2nd Place
Don Justus
Hendersonville, NC
'01 Ford Lightning
This shootout was such a big thing, we even got the current Fun Ford Weekend Tough Truck points leader to show up. After competing in the FFW event in Bristol, Tennessee, just days before (and with his next race a week and a half after our shootout), Don Justus made the tow to New Jersey and ended up in Second Place.
Justus' shiny white hauler features all of the goodies from the JDM Engineering shop, including a JDM aluminum Ford GT block, ported aluminum heads, a JDM exhaust, a JDM fuel system, and JDM-spec Crower camshafts. The engine was designed from the ground up by Jim D'Amore of JDM, and is topped off with a Whipple supercharger injecting 17-18 pounds of boost.
After making three consistent runs in the low-10s, Justus and D'Amore found the best combination of traction and nitrous application off the line on the fourth run, just missing low e.t. by fifteen hundredths of a second with only a 75hp shot of the go juice. Recording the best 60-foot time of the shootout (1.43), Justus yanked the front wheels off the tarmac with ease.
We wanted to see the team go for the 9s, but Justice was content running in the low-10s because he wanted to be certain he could finish the FFW season, and they had not done any testing with more than a 75hp shot.
Truck Talk
|
| Owner | Don Justus |
| Hometown | Hendersonville, NC |
| Driver | Don Justus |
| Year | 2001 |
| Weight w/Driver | 4,444 lbs |
| Engine | 331ci modular |
| Built By | JDM Engineering |
| Power Adder: | Nitrous oxide, 75hp shot |
| Blower | Whipple 2.3 with JDM pulley system |
| Heads | JDM Engineering |
| Camshaft | JDM-spec Crower |
| Exhaust | JDM/Kooks headers, MagnaFlow mufflers |
| Best E.T./MPH | 10.14/133.94 mph |
Log Book
|
| Run # | 60-FT | E.T. | MPH |
| 1 | 1.43 | 10.149 | 133.94 |
| 2 | 1.45 | 10.254 | 132.69 |
| 3 | 1.45 | 10.322 | 132.08 |