The First Factory X Mustang Pulls Off a Glorious Burnout During Testing at US 131 Motorsports Park
As we have previously reported, the National Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) Factory X class has created a lot of interest and chatter since the class was discussed towards the end of 2022.
Seeing the first car on display, Geoff Turk’s ‘Blackbird X’ Challenger, at the PRI Show last December just stirred the frenzy up some more.
Now, after teasing photos of the first Ford Mustang Factory X car of Chris Holbrook out of the Jerry Bickel Race Cars shop, we’ve gotten a little video of the car in action.
Holbrook, who has gained a following from not only racing but building engines for the heads-up and sportsman racing communities, rolled the new Mustang out at US 131 Motorsports Park today for testing.
Holbrook joins Turk and Greg Stanfield as the first completed Factory X cars for the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro models. The new class was expected to be showcased in exhibition form at a handful of NHRA events before possibly running as a points-earning class later this year.
It’s been rumored over 20 cars are currently under construction, and the NHRA 2024 season will put these “factory hot rods” to the test.
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The Factory X class, designed to bridge the gap between the NHRA’s current Factory Stock Showdown class and the Pro Stock class, utilizes the modern supercharged powerplants from the Factory Stock Showdown cars.
But the Factory X rides are constructed on a full-tube chassis, checking in about 800-950 pounds less weight, and a 5-speed manual transmission.
The lighter weight can be achieved through the use of fiberglass and carbon fiber components throughout, but a factory steel roof and quarter panels must remain on a Factory X ride. The cars are also held to strict bodylines.
Stanfield made the first official passes in NHRA competition at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio in late June.
While we don’t have a full pass from the Holbrook camp as of yet, Chris did post a video of the Mustang while christening it with its first burnout.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Chris Holbrook.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com