1989 Mustang LX - Eat. Race. Die.

Once the chassis was a complete roller again, it was covered in multiple layers of DuPont black paint, just like Mike's original legendary race car. The old-school look is complemented with new technology in the form of a rear-mounted turbo system. "We decided to go with the turbos in the back mainly because of weight distribution," he says. "It keeps weight in the back of the car instead of the front. We were originally concerned with spooling, but that hasn't been an issue." He was also happy to report the weight-bias is probably the best of any turbocharged big-block Outlaw 10.5 Mustang on the circuit.

The header design is custom, and Mike is quiet about the specific setup. He spent considerable time forming the two 3.5-inch oval pipes that run under the car and feed the turbochargers. Two 88mm Precision turbo-chargers in the trunk feed a large intercooler-custom built by Mike Noriega for Bell Intercoolers-and sits in the back-seat area. One single pipe runs through the passenger seat and back into the engine bay. The entire system, including the headers and piping, was done in-house at Murillo Motorsports.

On the receiving end of the 30 psi of boost is a 541ci engine built by Kotzur Racing Engines. An aluminum RDI block was punched out to 4.500 inches and stuffed with a 4.500-inch crankshaft, keeping engine size under 550 ci so they can run NMRA Pro Outlaw 10.5. The heads are Trick Flow A460 units that have been given the full treatment. Intake valves measure a monstrous 2.300 inches, while the 1.880-inch exhaust valves whisk away the gases. The Comp camshaft was custom cut to 0.724/0.715 inch lift with a duration of 258/262. It's not as wild as one would think for a 2,500hp powerplant. The rest of the valvetrain is from Jesel.

The Trick Flow intake was converted to fuel injection by Murillo Motorsports, and it houses 212-pound fuel injectors, custom rails, a TurboSmart fuel-pressure regulator, and an Accufab 105mm throttle body.

Mike has many different digital boxes to control all aspects of this wild ride. He tunes the engine using a Big Stuff 3 EFI system, while an MSD 7531 digital box manipulates the timing curve. The 30 psi of boost is thrown at the engine in various stages due to the tire and traction limitations. For that, an AMS-1000 boost controller calls the shots, while TurboSmart wastegates and blow-off valves do the work. Racepak was tapped for a 30-channel data-logging system so Mike can assess the situation after each run. Transferring the power to the custom 9-inch rear and Mickey Thompson 33x10.5W slicks is the job of a Lenco transmission with a Bruno automatic conversion. The Bruno add-on unit allows the use of a torque converter, which was sourced from Neil Chance Torque Converters.

At the time of the photos, the car was just finished and readied for its debut at the '07 SEMA show. Immediately following SEMA, Mike and crew went testing. At press time, they managed a best of 7.26 at only 179 mph, shutting off early. This came with a very loose torque converter and low boost. Sixty-foot times were an impressive 1.15 on the 10.5W tires. "We're planning on running consistent 6.80s, and we'll compete in NMRA Pro Outlaw 10.5 in 2008," Mike says.

Given his history and experience, he just might be adding another championship to his collection.