 at only 73.73 mph to take the win over Manny Delello, who had run 12.20 at just 79.18 mph. Open Comp competition saw Jeff Hughes take out Craig Walls with a 10.39 on a 10.37 index.
Due to the absence of an Outlaw...
Due to the absence of an Outlaw 10.5 class at Fords at Englishtown, cars such as John Ullman's '93 coupe jumped into the brackets or Open Comp. Ullman was the number-one qualifier in Open Comp with a staggering 7.68 at 181.15 mph. But speed does not win in Open Comp-consistency does-and he lost the first round. Ullman tried to get a jump on the Tree and lit the red light.
Ty Krean ran 8.40s in DOT...
Ty Krean ran 8.40s in DOT Drag Radial thanks to a 308ci, turbocharged engine under the hood. The blue coupe was the number-one qualifier and won the race. Krean beat Bob McDonald in the finals, 8.41 to 8.51.
Stephen Barone takes Real...
Stephen Barone takes Real Street to the edge with his mid-9-second Saleen. The car has been around for many years and features a turbocharged engine under the hood. Barone's three-run average was a sick 9.52, and he outran the field by nearly 1 second. The 30-mile cruise was nothing for this demented street machine.
A Mustang traffic jam-nice!...
A Mustang traffic jam-nice! For once, we didn't mind sitting in New Jersey traffic. Having 44 Mustangs idling all around you is cool.
Michael Mohring tagged his...
Michael Mohring tagged his Mustang with the license plate "ITS SLO." He had a 10.95 average with a supercharged engine under the hood-that's not slow in our book! The tires spun during the first run, and he ran 11.08. The GT hooked hard on the following two runs-10.87 and 10.90.
Mahzad Nazirbage of New York...
Mahzad Nazirbage of New York always shows up to Englishtown with a few friends to run in the Real Street Road Tour. Thanks to some nitrous, he was the quickest car in his group with an 11.67 average. That was good for Sixth Place overall.
The Real Pure Street class...
The Real Pure Street class combined the quick, naturally aspirated Mustangs with Real Street- style Mustangs. Real Street cars feature out-of-the-box components and off-the-shelf super-charger systems. Justin Burcham beat his naturally aspirated rivals with his ProCharger-powered Real Street entry. He ran 9.82 in the first round but broke the transmission in the finals. He got lucky because his competitor in the finals, Ed Leonard, went red.
Pennsylvania resident Jeff...
Pennsylvania resident Jeff Hughes endured five rounds of tough competition in Open Comp. He consistently ran in the 10.40s (on a 10.39 index), and his great reaction times kept him in the game. He beat Craig Walls in a double breakout situation. Hughes broke out by only 0.02 second, while Walls blew past his index by 0.06 second.
NMRA Factory Stock hitter...
NMRA Factory Stock hitter Mike Washington began his day in the 11.70s, but by Sunday evening he had propelled his '92 notchback into the 11.60s. He beat Eric Laferriere with an 11.61 to Laferriere's 11.65.
When the name Mike Sodano...
When the name Mike Sodano is on the qualifying sheet, you know it's a tough Open Comp field. The die-hard stick-shift racer went three rounds before going red against eventual runner-up Craig Walls. Sodano was close to a green light with a -0.014-second reaction time.
Open Comp regular Bruce Parker...
Open Comp regular Bruce Parker was a second-round victim to Craig Walls. The Capri had been deadly all weekend long by running close to Parker's 9.09 index. In the second round, he slowed to a 9.16 and lost.
Here is Craig Walls leaving...
Here is Craig Walls leaving the starting line in his '90 Mustang GT. The car served double duty at Fords at Englishtown as it finished 11th in the Real Street category on Saturday and runner-up in Open Comp on Sunday. Walls took down some serious hitters on his way to the finals, namely Mike Sodano and Bruce Parker.
Bob McDonald of Jesel Valvetrain...
Bob McDonald of Jesel Valvetrain bolted a ProCharger F2 blower to his Drag Radial car, and the results were mid-8s at speeds more than 170 mph. McDonald set the high mph of the DOT Drag Radial class with a 172-mph charge. He ran 8.51 in the finals and was runner-up.
Ed Leonard's Real Pure Street...
Ed Leonard's Real Pure Street car had been in the 9.70s at other tracks, but he kept it 10.00 and slower because he didn't have his NHRA competition license. He settled for runner-up, as he kept his foot out of the gas on the top end each round. In the finals, Leonard tried to get a jump on Justin Burcham, but he went red and ended his hopes for a victory.
Greg Bowser squeaked into...
Greg Bowser squeaked into the 10s with a 10.93 in qualifying. He unfortunately had to face Ed Leonard's low-10-second machine in the first round. Bowser drilled Leonard on the Tree but could not keep up with the supercharged car.
Coming off his second straight...
Coming off his second straight championship in NMRA competition, Mark Morales made it to Englishtown for one more weekend of racing. His Ranger won a second-round meeting with Jim Henke, but it then broke and couldn't make the third-round lane call.
The '03-'04 Cobra Shootout...
The '03-'04 Cobra Shootout was interesting, to say the least. NHRA required a car to be fitted with a six-point rollbar if that car goes quicker than 11.99 in competition (that rule has since been relaxed somewhat). None of the competitors possessed any type of rollbar, so they were all in violation of the rule if they eclipsed the 12.00 barrier. Brian Kelly acted more like a bracket racer as he got on the brakes on the top end of the track. The car is definitely an 11-second ride, but he held himself back and survived the competition. He ran 12.02 at only 79 mph to take the victory over Manny Delello, who had gone 12.20.