Though he slowed slightly on his fourth pass, the fifth run was his best effort of the day. The boards lit up as he crossed the stripe with an 11.67-second pass at 117 mph, his quickest and fastest of the day.
Jay Tucker
Chesapeake, Virginia
11.95 @ 114 MPH
Some of the cars in our 2011 Mustang Shootout were set up to hit the dragstrip in full-race or street/strip trim. Jay Tucker, owner of JLT Performance, brought his Kona Blue 2011 in nearly the same trim as when he heads out to the road course.
"We removed the front sway bar and put a pair of slicks on it," explains Tucker. "We left the 20-inch Boze wheels on the front and headed out."
Tucker's 2011 has been updated with a JLT cold-air intake system and an SCT custom tune, with American Racing Headers headers and X-style midpipe with high-flow cats to help the 5.0L breath easier. The stock clutch has been removed in favor of a replacement from McLeod, which helps Tucker hit the gears as he heads down the track. The suspension has been modified with FRPP springs in the front and rear, and Mecto upper and lower control arms, which help keep the rearend in line.
When Tucker took to the famed quarter-mile, his first attempt netted him a 12.34-second e.t. at 113 mph, but he wanted more. After aborting the next run, Tucker was ready for a better run. After heating the Mickey Thompson slicks, he traded pedals and rowed through the gears on his way to an 11.95 at 114 mph.
Tucker used the next two sessions to try and improve on his best time, but that would be his only 11-second time as he pumped out a 12.21 and a 12.11, both at 113 mph.
"This was my first MM&FF shootout," Tucker adds. "We had a car there that represents what most people would have on the street, and it was great to be a part of it."
Lidio Iacobelli
Chesterfield, Michigan
12.16 @ 113 MPH
Six hundred and fifty miles is quite a trip-especially when you drive all that way to race a car, then drive home. Lidio Iacobelli made the trip from Chesterfield, Michigan, to E-town just to be a part of our shootout. Not to take anything away from the competitors who made the trip from further locations, but Iacobelli drove his California Special (GTCS) from Michigan to New Jersey, then drove it home once he finished making his runs!
"I run what most people would drive," explains Iacobelli. "My car is mostly stock with some bolt-ons-something the average person would build." Iacobelli is the owner of Alternative Auto.
The combination in this black GTCS is simple. Iacobelli installed a C&L cold-air intake and Kook's headers with a catted X-style midpipe and Flowmaster mufflers, with a custom SCT tune tying it all together. The factory rolling stock has been replaced with 20-inch Enkie hoops wrapped in Nitto rubber. The factory brake rotors have been replaced with 14-inch rotors from Baer Brakes.
Iacobelli's 2011 barely had an hour to cool down from the 10.5-hour trip, and the only change made was to the tire pressure in the NT05R drag radials. The first pass netted him a 12.27-second e.t. at 112 mph. Iacobelli hit the starting line a little harder on his second run, and the result was his best pass of the day at 12.16 at 113 mph. This was quickly followed by a 12.20 and a 12.22, at 113 and 112 mph respectively. With his passes complete, Iacobelli aired up the drag radial and headed back to Michigan.
2011 Mustang Shootout
| Results |
| Name | Weight | Transmission |
| (With Driver) |
| Nelson Whitlock | 3,420 | C4 |
| Justin Burcham | 3,455 | TKO-600 |
| Richard Lelsz | 3,555 | C4 |
| Sean Kelley | 3,895 | 6R80 |
| Terry Reeves | 3,875 | 6R80 |
| Rick LeBlanc | 3,640 | 6R80 |
| Fred Cook | 3,620 | 6R80 |
| Joe Marini | 3,250 | MT-82 |
| Adam Browne | 3,485 | MT-82 |
| Joseph Jones | 3,556 | MT-82 |
| Jay Tucker | 3,795 | MT-82 |
| Lidio Iacobelli | 3,880 | 6R80 |
| Driver |
1st Pass |
2nd Pass |
| Nelson Whitlock |
10.53/109.15 |
10.08/120.89 |
| Justin Burcham |
10.53/131.66 |
9.97/137.33 |
| Richard Lelsz |
11.10/82.72 |
10.36/99.67 |
| Sean Kelley |
10.91/120.40 |
10.91/122.87 |
| Terry Reeves |
31.95/32.70 |
10.86/129.01 |
| Rick LeBlanc |
11.29/118.93 |
11.32/118.32 |
| Fred Cook |
11.42/118.22 |
11.35/118.42 |
| Joe Marini |
11.70/113.92 |
11.37/119.65 |
| Adam Browne |
11.57/120.68 |
11.45/120.81 |
| Joseph Jones |
11.75/114.96 |
11.69/115.42 |
| Jay Tucker |
12.34/113.88 |
11.95/114.11 |
| Lidio Iacobelli |
12.27/112.57 |
12.16/113.47 |
| Driver |
3rd Pass |
4th Pass |
| Nelson Whitlock |
15.44.51.86 |
9.41/132.11 |
| Justin Burcham |
9.84/139.36 |
9.94/139.86 |
| Richard Lelsz |
9.94/133.79 |
9.95/135.69 |
| Sean Kelley |
10.87/122.36 |
10.76/123.28 |
| Terry Reeves |
10.89/129.27 |
10.89/129.75 |
| Rick LeBlanc |
11.29/118.49 |
11.25/119.10 |
| Fred Cook |
11.41/117.90 |
11.35/118.54 |
| Joe Marini |
11.69/118.14 |
11.40/119.76 |
| Adam Browne |
11.55/120.55 |
11.57/119.69 |
| Joseph Jones |
11.67/117.13 |
11.76/115.20 |
| Jay Tucker |
12.21/113.27 |
12.11/113.53 |
| Lidio Iacobelli |
12.20/113.00 |
12.22/112.58 |
*although some of the racers made more than four passes, only the four best are presented here.