It's Role Reversal for This LTD wagon, Giving Its Driver His First Shot in Competition at Sick Summer
After participating in his first drag-and-drive event as a co-pilot, Jim Shipley returned to Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks in 2024 for a competitor spot.
Wheeling a unique 1988 Ford LTD Country Squire station wagon, would Shipley survive the week?
What’s better than one Sick the Mag shirt? TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! Visit the “Buy one, Get One Free” Section before they’re gone for good! Click HERE to view our closeout merch!
“Last year Sick Summer I was a co-pilot,” said Shipley. “Trying to take the experience from last year to prepare the car for hopefully a trouble-free week.”
The car he would apply that logic to had been in the works since Shipley made the purchase in 2020. “I found the car in Marion, Iowa in early 2020, right as COVID was shutting down everything.” The car was already set up for a LS swap, so Shipley continued on that path.
“My friends and I spent a little over a year putting it back together as a 5.3-liter LS,” he said. Shipley added an 88/84-millimeter Precision Turbo, backed it with a 4L80E overdrive transmission, and then a slew of Motion Raceworks parts.
“The car has tons of Motion Raceworks parts since they are 15 minutes from my house, and I work two blocks away,” said Shipley.
The first few years with the station wagon were frustrating for Shipley. “First year racing was very painful,” he said. “I averaged about four passes an engine.” Then after he learned a bit more about the Holley software, Shipley discovered the car was over boosting due to a bad Mac valve.
Hoping his luck has changed, Shipley’s last pass of the season showed him he wasn’t out of the woods yet, when the 8.8-inch rear end exploded.
“We quickly got on the phone with Quick Performance, and ordered a 9-inch,” said Shipley. He checked the boxes for a 3.50 gear set, back brace, disc brakes and 40-spline axles with a spool and all the goodies.
Shipley figured he was ready, but just before Sick Summer Presented by TBM Brakes in 2023 was announced, he discovered the axle breakage led to 2 bent connecting rods. “So, I didn’t register, and went as a co-pilot last year,” said Shipley.
“Over the winter we had a short block assembled at Layne Automotive.” Checking in at 408 cubic inches, the new engine got parts Shipley had been sitting on to prep a bigger and badder engine.
Putting the wagon in the popular Dial-Your-Own (DYO) class, Shipley opened with an 11.51 at 116 mph. But after a troubled 12.38 at 104 mph at Cordova Dragway on day two, Shipley knew something was wrong.
“We took out a turbo at Cordova, and then put in a replacement and wrecked it on the next pass,” said Shipley. “We were in Fulton after that till 1:30 am, when we figured out the cam gear had come loose, causing a cam sync issue, which was causing the car to back fire back thru the turbo.”
“We ended up getting to the hotel in Cedar Rapids at 4:45 am, and after an hour or so of sleep, made a pass at Tri-State Raceway, and hit the road for some much-needed sleep.”
Making the decision to bypass the turbo, the Country Squire wagon clocked a naturally-aspirated 14.11 on day three at Tri-State, followed by a 14.30 on day four at Great Lakes Dragaway. Day five would complete the week for Shipley, with a 14.06 on the final day back in Byron Dragway.
“We joke that Sick Summer is the most fun you can have while you are so tired,” said Shipley. “No matter what you plan and how hard you try, the unexpected happens.” Now with a Sick Summer competed as a co-pilot and one under his belt as a competitor, what will Shipley do next?
“The car has been 10.32 at 142 mph, so we are looking at adding a roll cage maybe this winter,” said Shipley. “I want to maintain the full interior, and not be able to really tell there is a roll cage in it when you glance at it. We are also going to rework turbo set up for the next Sick Summer. Next year’s goals are to complete the event and be fast all five days.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, 1320 Video and Jim Shipley.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com