5.0 Tech SpecsEngine and DrivetrainBlockDart 351WBore4.125Stroke4.00Displacement427ciRodsEaglePistonsDiamondCrankshaftEagleCamshaft(s)Flowtech Induction Ed CurtisHeadsTFS-R, ported by Ford Performance SolutionsIntakeEdelbrock Super VictorThrottle BodyAccufab 80mmPower AdderTwo Precision Turbo PT78GTSFuel SystemACCEL DFI fuel pump, Aeroquip lines, and 160-lb/hr injectorsHeadersCustom 15?8-inExhaustDynoMax UltraFlo IITransmissionTH-400 with 4,000-stall converterRearendStock 8.8 with Richmond spool, 3.27 gears, and Mark Williams 31-spline axles
ElectronicsEngine ManagementAccel DFIIgnitionCrane GaugesAuto Meter
Chassis and SuspensionFront SuspensionStrutsKoniSpringsH&RBrakesStockWheelsWeldTiresMickey ThompsonRear SuspensionShocksStrangeSpringsStockBrakesStockWheelsWeldTiresMickey Thompson E.T. Drag
Don Bowles: '05 Mustang GT 9.17/145.41Long waving the flag for E85 in the NMRA ranks, Don Bowles has been in the 9-second-zone with his '06 Roush Mustang using a number of different engine combinations. From a GT500-based engine, to an top-secret experimental powerplant, to its latest NASCAR-based motor, this Roush rocket is a proven commodity. Don wheeled his ride like a bracket car at the E85 Challenge, reeling off a series of low-9-second passes, finally registering a best of 9.17 at 145 before we had to shut down the track in the early afternoon as rain headed toward the track.
Despite his amazing consistency, Don was rowing the gears in his Roush with a heavy heart. Sgt. William Patrick Rudd, the son of a family friend, died while fighting the war in Iraq on October 5, 2008, just days before our event. Don was doing his part to remember young William by adorning his Roush and racing helmet with decals from William's 3rd Ranger Battallion. It goes without saying that we owe a great debt of gratitude to William and all the men and women in our armed services.
5.0 Tech SpecsEngine and DrivetrainBlockNASCARBore4.040Stroke3.50Displacement358ciRodsNASCARPistonsDiamondCrankshaftNASCARCamshaftNASCARHeadsNASCAR ported by RoushIntakeFord RacingCarburetor850-cfmPower AdderNoneFuel SystemAeromotive pump and Roush fuel linesHeadersRoush NASCARTransmissionG-Force five-speed with McLeod clutchRearendMark Williams 9-in
ElectronicsIgnitionCraneGaugesAuto Meter
Chassis and SuspensionFront SuspensionShocksKoniSpringsRoushBrakesWilwoodWheelsWeldTiresMickey ThompsonRear SuspensionShocksStrangeSpringsRoushBrakesMark WilliamsWheelsWeldTiresMickey Thompson
Adam Ford: '85 Mustang GT 9.77/115Packing the most displacement of any E85 Challenge competitor, Adam Ford rolled into Gateway packing 449 cubes of destroked 460 in his four-eyed Fox. However, this was no simple NA big-block. Nope, Adam wanted turbo boost, and since finding a big-block turbo kit is like finding good news on the television, he gathered up a welder and some prebent pipes he had laying around the shop and created his own turbo kit, which rams boost through a ProCharger intercooler and C&S blow-through carb into the big Ford hammer.
Taking the combo's maiden voyage at our event, Adam had amazingly good luck. He reports that he had to lift the hood only once all day to raise the boost from 8 to 12 pounds. Using Illinois-grown fuel, Adam laid down a 9.77 pass, but he must've been holding out on us a bit, as it was only at 115 mph. Either he was taking it easy, or the big motor wants more boost. In any event, Adam says he had a great time, and one of his crew guys even took the day off from driving a combine to see what his crop could do. We're pretty sure Adam and the rest of our contestants made his workday seem a bit more worthwhile.