On a recent dyno run at Dyno Edge in Albuquerque, Melissa’s S550 made some serious power putting out 1,416 horsepower and 1,152 lb-ft of torque on E70. “We switched out the base 55mm turbos for the upgraded Precision 64mm turbos. With this upgrade, we were able to up the boost from 22 to 29,” Melissa tells us. “That’s some serious power and the best part is, I can just turn the boost down and cruise on home or wherever I need to go!”

Melissa Urist and her racer husband John Urist are no strangers to power as John along with business partner Dwayne James own Hellion Turbo out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Urists are ready to dominate the NMRA series this year. Melissa will be competing in the Turbo Coyote Shootout class and possibly the All Female Shootout.

To handle the extra boost and four-digit power numbers the car is currently utilizing a MMR short block with the stock intake manifold, cylinder heads, and camshafts. To beef up the IRS in Melissa’s powerful S550, they installed heavy duty axles and driveshaft along with a WaveTrac rear differential. They also added Steeda’s “Stop the Hop” kit to the rear suspension. “It drives like stock and go into the 8’s!”

With the season opener just around the corner in Bradenton, Florida, Melissa is more than ready to rock and roll.  To date, Melissa’s best E.T. has been 8.90 at 155 miles per hour. This season she’d like to see the car go low 8s. “I can’t wait for Bradenton to get here. I’m just so ready to strap into the car and beat it down the track. The car is a dream to drive on the road but there’s always that itch to just slam the gas to the floor and let it eat. I don’t street race and I am an overly cautious driver thanks to being a Mom but I can let those fears go when I’m at the track and I can’t wait to mat that pedal and let the car do its thing,” Melissa says.

We asked Melissa what her goal is for the 2016 NMRA season. “My ultimate goal is to represent my team and family well and constantly reset my own personal records. I want to take this car to the edge then turn it down and drive everyone to dinner in it. I’d also like to go a few more rounds at each race and maybe even land myself in the winner circle! There’s a lot of tough competition in the TCS class but I’m a driven woman and ready to take on each challenge.”

We wish you the best of luck this season, Melissa! Don’t miss the Spring Break Shootout season opener in Bradenton from March 3-6.