5th - 70 pts.
Joe Nelson
Jacksonville, FL '03 SVT Cobra
When we put our feelers out for competitors, we expected a bunch of Terminator Cobras. Unfortunately, we were only able to come up with one that fit the bill. Joe Nelson and his company, JoeBob Motorsports, have transformed his '03 Cobra into a well-rounded machine. The only modifications to the engine are a ported blower, an SCT mass air meter, a tune, and a shot of juice.
The Rundown
| Weight W/Driver | 3,915 pounds |
| Engine | Stock long-block with a ported Eaton and a dry shot of juice |
| Suspension | Stock with IRS brace and solid mounts, and custom subframe connectors |
| Brakes | Stock |
| Wheels And Tires |
| Drag | 275/40R17 M/T Drag Radials on Cobra R clone wheels |
| Road Course | 245/45ZR17 Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires on stock wheels |
| Advantage | IRS and nitrous |
| Disadvantage | "I probably should have brought competition tires." |
| Quarter-Mile Average Et/Mph |
| 12.280/122.30 |
| Road Course Average |
| 1:11.12 |
Joe was feeling a little under the weather on the day of our event, and that combined with a wheelhop issue held him back on the dragstrip. Once he found his groove, though, he was able to pull off low-12-second timeslips. Everyone had issues on the strip, Joe's were just magnified by the wheelhop.
On the road course, the Terminator felt right at home. With its IRS and a few JoeBob suspension tricks, Joe hustled around the course for an average of 1:11.12-enough for Fourth. And the gap between Second and Fourth was only 11 hundredths of a second! Joe didn't bring competition road race tires; unfortunately, it made a difference in his overall score. Like Rich Vollberg, different tires could have turned this competition around.
Against a tricked out Fox-body and modded GT500s, Joe's stock-looking Cobra struggled under the microscope of the judges. Though it is definitely cool and something we would all want to own, it fell short compared to the competition, scoring only 140 points.
Overall, Joe made made a valiant effort. We were just disappointed that the second lightest car (with two power adders) wasn't able to sneak in a higher score. But, as they say, the truth is in the numbers, and Joe's numbers just weren't enough.
6th - 40 pts.
Jack Maurice
Jacksonville, FL '06 Mustang GT
Jack Maurice and his '06 GT had the cards stacked against them from the beginning-not because his car is any less cool, but because the Three-Valve is a few steps behind the blown Terminator and the GT500's 5.4L. Jack's GT features a stock engine with FRPP Hot Rod cams and a Saleen supercharger, and so it at least has the GT500 beat on weight. With 8 pounds of boost, the GT made 442 rwhp and 402 lb-ft of torque. Jack also upgraded the shocks and struts to Tokico GT500 takeoffs, and lowered it with Vogtland springs.
The Rundown
| Weight W/Driver | 3,925 pounds |
| Engine | Stock with FRPP Hot Rod camshafts and a Saleen Super Shaker blower |
| Suspension | BMR Panhard bar and lower-control-arm relocating bracket, FRPP Shelby GT500 lower control arms, GT500 shocks and struts, Lakewood adjustable uppers |
| Brakes | Stock with drilled and slotted rotors |
| Wheels And Tires |
| Drag | 195/80R16 Bridgestone Ecopias on Crown Victoria spare wheels in the front and 255/50R16 BFGoodrich Drag Radials on S197 V-6 wheels out back |
| Road Course | 285/40ZR18 BFGoodrich T/A KDW tires on 18-inch Cragar S/S wheels |
| Advantage | Lots of traction ... |
| Disadvantage | but no traction in the stock clutch |
| Quarter-Mile Average Et/Mph |
| 12.520/115.32 |
| Road Course Average |
| 1:35.25 |
On the dragstrip, Jack didn't do too shabby. He managed a 12.79, a 12.48, and a 12.29. He was lowering e.t.'s with each pass and it looked like he was going to get in the 11s when disaster struck. In the burnout box, Jack either failed to get the tires wet or the Three-Valve simply overpowered the stock clutch-either way, it was fried. Neither Jack nor our crew caught it in time, and he smoked what was left. He still averaged 12.52, but unfortunately, it was the slowest of the bunch.
With nothing to lose, Jack and his son, RJ, mounted their other set of wheels and tires. On the road course, though, Jack was only able to limp around.
His average is hardly worth mentioning, but Jack's positive attitude and determination is. He hit the track, and even though the car mowed through the clutch with any application of power, he pulled through and avoided the DNF. On top of that, he drove it to Gainesville from Jacksonville, and even limped it back home with the fried clutch. "I knew it was just a matter of time before the stock clutch had to be replaced," Jack said. "I just hoped it wouldn't happen here."