Many have described the camshaft as the brain of an engine. Sure, many electronics do their fair share of dictating what and when things get done. In the end, the camshaft brings all those reciprocating parts into an agreement with one another. When your valve-tapping maestro gets everything just perfect, amazing things can happen. That’s precisely what happened when Phil Johnson’s LT-swapped Fox body Mustang set the Gen-V record recently using a Brian Tooley Racing camshaft.

Phil’s 1991 Mustang began as the platform for all this LT-swap goodness. Photo: Mike Stacy.

BTR’s new Gen V LT line of camshafts, including the 230 off-the-shelf cam in Johnson’s Mustang, is the result of extensive in-house Spintron testing, thorough vetting on a Superflow engine dynamometer, and now proven on the track with this record-setting run. According to Brian Tooley, there has historically been a balancing act in camshaft design between making power and valvetrain durability. With BTR’s new camshaft lobe designs, these new Gen V LT cams achieve more of both.

The key is making power with durability. Having a Spintron is huge in developing camshaft lobes that make more power and have better stability than previous designs. –Brian Tooley, BTR

Even with the best parts on board, just like any talented competitor, there was a lot of time in perfecting this performance. It all began about three years ago when Mitch Walraven and Mark Wilson at Lonestar Horsepower and Performance pitched the idea of going after the Gen-V quarter-mile record. The process started by locating a 1991 Mustang roller since we ALL know how well they perform with an LS/LT engine.

The new Gen V LT line of camshafts from BTR feature lobe designs that produce more power and stability across the rpm range.

From there, the team spent the next year building the car and equipping it with a sleeved 388 ci Gen-V LT1 block stuffed full of a Callies crankshaft, Wiseco pistons, a BTR camshaft, and a pair of prepped LT4 heads. Everything got torqued down with ARP fasteners because the team knew the Bullseye NLX 98mm turbo would push them as hard as possible. A TH400 transmission built by Wayne Ivie of Lubbock, Texas, resides behind the built and boosted powerhouse and a Moser nine-inch rear directs the torque to the track.

The car made its first pass in January of 2021, and there were a lot of adjustments to get everything to a point they could challenge the residing record set by Doug Cook in his Nova. That record eventually fell on May 27^th of this year when the team clocked a record-setting E.T. of 7.125 at 196 mph. Then, of course, just like any red-blooded performance junkies, the team set their sights on breaking both the six-second and 200 mph barriers with their BTR-cammed, LT-powered Mustang. Both were accomplished just before the end of the 2022 season, running a 7.128 at 201.41mph and then a 6.940 at 197mph.

It took about three years to reach this significant goal, which would have never happened without the team committing so much time and effort to make it happen. Starting with the right parts, like the Brian Tooley Racing camshaft, was just the beginning.

If you’re a hardcore power junky, you should love the Gen V LT. –Brian Tooley, BTR

Now that the Lonestar Horsepower and Performance team have reached its goals, the sky is the limit. And unless someone comes along to top their effort, they’ll only be competing with themselves for the next record-setting run. Good luck with that effort, and a hearty congratulations on their recent accomplishment.