Rebecca Starkey Claims TVS Coyote Quarter-Mile Record

Racers are a competitive bunch. As part of the VMP Performance team, Rebecca is one of the leading proponents of the company’s supercharger systems. She was one of the first racers to have 9-second success with a TVS Coyote combo and she’s been on a quest to run quicker. This past Sunday she claimed the title of quickest TVS Coyote with an 8.58 at 157 mph pass.

“Since we got the car, we have always wanted to have the record,” Rebecca said. “It’s been going on since 2010. We went up to that 5.0-liter race in Maryland and we were very happy with how the car did up there. We got into the nines. Before it went into the nines at Maryland, Justin said ‘It’s not going into the nines on a radial tire,’ and I said, ‘Yeah it will.’”

Rebecca Starkey staked her claim as the pilot of the quickest Coyote-powered ’Stang with a TVS supercharger in her 2011 Mustang GT, which is powered by a VMP Gen2R-supercharged Coyote burning E85. (Photo Credit: VMP Performance)

Rebecca Starkey staked her claim as the pilot of the quickest Coyote-powered ’Stang with a TVS supercharger in her 2011 Mustang GT, which is powered by a VMP Gen2R-supercharged Coyote burning E85. (Photo Credit: VMP Performance)

It definitely did run the number and even lower numbers since then, but the combo has literally had its ups and downs. After sorting the engine combo, it was the suspension that presented hurdles for Rebecca to overcome.

“We just couldn’t keep the front end of the car down and even shifting during the wheelie—if the track was prepped well—I couldn’t keep the front end under control to get a decent pass out of it. I went a 1.21 60-foot on the back tires,” she said.

With her suspension tweaked and her calibration dialed in, Rebecca nailed the shifts and put her TVS-blown Coyote deep into the 8-second zone.

With her suspension tweaked and her calibration dialed in, Rebecca nailed the shifts and put her TVS-blown Coyote deep into the 8-second zone.

To tame those launches, Rebecca added struts and shocks from Menscer Motorsports and turned to Todd Braasch of TRZ Motorsports to help dial in the suspension. Likewise, her husband Justin Starkey worked his magic with the calibration to ensure the car would ease into the power off the line.

“We finally got the suspension where we needed it after we got some struts and shocks. The control that we have with those is definitely a big part of how we got to where we are,” Rebecca said. “That and just playing with where the power came in during my launch and getting the power down the track were the biggest things.”

It also didn’t hurt that Rebecca’s shifts were on point during the run, which is her responsibility these days.

“…I went from having a really easy 6R80—and yeah sure, it take some skill to be able to go high-eights in a 6R80 car—but it’s totally different having to shift. Making sure I am doing it right is a little more on me,” she said “I really, really like the Turbo 400. I didn’t know if I was going to like it as much or if I would like the transbrake as much. We ended up breaking driveshafts and all sorts of stupid stuff just to get where we needed to be.”

During a Sunday test session at Orlando Speed World, Rebecca ripped off a blistering 8.58 at 157 mph on a cool Florida day.

While the VMP team is stoked to have overcome some challenges and run this well, it’s unlikely this will be the last we hear of Rebecca’s quarter-mile exploits.

“Right now we are all really happy with where it’s at, but give us a little bit of time,” she added. “We don’t want to sit on our laurels for too long, but I am also working on my other car—a 2015 car that has a 25.3 cage in it. We are expecting to go real fast.”

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About the author

Steve Turner

Steve Turner brings decades of passion and knowledge in the world of Ford performance, having covered it for over 20 years. From the swan song of the Fox Mustang to the birth of the Coyote, Steve had a front-row seat.
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