Horse Sense:
For being a relatively small state, Maryland has several dragstrips from which to choose, including Maryland International Raceway, Cecil County Dragway, 75-80 Dragway, Mason-Dixon Raceway, and Capitol Raceway. That tells us drag racing is alive and well in Maryland. No wonder so many racers come from that neck of the woods. When Mark bought the car, it was bone stock, but with the addition of only 3.55 gears and a K&N filter, the 49,000-mile car ran a 13.89 at 101 mph
Hobbies are much more fun when you have friends who are into the same things, especially if they involve Mustangs. If you were the only person in your area with a Mustang, it wouldn't be as much fun, right? While that may be the situation for some people, it's different for Mark Hicks and Randy Walker. Together (but not together, if you know what we mean), the Pasadena, Maryland, duo makes for double trouble at the track and on the street with their unassuming Mustangs.
The two met when Randy's '00 GT blew a ring land after a year's worth of 8 pounds of boost. Problem was, Randy lives in an apartment complex, and he was sure his landlord wouldn't appreciate him rebuilding the engine in the parking lot. He obviously needed garage space, and he wasn't sure how long it would take to get the car back on the road. Thankfully, Mark offered the garage space and even lent a helping hand in getting Randy back behind the wheel.
Mark is the owner of the '89 LX hatch seen here with Randy's '00 GT, and the car boasts a Horsepower by Hermann-built 347 and a Performance Automatic C4. In other words, Mark could understand what Randy was going through because he had been around the block with his LX. Mark bought the hatch from the original owner who was a female, a fact given away by the pink stripe on the moldings. The stripe has sort of grown on Mark, and we're not really sure how to feel about that. While most people wouldn't think a car with a pink stripe around it would be quick, it takes Mark only 9.5 seconds to prove them wrong.
In 1997 Hermann Stolzenberg...
In 1997 Hermann Stolzenberg from Horsepower by Hermann built Mark's current engine. Using a vintage '68 302 block, Hermann made the necessary clearances to the block and stuffed in a Scat 4340 stroker crank, Eagle rods, and JE flat-top pistons with Total Seal rings. He also ported the Edelbrock Performer heads and a Victor Jr. intake, and added a Lunati 51018 camshaft to the mix. Hermann blessed the intake with a Barry Grant Mighty Demon 650-cfm carburetor. Mark ran this combination for a couple years before squeezing in an NOS Big Shot plate nitrous system, which is now pilled to deliver 225 extra horsepower on demand. A testament to Hermann's talent, the combo makes 672 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, and lays down mid-9s at 140 mph.
When Mark bought the car, it was bone stock, but with the addition of only 3.55 gears and a K&N filter, the 49,000-mile car ran a 13.89 at 101 mph. With those times, Mark knew he had a runner on his hands, but after missing Third gear a few too many times (he needs our map to Third), he added a Performance Automatic Competition C4 transmission. He also installed an NOS 75hp dry nitrous kit, a pair of Edelbrock Performer heads with a matching intake, a Ford Racing Performance Parts E303 camshaft, 1.6 roller rockers, and a 65mm throttle body. With these upgrades, the car ran 11.90s at 115 mph-with a step up to 150hp nitrous jets, it ran 11.70s at 118 mph. Roughly 400 runs and 30,000 miles later, however, the engine hung three rods out to dry.