Since his first IHRA experience all the way back to 2004, Matt Maxsom has gained almost everything it takes to be at the top of his game every time he gets behind the wheel of the M&M Motorsports ’89 Ford Mustang. After this ‘Stang got the powerplant she needed to be competitive, it was time for Matt to make an IHRA licensing pass at Grand Bend, which went off without a hitch – clicking the 1/4 mile off with a 8.65 at 156 mph while peddling to keep it straight. Starting off as a good day, things went haywire on their last run when the 400″ SBF kicked a rod out at the 1000’ mark, though they still got down with an 8.70, which was good enough to get the license.

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A week after the troubles, the motor was yanked and the culprit seems to be oil starvation that caused a spun bearing, which resulted in 1 broken connecting rod, 2 damaged pistons, a bent valve and a cracked crankshaft. While the pictures located here give us an idea of how nasty the damage is, Matt was astonished that the hole in the piston was caused by a connecting rod bolt, that they found embedded into the exhaust valve. It’ll be marked up as a heck of an expensive debut for M&M, but the new parts are on their way and Matt assures us that this team will be back out soon and on the hunt for some wins. As for the rest of the combo, Matt’s 400″ SBF runs with an F2 Procharger, MSD Ignition and a custom ground camshaft.

M&M’s other ride, a ’70 Monte Carlo piloted by Kris Parker in the Semi Pro ranks also had a tough weekend, grenading the TH-400 transmission on just their second pass out. The target E/T the team is shooting for with the Monte is 7.50’s in the eighth mile. Here’s to hoping the team’s next event goes off a bit smoother.