When the team at Mickey Thompson designed the 275 radial tire, it’s doubtful they imagined how hard racers would eventually push it. Marcus Birt held the previous title as the quickest and fastest driver on a 275 radial with a 3.601 at 206.67 mph, but there’s a new 275 radial sheriff in town. Manny Buginga now wears the crown thanks to an insane 3.481-second rip in “Norm.”
There have always been questions about the true limits of a 275 radial, and Buginga just pushed those boundaries even farther. To put the run into perspective, Ken Quartuccio has gone 3.473 at 212 mph in Radial vs. The World trim on a larger 315 radial tire. Buginga, meanwhile, went 3.481 at 218 mph on the smaller 275 radial, backed by a .947 sixty-foot and a 2.362 to the 330-foot block. The car even coasted through the quarter-mile with a 5.682 at 189 mph. There’s no doubt, this car is making serious steam.
Buginga’s Mustang, known as “Norm,” was absolutely on point during the record-setting pass. The car is equipped with a ProCharger Gen 2 F-4X-140-1 feeding a ProLine Racing billet Hemi, with the entire combination controlled by a FuelTech ECU. This setup has clearly proven what it’s capable of under the guidance of crew chief Jamie Miller.
Needless to say, Buginga, Miller, and the entire team were more than pleased with the monster run Norm laid down at Rockingham Dragway. The bigger question now is simple: does Norm have even more in the tank for an even quicker pass?
You might also like
Belt vs. Gear Drive Systems For Centrifugal Superchargers: Choosing What Works Best
Centrifugal supercharges can be spun with either a belt or gear drive. We take a look at each method and what applications work best for each.
