1987 Ford Mustang LX - Sticker Stock

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We should've known the answer to our question-had Real Street racer Mark Magnuson ever street raced? It seems the Chicago area (Mark lives in nearby Barrington, Illinois) is legendary for late-night, adrenaline-pumping speed contests. "Yeah, I street raced," Mark says. "Didn't everyone? I didn't do anything major, but I almost got caught a couple times. I ran once and used a whole tank of gas just getting away." After that incident, Mark relaxed on the street racing and turned his speed addiction toward the legal side of the law.

But before we give the details on Mark's Real Street coupe shown here, we'll tell you what got him to this point.

A couple years later, Mark worked at a Ford dealer as an apprentice. "It was really cool," he says. "The owner had some stock cars and a bunch of drag snowmobiles. He was interested in getting into drag racing. We took a used '89 GT off the lot and installed gears and exhaust, and it went 13.50s." After the GT, the dealership received an '87 LX hatch on trade. Mark and company turned that car into a racer as well. The LX started out going 12.80s with ported stock heads and a B303 cam. "Then it got World Castings heads and a dry nitrous kit," Mark says. "It went 11.20 at 121 mph." That happened in 1990. Jimmy Dahl later bought the LX and turned it into his world-famous Super Street Outlaw car.

Another good thing that came about from his two-wheeled exploits was that Mark met his girlfriend, Danielle-and did she ever think he was crazy. They first met at the track, where she was racing her own car. "We met again at a party," Mark says, "started going out, and the rest is history."

However, as time went on, they eventually got back into the swing of things. Mark had heard about NMRA Real Street and it sparked his interest. After the first race at Orlando, some friends told him how much fun it was, so he decided to give it a shot. He partnered with a friend of his and Danielle's-Luke from Sticker Dude Designs. "Luke told me to bring the car by," Mark says, "and he would do it up and take us to the races. How could you argue with that kind of offer? He gets some good exposure and I get to go heads-up racing."

Speaking of 2003, Mark will be back in the hunt with the coupe seen here-although it will carry a different graphic treatment-until his new car is done. When asked what this NMRA season holds for him, Mark said, "Well, for starters, a lot of sleepless nights getting ready for the races and a lot of good times at the races. A win or two would be nice." Mark hopes to make it to every '03 race and to make a good showing while he's there. But what he really wants in 2003 is a Real Street top-five jacket. You know, the ones that have the nice patches.