Looking to Tame a New Animal, Jody Ames Moves from Cougar to Jaguar to Coyote for Turbocharged 8-Second Runs at Hot Rod Drag Week
For many that strive to attend a drag-and-drive event, you can sometimes hit a wall where you realize that attending that year might not be in the card. Some might have a back-up plan, or in rare case, multiple options.
For Jody Ames, the 2024 edition of Hot Rod Drag Week marks the first time in three years he is able to leave Plan B at home, his reliable Jaguar, and take his original ‘Plan A’ car, a 2016 Ford Mustang.
It’s a once in-a-lifetime drag-and-drive event: Edelbrock Sick 66, October 10th-18th, 2024. Route 66, plus 6 different race tracks and over 30 checkpoints. Don’t miss your chance to compete or spectate - CLICK HERE for information.
“I started doing drag-and-drives in 2019 when Hot Rod Drag Week invaded the Northeast,” said Jody. “My dad and I built a Coyote-swapped ‘67 Mercury Cougar for that event, but couldn’t get it completed in time. So, I used my back up car.”
Enter the back-up car, a 2014 Jaguar XKRS GT that features a ‘Draguar’ license plate. “My Plan B car has been my Jaguar,” Jody said. “I purchased this car new back in 2015. I’ve always liked unique things, and with there only being 25 of these cars made for the US market, and it being a supercharged V8, it was a no brainer for me.”
The all stock Jag would compete in the Street Machine Eliminator class, and complete Jody’s first drag-and-drive in 2019 with a 12.13 average, and a best pass of 12.00 at 115 mph.
Following that first drag-and-drive, Jody had to wait an extra year for Hot Rod Drag Week, as the year off during the Covid period brought Jody into fall of 2021 with the chance to finally run his Cougar, but without his dad present. “He passed just after Christmas in 2019,” said Jody. “I was able to get the Cougar ready for 2021, but it broke during testing on day zero.”
So for 2022, it was back to Plan B, and the Jag would once again deliver a complete week, as Jody rang up a 12.09 average in Street Machine Eliminator, with a best time of 11.85 at 116 mph.
Jody aimed to bring the Mustang to Hot Rod Drag Week in 2023, but broke an exhaust valve the weekend before, and couldn’t get it fixed in time. The Jaguar answered the call once again, but suffered its first Did Not Finish in three appearances, with an 11.81 at 117 mph best run.
For this year’s Drag Week, Jody is once again aiming to introduce the S550 chassis Mustang at not only Hot Rod Drag Week, but also Edelbrock Sick 66 as well.
To collect those 8-second time slips, Jody opted for a L & M-built Coyote engine based on a Bear block. It features L & M upgraded camshafts, a pair of mid-mount 64/67-millimeter Comp turbos, and an AMS 2000 boost controller.
An overdrive 6R80 6-speed automatic sends power to a 3.15 geared rear end, and a pair of Hoosier 28-inch-tall x 10.5-inch-width slicks. The Mustang also features a full length exhaust, custom done with aluminum pipe and mufflers from HARM.
“In my opinion, surviving the week is the biggest challenge,” said Jody, who will bring Bill McCarron along for the ride, a guy who was instrumental to getting the Mustang ready. “I like the challenges of the drag-and-drive, and I prefer the mandatory routes, as you get to see groups traveling together.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Jody Ames.
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