Roush Drag Pack Mustang: SEMA 2006 Motoring
Channel Staff - 3/Nov/2006 | 
Roush Ford Mustang Drag Pack
Roush Ford Mustang Drag Pack
|
Las Vegas,
America —
After more than a year's worth of testing and research and development
for the ROUSH Competition Line of performance parts, the U.S. company
has decided to take the next step and offer a complete race-ready Drag
Pack Mustang that can roll from the street to the strip. This new
range, which made its debut at the 2006 SEMA show in Nevada, is the
first drag racing purpose-built Ford since the 1969-70 Super Jet
Cobra. This 2007 Ford Mustang is based off of the flagship
ROUSH Stage 3 and designed for safety, durability and adjustability,
says the company. A prototype has been racing in the Modular Muscle
class of the NMRA and tested almost weekly at Milan Raceway
in Michigan. "When we returned to having a drag racing
program last season I challenged the team at ROUSH Performance to build
a car that can be driven to the track, have the tires changed to
slicks, and perform on the drag strip," said Jack Roush, the man behind
the brand. "This Drag Pack Mustang is the culmination of those efforts," beamed Jack Roush. Roush
has a fondness for drag racing that goes back to when he began his
motorsports career in the late '60s with the “Fastbacks” a
group of Ford engineers that pooled their money to go drag racing. He
personally oversaw the development of the ROUSH Drag Pack Mustang. Some
of the parts that are unique to the ROUSH Drag Pack Mustang include an
upgraded flywheel and clutch, a one-piece driveshaft with safety loop,
a polished 4:10 ring and pinion gear set, upgraded posi rear
differential, bracing on the rear axle housing, new lower control arm
brackets with two attachment positions, and high-strength axle shafts
with extended wheel studs. The suspension components are highly
adjustable and include tubular steel upper and lower control arms with
rod ends, tubular steel panhard rod and relocation bracket, rear
stabilizer bar relocation kit, and single adjustable front struts and
double adjustable rear shocks. Other unique elements of the ROUSH
Drag Pack Mustang include having the battery relocated to the trunk for
better weight distribution and the inclusion of an external on/off
switch, a tachometer with shift light mounted to the dash, smaller
ROUSHcharger pulley and engine calibration with a maximum of 7000rpm.
The car will ship with both street tyres and a set of Mickey Thompson
rear drag racing tyres. There are also a variety of options
available, including carbon fiber hood and fenders, line lock system,
four-point bolt-in safety bar, open system chiller box which provides
maximum intercooler performance, SFI-approved bell housing and upgraded
transmission shift fork pads, and straight pipes for the exhaust
system. A ROUSH short throw shifter is available with reverse and
fifth-gear lockout. More than 200 runs were made in the testing
of the vehicle, each challenging the functionality and durability of
the parts. If a component didn’t perform as anticipated, failed,
or the ROUSH engineers saw some type of premature wear the design was
modified and then re-tested on the track. The 430 horsepower (320kW)
car has achieved several runs in the 11.9-second and 113mph range. Related articles: - Ford Shelby GR-1
- Ford Performance Vehicles Pursuit Ute
- Ford Performance Vehicles GT: Road Test
| 
