Coming in red hot out of the shop of Larry Jeffers Race Cars is Manny Buginga’s brand new 2022 Ford Mustang NHRA Pro Modified car. As previously reported, this state-of-the-art machine includes unique finishing touches, such as NASCAR-style air flaps outfitted throughout the car, and a mesh net spanning from the rear over the wheelie bars.
The car itself is the most state-of-the-art build to ever come from Larry Jeffers’ shop. The air flaps outfitted on the car are designed to catch air and keep the rear of the car from lifting off the ground in the event its turned around in the opposite direction and still traveling at a high rate of speed. “If the car gets backwards, the air will actually push down on the car and slow it down. It will not pressurize the cabin of the car,” Larry Jeffers explained in a video showcasing the innovative features added to Buginga’s car.
The air flaps have been added to both the roof and the deck lid of the car, which is an innovative feature that Larry Jeffers and his team has been wanting to incorporate into a build for a while. “We installed vents in the back of the car so when air gets up under there, it releases it and hopefully it won’t flip the car,” Jeffers says.
In addition to the air flaps, a net feature has been installed underneath the parachutes to keep them from becoming entangled in either the wheel bars or the rearend housing if they fail to catch air and blossom as intended. While there are other previously engineered wheelie bar nets out there, Buginga’s car is the first that spans the full width of the rear tail of the car, ensuring that the parachutes will fall out beyond where the wheelie bars end.
Naturally, the Mustang is sporting a red paint scheme, which is what Manny Buginga has become known for. The stunning paintwork was completed by Jeff Hoskins who added realistic airbrushed factory GT350 emblems, headlights, and grill with many eye-catching details to make the front end truly pop. The powerplant residing within the car is just as fierce as its’ exterior: a massive ProCharged Pro Line Racing/Alan Johnson Performance Racing Engine and M&M Transmission.
Although Team Buginga has had multiple cars come in and out of their camp over the years, this Mustang is the first car that they have had built from the ground up. While the build took a little longer than expected, due to the influx of innovative ideas, it has been well worth the wait as the team is excited to get this beast on track soon.
With Manny Buginga’s heavy focus on safety and Larry Jeffers’ innovational ideas, this is undoubtedly the most state-of-the-art, show-stopping racecar that will compete in the upcoming NHRA Pro Modified class this season. The NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series will open in Gainesville for the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals, held March 7-10 and will be part of 10 events on the circuit.