LDR Rule Changes Spark Controversy Over Brett LaSala’s Coyote Combination

Class racing is a cutthroat endeavor that requires dedication and a willingness to spend significant money if you want to run at the front. Rule changes happen often, keeping racers on their toes. The recent Limited Drag Radial (LDR) rule changes surrounding the Ford Coyote platform have raised eyebrows and sparked serious outcry on social media.

LDR is one of the more diverse classes in radial racing when you look at the variety of vehicles and combinations. Drag-and-drive standout Brett LaSala jumped into the deep end of LDR with his Coyote-powered Snot Rocket 3.0 Mustang. The Snot Rocket evolved from a street car competing in LDR into an event winner, ultimately resetting the class record with a 3.762.

After LaSala’s record-setting run and win at the Bama Outlaws event, concerns surfaced on social media about his combination and whether it needed to be reined in. The Snot Rocket’s 302 cubic-inch FFRE Coyote mill operated under Ford Modular Motor rules, which allowed it to run an intercooler with methanol and use a lock-up torque converter.

When the Coyote combination was first introduced into the Radial Outlaws Racing Series (RORS) LDR class, it was believed that the use of an intercooler with methanol and a lock-up torque converter was necessary to make the combination competitive. No other boosted combination in the class has the option to run methanol as a fuel with an intercooler.

The RORS rules committee responded by revising the Coyote rules package. The update eliminated the intercooler-with-methanol allowance and removed the ability to use a lock-up torque converter. In addition, the combination was assigned an extra 300 pounds to its base weight.

A three-part rule change is rare. Implementing one in the middle of the season is extremely rare, and a change of this magnitude is virtually unheard of. As a result, the outcry on social media has shifted toward claims that the new rules package is unfair and overly heavy-handed.

At this time, LaSala has not made a public statement regarding his thoughts on the rule changes or whether he plans to continue running the Snot Rocket in LDR.