The Tasca Racing Team brought out this '10 Super Cobra Jet for testing at New England Dragway. Driver Carl Tasca was running low-8-second elapsed times all weekend. He put on quite a demonstration during one pass, with a monstrous wheelie for several hundred feet!
The interior of Tasca's '10...
The interior of Tasca's '10 SCJ is all business, with gauges, switches, a parachute-release handle, and the aluminum shifter that allows Carl to row the gears of his clutchless Liberty Equalizer transmission during wheels-up powershifts.
Although August in New England can be quite hot and humid, there is a palpable sense that the summer fun will be coming to an end in short order. With Labor Day just around the corner, gearheads in the north know that a long cold winter is looming in their not too distant future.
Fortunately for them, they can always look forward to the mid-August horsepower frenzy that is the Tasca Performance Ford Fest, presented by UPR Products. The event features heads-up drag racing, bracket classes, an all-Ford car show, and a small swap meet.
Although questionable weather dampened this year's attendance, there was still some great action on the dragstrip, beautiful rides in the show area, and plenty of deals to be had in the vendor and swap meet area.
Horse Sense: 2011 marked the 17th annual Ford Fest at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire. Originally created by Fun Ford Weekend, the annual event had been a huge success for over a decade, but when Fun Ford Weekend went on sabbatical in 2009, the event's future was questionable. Upon hearing this, Mark Mainiero of UPR Products stepped up to the plate in a big way. UPR became the sole sponsor of the 2009 event so that our Ford family to the north could continue to enjoy this unique event. The following year, Tasca Performance's Mod Shop joined the fray, and so the Tasca Performance Ford Fest, presented by UPR Products, was born.
Follow the captions to see how it all played out at this year's event.
Frank Paolino's Super Cobra...
Frank Paolino's Super Cobra Jet runs strong, with a best pass of 8.55 at 161, but what drew our attention was the massive Kenne Bell decal on its quarter-panels. When we questioned Frank about his unusual choice of power adders, he explained with a sheepish grin that he gets a kick out of the judgmental glares he receives from Super Cobra Jet purists who consider his swap from the FRPP Whipple to a Kenne Bell supercharger the highest form of sacrilege.
Travis Johnson of Performance...
Travis Johnson of Performance Auto & Dyno brought out the company's turbo notchback to compete in Street Outlaw. He top qualified with an 8.154 at 171.86 on 275/60-15 Hoosier Drag Radials, and went on to win the class.
Scott Mantho's '87 LX hatchback...
Scott Mantho's '87 LX hatchback finished runner-up in the Quick Ford category.
Looking just like our own...
Looking just like our own Project Shocker (remember that car?), Jeff Pulaski's '91 LX took out the competition in the Street Shootout and earned a class win. Jeff's combo consists of a stroked Windsor, naturally aspirated, with a Jerico DR4 transmission. His best pass in the stick-shift ‘Stang is a 9.88 at 136.
Andrew DeMarco and the DMC...
Andrew DeMarco and the DMC Racing crew brought out their Super Street Outlaw '86 Mustang for some testing before the NMRA event in Columbus, Ohio. Here, DMC Racing Owner Dennis MacPherson focuses intently while DeMarco leaves the line on another perfect launch.
Nick Boudreau entered his...
Nick Boudreau entered his '92 Coupe in Street Outlaw at the Ford Fest, though he typically competes in X275 drag radial racing. His homebuilt Fox Mustang features a 365-inch small-block Ford with an 88mm turbo and UPR Products suspension. Travis Johnson at Performance Auto & Dyno tunes the combo, and Nick's best pass to date is a 7.99 at 172 on Hoosier drag radials.
Jake Conan's legendary Silver...
Jake Conan's legendary Silver '03 Cobra finished runner-up in Shelby Race. His Cobra, which was the first Eaton Cobra in the 9s, ran 9.50s at the Ford Fest.
This boosted, blue Coyote...
This boosted, blue Coyote looked stock, but posted up mid-11-second e.t.'s in True Street.
The UPR Products display in...
The UPR Products display in the vendors' area was a big hit with the crowd. Racers and show-goers alike found must-have goodies on the tables. UPR brought its new tubular K-member for S197 Mustangs to show off to the racers. The Tig-welded chrome-moly K-member weighs 26 pounds less than the factory unit.
Tasca also displayed this...
Tasca also displayed this Factory Five Racing '33 Roadster, built by the Tasca Mod Shop. Consider this car for a moment--It's packing a 624hp, FRPP-supercharged Coyote engine which is backed by a Tremec five-speed transmission and an 8.8-inch rearend. However, the car weighs just over 2,000 pounds complete. That's more horsepower than a new GT500, at half of the weight!
Jim Lake's '06 Mustang GT...
Jim Lake's '06 Mustang GT demonstrates that Redfire is, in fact, the fastest color on the S197 Mustangs. OK, that claim might be debatable, but Jim's Mustang sure looks great heading down the track.
Mike Travers entered this...
Mike Travers entered this clean '01 Cobra convertible in the car show, presented by the New Hampshire Mustang Club, and won his class. The 16,000-mile Cobra has several tasteful modifications, and has run 13.2 at 107.
The Tasca Mod Shop displayed...
The Tasca Mod Shop displayed this new Mustang GT which was loaded with factory options and thoroughly upgraded with aftermarket parts. Its Boss-like side stripes looked right at home with the factory 5.0 emblems in place.
Kevin Gallant's '03 Mach 1...
Kevin Gallant's '03 Mach 1 earned the UPR's Choice Award in the car show. His car was sporting engine modifications, upgraded suspension, and of course, plenty of UPR billet interior accessories. 5.0
Keith Calitri won the Stock...
Keith Calitri won the Stock Class with his naturally aspirated, FlowTech Induction-powered, manual-transmission setup. He was also the top qualifier with an 11.47 at 120.21.
NMRA Modular Muscle heavy-hitter...
NMRA Modular Muscle heavy-hitter Kevin Volk was on the property competing in Shelby Race with his '07 GT500. The 8-second Shelby was quite the crowd pleaser with several wheels-up launches on the way to a Ford Fest class win.
Kevin Schnyer's '90 LX hatchback...
Kevin Schnyer's '90 LX hatchback was a stunner. At first glance, it looks like a well-preserved stocker. But upon further inspection, you notice subtle upgrades like the Cobra brakes and new-school 5.0 emblems. Perhaps we're seeing a new trend for the Fox 'Stangs? While Kevin's car is mostly stock, its fit and finish are on a whole new level. Obviously, his build strategy worked because the car won best-in-class.