Can't say the new Stangs aren't quick with some work.

[Wild one]

Supercharged 2024 Ford Mustang 5.0s Flirting With 8-Second Barrier​

Three speed shops are pushing the S650 Mustang platform to the max despite limited aftermarket support.
Mike GalimiWriterCourtesy Of The NMRAPhotographerOct 23, 2024


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There are a few times of the year when the weather gets crisp, the density altitude drops to uncommon lows, and internal combustion engines respond with unusually higher horsepower than in the summer months. We simply call it “boost weather,” and Evolution Performance, Beefcake Racing, and House of Boost are all using it to their advantage, as each specialty performance shop is trying to one-up the others in the S650 Mustang market. Here is how it all played out over the weekend. We are confident this won’t be the last S650 performance update of this year.



We saw JPC Racing fire the first shots a year ago on the dragstrip with their in-house test mule. They first pulled weight out the easy way by stripping the interior, and then added basic suspension modifications. The noted late-model Mustang shop dipped into the 11s virtually stock, and then the mods got them into the 10s. Of course, they continued to push harder, adding a 200-hp shot of nitrous and ultimately running 9.57 at 141 mph. The Maryland-based shop was the only one making a lot of noise because only a handful of parts were even released for the new platform at the time.

The supercharger crowd remained silent through the winter as the manufacturers, specifically Whipple, worked on their kits. Building the supercharger kits to fit a Gen 4 Coyote and bolt onto the 2024 Mustang was the easy part of the process. There was a huge focus on special calibrations with Ford Performance. For those unaware, the ECU is locked down by the OEM, with no aftermarket support available at the time of this article. Right now, the only course of action for non-stock calibration is to work directly with Ford.

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Lethal Performance was first to get a Whipple kit on their in-house test mule. The Whipple system is legal for all 50 states under E.O. D-231-119.
Coming out of winter we saw a flurry of action as the 2024 season got underway. Lethal Performance was first to get the Whipple Supercharger Gen 6 supercharger system on their Mustang Dark Horse, producing over 800 rwhp with a few mods. They even invited us down to a private rental at Bradenton Motorsports Park to check it out. Lethal’s head honcho, Jared Rosen, banged the gears of the Getrag manual transmission and ran deep into the 10s. Next up was VMP Performance, boasting a new technical alliance with Whipple. They dropped their GT into the 9s with relative ease at Orlando Speed World back in March. The Starkey family, with Rebecca driving, ran 9.99 at 142 mph and officially announced their VMP-branded kit to the world. Evolution Performance responded a week later with an even quicker 9.53 at 142 mph, albeit in a slightly more modified setup, though still mild compared to what it takes to run 9s in previous generations of Mustangs.


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VMP Performance was the first with a 9-second supercharged S650, a deed they accomplished with a VMP version of the Whipple supercharger.
The performance-breaking action took a backseat in the hot summer months, but more shops began building cars and a couple of them kept their eyes on the prize, going quicker than mid-9s once the weather broke. The first to do so was House Boost, a Kansas City, Missouri-based performance shop, and they rolled out a 9.42 at 148 mph with a Whipple-supercharged S650 Mustang a few weeks ago. It was game on.

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Evolution Performance Sets the Pace at 9.06 at 154 MPH​

The Evolution Performance crew knows perfectly well that a project is never finished, and after running mid-9s they carefully planned their next attack with the Dark Horse. More is always better in our hobby, so more airflow was first on the table. Kong Performance was enlisted to port the 3.0-liter Gen 6 supercharger. We’ve seen their work with many other kits on several different engine platforms. Increasing efficiency is a surefire way to get more air into the engine. An IC Chiller was also installed to help chill the boost down. The kit integrates the intercooler system into the A/C setup to rapidly decrease the inlet air temps. The group also worked with Whipple on an updated ECU calibration.
Related: Evolution Performance’s 2013 Shelby GT500 First to Run 8s

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The gains were charted on their in-house hub dyno and the mods increased power by over 100 rwhp, taking it from 1,045 rwhp up to an impressive 1,147 rwhp. All dyno and track testing were performed with Sunoco Race Fuels E30R blended fuel, a new product that Evolution helped develop which will hit the market in the coming months. The increase in power had the Evolution team concerned about the transmission and focused on fortification. A Circle D HP Series torque converter was added to the drivetrain to help the car launch harder. Also on the list of mods was a Billy Built 10R80 transmission, replacing the stock slushbox.
The increased power was immediately realized, as Evolution’s Steven Schechterly quickly rolled out to an impressive 9.06 at 154 mph at Maryland International Raceway, thus reclaiming the record. The car hits the scales at 4,276 pounds with the driver. The hefty sum is due to the presence of massive factory six-piston Brembo brakes, an untouched interior, and even the Magneride suspension, which remains intact. The only weight reduction was a set of Weld Racing wheels. Side note: We long for the Fox Body Mustang days when 3,200 pounds was considered heavy, though ridiculous power makes up for the heavy weights of today’s cars.

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https://www.motortrend.com/features...rcharged-quarter-mile-record-attempts/photos/

 

[Wild one]

Beefcake Racing Enters the Conversation With a 9.16 at 153 MPH​

Terry “Beefcake” Reeves has been on the late-model scene for quite a few years. Mostly known for his speed parts business, Beefcake Racing, he’s seen a lot of success on the dragstrip with supercharged S197, S550, and S650 Mustangs. His latest project is a 2024 Mustang GT, and of course it is powered by a Whipple supercharger. Reeves is not one to shy away from a challenge, so he added a lot more parts from his inventory.

The list of modifications is extensive but not unrealistic, as it focuses on strengthening the drivetrain and effectively applying the power to the rear tires. First on the list were a Boundary oil pump and crank sprocket. All generations of Coyote engines tend to break the oil pump gears in a spectacular fashion, so it is always worth upgrading them if you plan to turn up your supercharged setup.

The suspension has been modified with an assortment of parts from UPR Performance, BMR, and Steeda. Reeves went with Viking shocks in the back and coil-overs in the front to help plant the tires and aid in weight transfer. The power is increased thanks to a 10-rib pulley setup on the blower, LTH headers and Stainless Works cat-back exhaust, and an upgraded intercooler water-chilling system.

Suncoast was tapped for its Stage II trans upgrade and torque converter, and a DSS carbon-fiber driveshaft and Nemesis halfshafts hold up to the big power. A KPM 1500 fuel system provides VP Racing Fuels MS109 unleaded racing gasoline, with Boostane booster added in, to the potent supercharged setup. The loose torque converter kept the power numbers below 1,000 rwhp, still cranking an impressive 923 rwhp, and Reeves is letting his dragstrip prowess speak for the combination rather than its dyno numbers.

Finally, the car is slightly lighter than OEM weight thanks to an Anderson composite hood and RTR rear deck and spoiler. Weld Wheels sit at all four corners for less rolling resistance and lighter weight, and sitting behind the shiny wheels are Aerospace Components brakes. A set of Hoosier drag radials were used to score a 9.16 at 153 mph. Reeves did the deed at Muncie Dragway in Indiana.


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House of Boost Brought Home a 9.17-at-152-MPH Timeslip​

As we mentioned earlier, House of Boost was quick to announce in a big way that they are chasing the 2024 Mustang record book. Their pursuit began with the 9.42 timeslip and they didn’t stop there. A few weeks later they posted a 9.17-at-152-mph timeslip from the Street Car Takeover event at Flying H Dragstrip. We chatted with the noted specialty shop about their S650, and they shared some interesting information about it.

The car’s race weight was a rather robust 4,024 pounds with its driver behind the wheel; they said it tips the scales at 3,799 pounds without him in it. House of Boost’s Larry Hamilton also pointed out that the car rolls on Magneride suspension, it only benefits from BMR Suspension IRS updates and a tubular street car K-member setup. The Whipple Supercharger Stage 2 system has been installed, but they went ahead and checked off all the option boxes, including the 120mm throttle body, open air-box, and heavy-duty heat exchanger. Hamilton added a VMP Performance carbon-fiber inlet tube to add form and function under the hood. An Innovators West 10% overdrive damper and Griptec 3.335-inch pulley keep the engine filled with boost. The group also took the time to swap the oil pump gear and sprocket from the factory powdered-metal to a stronger set from Boundary.

Related: Making 900 Wheel Horsepower With a ProCharged 2019 Mustang


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Hamilton says they balance the boost and timing with a mixture of racing gasoline and ethanol content. Keeping the Coyote fueled is a simple setup that consists of GT500 fuel injectors that come in the Whipple kit and a True Motorsports VooDoo fuel pump booster. On a hot run they’ve produced 980 rwhp, but Hamilton estimates it is making over 1,000 rwhp based on the car’s on-track performance. The only other engine modifications are a set of Stainless Works headers with 2-inch primary tubes and Stainless Works Redline series exhaust system. The results are loud, but the performance is worth it. Hamilton also reports the addition of a Circle D torque converter to help the car accelerate more quickly on the dragstrip, along with a PST carbon-fiber driveshaft and G-Force axles. The car rolls on a set of 18-inch diameter wheels, sourced from Billet Specialties and wrapped in Mickey Thompson rubber.

The team isn’t finished yet. They want to run in the 8s and there is a plan in place to shed weight and address a problematic transmission issue. The 10R80 automatic transmission went into a sort of limp mode during their 9.17 run, shifting from third to fifth—skipping fourth gear. The ECU sensed the transmission slipping, so it quickly got the car into the next gear to avoid further problems. They’ve already pulled the transmission and are updating it with a Suncoast Stage II kit.

House of Boost knows that removing weight is an easy way to be quicker, and with the ECU locked they are shedding a few pounds to achieve their 8-second goal. Hamilton doesn’t want a gutted racecar, so they’ve opted to swap the driver’s seat for a lighter one from a GT350, and they will leave the passenger seat out for their dragstrip. The final modification is a set of TBM brakes for the S650. It is predicted that the brake kit alone should decrease the car’s weight by nearly 200 pounds.

Stay tuned as all the shops are gearing up for more action in the coming days and weeks before they put these awesome 2024 Mustangs away for the winter.

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

Just wait for the aftermarket support to get better and the tuners figure out the strategies better. This is still very early on in the life of this gen body style and this gen coyote.