Surprise, surprise! There’s another heavy–hitting Drag Radial car headed to a race track near you.  Jake Brantner of Jake’s Custom Fabrication and Alan Stevens are ready after working to get their 1988 Mustang buttoned up and ready for action.  While this car and drag radial racing are nothing new to this pair, Jake explained that over the course of the winter, the car was essentially torn down to the body and completely redone in a fashion that should make it very quick and very fast. “About the only thing that carries over from last year is the paint job and the back window,” Jake explained.

Courtesy: Jake Brantner

The stock suspension car, which is owned by Alan and mated with the drivetrain provided by Jake, has been mini-tubbed to swallow the size of a 315 drag radial.  Although the Kansas City International Raceway (KCIR) series that they run is a 275 tire class but will offer the flexibility to compete on other playgrounds.  The car now has a fully adjustable 9-inch housing and lower control arms from Dave Zimmerman at TeamZ Motorsports, and the rear control arms and such are pieces that Jake has hand-built.  Strange shocks and struts are bolted up all the way around.

Power comes from a Steve Morris-prepped New Era Racecraft 509-inch Big Block Chevy with Dart CNC 380 cylinder heads and an Edelbrock Victor intake manifold topped by a C&S Specialties Dominator carburetor and delivered powerful levels of boost by a wicked-sounding F3 135 Procharger.  Rounding out the drivetrain is a Neal Chance Powerglide transmission.

The pair have been working on the car as a side project for three or four months now, and Jake told us he planned to set aside the next three weeks to getting it ready to go for the VAMP Heads-Up Series at KCIR where the balance of their schedule will occur.  In addition to those events, some races at Cherokee Motorsports Park and possibly some of the ORTC races down south.  Some promotional work with the car on display for Procharger is also in the works.

In 2008, this looker of a Fox body had a nitrous-assisted combination under the hood with a small block Ford, and last year had a 347-inch SBF with the Procharger out front competing in the same Drag Radial class. “It’s taken two of the brokest guys putting their “junk-bolt boxes” together to make this happen but I am happy to say Alan and I are teaming up for next year. With his car and my engine and many sponsors on board we are able to step up and put this combo together. Everybody has kind of stepped up their game this year, so we’re coming out for redemption with it”