The Ford Coyote powerplant has proven time and again that it is not only extremely capable in stock form, but that it can be pushed well beyond its original design parameters in modified form, as well. Mat Brunette’s recent 4.17 at 169.49 mph (1.02 60-foot), 1/8-mile elapsed time performance is yet another example of just how capable the stock Coyote block — and crankshaft — can be.

Brunette went 2.741 to the 330-foot clocks, and impressively even coasted to a 7.009 at just 145.42 mph to the 1/4-mile.

“We’ve had this car we’ve had for three or four seasons,” Brunette said of the Fox Body Mustang that was named “Forrest Gump” by a previous owner and which is powered by a single-turbo Coyote powerplant.

Brunette, and his father Sylvaine Brunette, own the Quebec, Canada-based Billet Pro Shop, which specializes in building Coyote-based engines and also sells performance/racing parts, as well.

The bullet powering the Mustang to the record-setting time was built in-house and started life as a GT500 block that was sleeved and topped with ported stock cylinder heads. Brunette said he drove the car to a 4.25 elapsed time on stock cams, but an upgrade to Modular Head Shop TBX camshafts picked the combination up to the 4.17.

Forcing atmosphere into the Shaun’s Custom Alloy intake manifold is a Garrett-based 98mm turbocharger delivering 45 psi of boost that is eventually mixed with methanol via the Brunette-tuned Holley EFI system. Brunette is also partners in the Tampa, Florida-based BL Fabrications, which is a turbocharging company that supplied the hot side pipes.

“Everyone was showing the LS times, so I thought it was time to reveal ours,” Brunette said of his record-setting run. “We are hopefully gunning for 4.0s this weekend at a no-time shootout at Napierville Dragway.”

Photos courtesy of Mat Brunette

Brunette believes Brett LaSala previously held the 1/8-mile record with a 4.25.

“He also has twins, which is my next step,” Brunette noted. “Normally we would head down south to race this winter, but considering we are at the limit of the chassis, we are thinking about calling it quits for the year and possibly going to get a headstart for next year. We are out of steam with the 98mm and we are trying a little bigger turbo, but don’t have enough cubes to spool it up.”

A pair of Garrett-based GT42 79mm turbos are in the works for 2024. Can Brunette put the stock block record into the 3-second zone? Run Forrest, run!