S197 Ford Mustang GT Shootout - Thundering Three Valves

1st Place
Justin Burcham
Glen Burnie, Maryland
'05 Mustang GT
9.05/148Justin Burcham and JPC Racing are synonymous with killer horsepower. After winning our first Three-Valve shootout a few years ago, Justin came to this gunfight with a howitzer. Utilizing 25 pounds of boost from a ProCharger F1R huffer that blows into a Rich Groh Racing 322ci stroker, Justin opened things up with a stout 9.41 at 145 mph. After running a quicker 9.35, he went back into the pits and said he was going for broke.

With the first two runs being on motor and boost only, Justin decided to crack open the nitrous bottle for a 150hp hit of the sauce. On that fateful run, he torched the tires in the waterbox, heating the Mickey Thompson drag radials to perfection for maximum grip. The Tree fell, the rpm was brought to the proper level, and Justin left the line hanging the front tires almost a foot off of the ground. Through the lights, the silver S197 ripped off an astounding 9.05-second pass at a thumping 148 mph. After cruising back to the pits and opening the hood, Justin noticed the blower inlet tube was off right where it feeds into the mass air meter. He looked at the run a bit closer and realized that the tube came off at around 1,200 feet downtrack, meaning that that 9.05 could have been an 8.98 or an 8.99. While we were thrilled with his 9.05, we were all left wondering about what could have been.

2nd Place
Jim D'Amore
Freehold, New Jersey
'05 Mustang GT
9.88/139
D'Amore had one of the more unique cars at the shootout. For starters, the former MM&FF feature car showcased the only positive-displacement blower out of the bunch, in the form of a Saleen Series VI supercharger. The blower stuffs 14 pounds of boost into a 298ci stroker motor. D'Amore, of JDM Engineering fame, also was the only one to pilot a car that still sports the factory 5R55S transmission. Making the car even more unique is that the trans is still in stock form.

D'Amore opened the shootout with a 10.04 at 136 mph, obliterating the rear tires upon launch. He returned to the pits, put the ballast back in the rear of the car, and proceeded to light up the scoreboards with a pair of 9.88-second e.t.'s. Throw in a trap speed of 139 mph, and this Windveil Blue Mustang was one stout piece.