Texas native Billy Smith has accomplished a lot in his relatively short time in the sport of drag racing, powering his nitrous oxide-assisted 2006 Mustang to the head of the Ultra Street class, and to a world record lap earlier this season. But he’s set to accelerate his personal records by a wide margin in the coming months as he debuts a brand new ProCharger-boosted 2022 Ford Mustang out of the Reese Brothers Race Cars shop.

Photos by Corgan Smith

Billy’s new Mustang, built by David Reese and finished in his traditional black colorway, will see duty in PDRA Super Street and Pro 275 competition.

Billy’s entry into racing came somewhat unexpectedly. “I didn’t start racing until 2016. That was the first time I ever got in a race car,” Billy recalls. He had spent years building hot rods with his own hands, but watching drag racing was a different kind of thrill. His pivotal moment came when he attended one of Donald “Duck” Long’s races at South Georgia Motorsports Park. “I’m really good friends with Kenny Hubbard. I went and watched him at a Lights Out event. And I’ve always built hot rods. I’ve always loved cars, and I’ve always watched drag racing,” Billy reminisces.

That visit to the race changed everything. “I was in the stands looking a car to build. That was back when Radial versus The World was running 3.80s. I saw them and I’m like, ‘holy shit, I’ve got to do this.’ I went and bought a car, and the next year I was racing at Duck’s events.”

Billy’s Mustang became a force to be reckoned with in the Ultra Street class. This year, he set the class on its ear with a record-setting 4.419 at 159.86 mph. That record-breaking run solidified his role as the class’ frontrunner. He now leads the points in the Radial Outlaws Racing Series.

With a solid foundation and a desire to go quicker and faster, Billy set his sights on a new challenge to run in the threes with a new, cutting-edge 2022 Mustang. “This car was seven years in the making, really. I want to run at night, on the good track and go 3.60s. I’ve made so many passes in my Ultra car that going 4.40s feels slow, and I’m ready to go faster. I had this car built the car to do whatever I want to do with it. I’ve got slicks for it so I can go run PDRA with it, radials for Duck’s events. I want to race everything I can race, anything I want to race.” Billy explains.

The new Mustang is powered by a 480 cubic inch, 4.6-inch bore spacing Noonan Hemi engine with an F-3X-140 ProCharger, and is equipped with the best of the best parts. It sports an M&M transmission and converter combo, Menscer shocks on all four corners, and the entire compliment of FuelTech components, including and FT600 ECU, FTSPARK, Peak and Hold PRO, Input Expander, EGT-4 CAN, a SwitchPanel-8 Mini, and a Travel Sensor. Billy also befriended Pro Mod and former Top Fuel racer Khalid al Balooshi, who connected him with a source in Bahrain for lightweight air conditioning systems for both cars to keep him cool in the cockpit on warm days.

David Reese and his team had the car built and rolling in a matter of weeks, but Billy says the paint added several months to perfect to a show-quality finish. The stunning black paint job, a hallmark of Billy’s style, took six months to complete. “It’s a show car paint job. It’s ridiculous.” The car then went to Homier Fabrications to be wired and turn-keyed. “I’m dedicated to winning this Ultra Street championship, so that’s what mind is on right now….not on racing this new car yet,” he adds of the longer-than-usual build time.

While he acknowledges the expertise of professionals like David Reese, he remains deeply involved in the tuning and maintenance of his vehicles. “That’s the one thing about me and the Ultra thing. I built the car and do everything myself. I had Reese build this car because he’s phenomenal, but I built the Ultra car with my own two hands. I wired the Ultra car and I tune the car myself,” Billy says.

Despite the shift to a blower car, Billy is confident in his abilities. “I’ll be tuning the car myself. David will be helping me initially to get accustomed to the ProCharger setup, but it will be easier to tune than a nitrous car,” he asserts. For now, Billy is focused on testing the new car and preparing for upcoming races. “I’m testing in September,” he confirms.

Billy’s journey from a spectator to a record-breaker is the dream of so many, and now he’s poised to carry forward . “I race because I love it,” Billy reiterates. And with his new car, he’s set to redefine what speed means.