Outlaw Class Drag Racing - Shakedown Breakdown

The end of 2006 marked the third season in which Englishtown Raceway Park and Outlaw 10.5 racer David Hance combined to throw an end-of-the-year bash that had the hottest Outlaw racers competing for $10,000 in cold cash. Shakedown At Englishtown '06 offered three classes-Outlaw 10.5, Outlaw Drag Radial, and Pro Modified. The Outlaw 10.5 and Outlaw Drag Radial classes were slammed with Mustangs (and a few other Fords) that represented the Blue Oval quite well. MM&FF was there in force, and here's what we found.

Caldwell Construction Outlaw 10.5 presented by Landy's PerformanceOutlaw 10.5-style racing fosters the notion of run-whatcha-brung drag racing-a concept that only seemed present a generation ago in the early years of Pro Mod racing as well as Top Fuel/ Funny Car racing in the '60s. Competitors are fueled by the glory associated with going fast with no dial-ins, plus something out of the ordinary-a pair of 10.5W tires, a race weight minimum of 3,000 pounds, a back-half-style chassis setup, and real cars. Fans pack the stands to watch them succeed, as well as to witness them fail in the form of smoked tires and sideways action.

The Shakedown race was the site of the first 6-second Outlaw 10.5 run two years ago when Tim Lynch and Steve Petty ran 6.93 and forever etched themselves in the history books of Street Legal drag racing. Last year, Lynch pushed his career-best performance to the 6.86 mark, setting the standard once again for 10.5W-tire racing. The Georgia-based team has spoiled the Englishtown fans with record-breaking performances, and this time was no different. Lynch, the undisputed King of the Outlaws, was in good company with the likes of Bad Brad Brand, who also made the trek to New Jersey from the Peach state.

The Southern racers were joined by local talent including David Hance ('05 Mustang GT) and Manny Sirris ('90 Mustang LX) to battle back against the Brand-X racers. The first two years of the Shakedown resulted in a DNF for the event as weather and a slew of oildowns hampered the outcome each time. The '06 event had clear weather, the event staff kept the program moving along efficiently, and the result was a completion of all eliminations.

Lynch and Petty knew the General's soldiers were out for blood after they had rained on the parade of nitrous-gulping, big block Chevy-powered race cars for the past two years. That prompted the Georgia crew to fire back with a monster combination that would have would-be competitors staring at the taillights of their '02 Mustang GT.

Petty built a 604-inch big-block Ford engine, then topped it with a pair of Precision 91mm turbochargers. Estimated output is somewhere in the 2,800-plus range at 32 psi of boost. Brand was another turbo player who looked to larger cubes for a big increase in horsepower. His coupe throws down the gauntlet with a 706ci bullet and a pair of Turbonetics 91mm whistlers. It almost seems like the Outlaw 10.5 class encourages and promotes this wild behavior when selecting engine combinations. Tire limitations are said to be the equalizer, and time played out that notion at the Shakedown-more on that later.

Lynch and Brand gave the competition a glimpse into the awesome turbo power on Saturday night's test-'n'-tune session. Lynch unloaded a 6.72, while Brand knocked down his first 6-second run with a 6.86. Blue Oval fear was injected into the field of competitors.