An extreme rake exaggerates...
An extreme rake exaggerates the aggressive lines of the '10 'Stang. Flared wheelwells filled with racing rubber and the aggressive look of the grille, with the dropped nose and pulled back sunken headlights, gives this Mustang GT a menacing look creating lust in the hearts of 'Stang fans that behold its
Imagine you could have competed in a contest like this as a kid. High school student Derek Murrell from Lake Mary, Florida, and his Lake Mary High School auto shop teacher and mentor Bill "Rosey" Rosenblum used a specially prepared set of matched 2010 Mustang GTs to compete on Pinks! All Out. Better yet, these were not your run-of-the-mill Mustangs. Instead, they were 2010 GTs specially prepped for drag racing by Livernois Motorsport and Team Z Motorsports. Even better still, the winner of this student/teacher showdown would drive home in a new Mustang.
It's the fantasy of every kid to beat a mentor at something, and this came true as part of Ford's innovative promotional campaign for the latest Mustang-the 2010 Mustang Unleashed. This contest asked contestants to submit answers to the question "If you could unleash your Mustang side, how would you do it?" Of all the submissions, Ford would choose 10 (get it?) winners to receive the experience described in their answer.
Of course, coming up with the idea is one thing, but making it happen is another level. The job to modify the two 2010 Mustang GTs went to Livernois Motorsports in Dearborn, Michigan, and Team Z Motorsports in Flat Rock, Michigan. Their job was to turn these cars into 10-second drag cars sourcing gear from the Ford Racing Performance Parts catalog. One of the challenges they had was making sure the cars were competitive despite the vast difference in experience between Rosey Rosenblum, the auto shop teacher and 20-year-veteran drag racer, and Derek Morrell, the student who was starting from scratch.
Since the cars were identical, we'll detail what was done to the brand-new Kona Blue 2010 Mustang GT that Derek Morrell drove to victory. The Mustang GT had all the option boxes checked, save the Glassroof option. So these weren't stripped lightweights geared to make the job easier. Nope, the crew at Livernois had a big challenge, but they were up to it. They started by pulling the stock engine and replacing it with the Ford 4.6 Aluminator supercharged short-block from FRPP. It's a 4.6 venomized with a Cobra rotating assembly, including a forged-steel crankshaft; H-beam connecting rods; and forged, low-compression pistons that are ready for plenty of boost.
Topping the boost-friendly bullet are Livernois Motorsports' own Stage III 5-axis, CNC-ported Three-Valve heads. These ported beauties flow a healthy 295 cfm on the intake side and 200 cfm exhaust, and feature oversized stainless intake valves, custom-ground Inconel exhaust valves, and bronze valve guides. A multi-angle custom valve job helps with the flow, while Livernois exclusive single-coil valvesprings carry the rpm on high.
Complementing the Livernois Stage III Heads are Ford's new Mustang GT High Lift Hot Rod cams. These 'sticks not only deliver higher lift and longer duration, but announce that this 4.6 is no stocker. That's thanks to a lopey idle that makes the engine sound more like a '60s muscle car than a '10 Mustang GT. The cams were originally designed for naturally aspirated engines, but they work great in this blown application.
Derek Murrell's teacher and...
Derek Murrell's teacher and mentor, Bill "Rosey" Rosenblum, was Derek's opponent on an episode of Pinks! All Out in two Mustangs specially prepared for Ford by Livernois Motorsport and Team Z Motorsports. Derek is getting some personal instruction from Mustang racing hero Dan Millen of Livernois Motorsports and veteran clutch and engine specialist Dominic Gabriel at Milan Dragway's NMRA event. Later, Mustang racing legend Bob Glidden coached Derek up. Derek did a great job adapting to a car much faster than anything he'd ever driven before. It helps that the car was designed from the start to be a stable platform for both drivers to have the most competitive race possible. If you saw the show, you know Derek defeated Rosey.
Putting the blower in this combo is an FRPP/Whipple supercharger inhaling through an FRPP twin 68mm throttle body, drawing air through a cold air intake system with 9-inch S&B True-Flow filter. A Reichard Racing 3.2-inch pulley kicks the boost beyond the level of the out-of-the-box kit. The Whipple sits atop an intercooler chilled by a '10 Shelby GT500 heat exchanger and pump, as Livernois built this car before Whipple's complete '10 GT kits hit the streets.
Originally the cars where built with stick shifts, but Derek's drag teacher, Bob Glidden, and Livernois main man Dan Millen both agreed an auto would help level the playing field for Derek. As such, they took the cars back to the shop and switched them to custom three-speed automatic C4 transmissions with transbrakes. The C4 tranmissions are controlled by TCI's new Street Fighter Shifter that provides ultra-reliable, ratchet-action shifting and features an NHRA/IHRA-approved reverse-lock-out system. With the line-lock system and transbrake, you've got everything you need for a launching this Mustang right at your finger tips.
The safety of the '10 Mustang's...
The safety of the '10 Mustang's interior improved by a six-point cage and safety harnesses installed by Team Z Motorsports along with the line-lock. The 5-inch Cobra Jet tach with shift light is mounted on the dash and has an old-school drag-race look. Ingress and egress is unaffected, and the car is NHRA- and IHRA-legal to a 9.99 e.t., yet it features all the optional amenities-the best of both worlds.
Of course, no drag car is complete without a cage. Taking care of the cage and safety equipment was Team Z Motorsports-one of Ford Racing's secret weapons on the Cobra Jet program. Team Z is known best for its suspension expertise with Mustangs. Dave Zimmerman has helped everyone from novice racers to world champions. He is constantly at the track with his customers making sure his products are state of the art.