Kyle Williams and a Crew of Canadians Overcome Breakage and Big Wheelies to Make Their Mark at TX2K
When surveying the landscape at the recent TX2K at Texas Motorplex, you could pick out a couple of people that had a solid chance of winning a class before a single round of eliminations started.
Those would likely include recent Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive winner Brett LaSala, 6-second stick shift gangsters Nick Cole-Mann and Jonathan Atkins, 2JZ runner Eric LaFerriere and his 240sx, and roll race / drag race dual-threat GT-R driver Marcelo Duran.
Events like TX2K require a full-tilt effort to have a chance to survive to the late rounds of competition, and we saw that from another drag-and-drive participant: Kyle Williams and his turbocharged Mustang.
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Joined by a cool crew, including fellow Miles of Mayhem event participants ‘Tokyo’ Mike Collins and 7.50 class winner Geena Franks, Kyle committed to make the long tow from Canada to Texas with hopes of making a decent showing, as well as a specific goal.
“I’ve never run a seven-second pass, and if I can get one, I’ll leave a happy man,” Kyle said. Consider he finished second at Miles of Mayhem in the small tire class, we figured he’d put down a solid effort for that 7-second blast.
On day two of TX2K, Kyle had qualified for the fourth field in the Street Car class, but had also reached his first roadblock to greatness and achieving the 7-second pass.
At the end of an 8.39 pass, oil pressure had left the building on the 5.3-liter LS engine the Mustang had left Canada with, putting Kyle on the sidelines.
But by the next morning, Kyle and crew had a new plan in place, as they cruised to Thompson Motorsports in Nevada, Texas for a new 383 cubic inch LS short block, complete with forged internals.
After the 3 hour round trip, the crew did the ‘remove-and-replace’ game, and the Mustang came to life on Thursday evening. “We will get that 7-second pass, even if it takes this second motor,” Kyle laughed.
With Friday set for roll racing, Kyle would get a final shot at the Texas Motorplex surface for a feel on how the new engine would do before eliminations.
He was rewarded with a big wheelie, and Kyle pedaled his way out of it and save the car from any further damage upon the front end returning to earth. “I was pumped,” he said. “That run was on baby boost. Let’s get that 7-second pass!”
That got Kyle to final eliminations Sunday, and he not only managed to get his 7-second pass, but got a couple win lights as well.
See the final day video below for more on how TX2K played out:
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Kyle Williams, Geena Franks, ‘Tokyo’ Mike Collins, and Mike Autrey (Night Adder Photography).
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com