The First 2024 Mustang to Enter the 10-Second Zone Has Happened – And There’s More to Come!
Justin’s Performance Center (JPC) is no stranger to building some quick cars. In fact, the Maryland-based shop, led by multi-time National Mustang Racers Association (NMRA) champion Justin Burcham, has roots to the drag-and-drive community. He finished second in the Small Block Power-Adder class at the very first Hot Rod Drag Week, averaging 10.75 in a silver 2005 Ford Mustang.
That very 2005 Mustang would be the first 3-valve 2005 car into the 11-second range, followed by being the first in the tens within two weeks time.
Fast forward to the end of 2005, and JPC would be the first into the 9-second range with the same car sporting a ProCharger and a small shot of nitrous.
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When the 3-valve engine gave way to the Coyote powerplant in 2011 models, JPC wanted to play the same tune on a new guitar. And although Evolution Performance beat them to the 11-second range, JPC answered back as the first Coyote to hold a 10-second time slip, using common bolt-ons and a 100-horsepower shot of nitrous.
Less than half a year later with a different, and much lighter Mustang, JPC would play a part as the first naturally-aspirated to collect a 9-second pass would be credited to Joe Marini.
Four years later, JPC’s 2011 Mustang would roll to Beech Bend Raceway Park for the NMRA World Finals, and sporting a single 76-millimeter turbocharger, Justin piloted the car to the first7-second pass for a Coyote, a 7.94 at 172 mph.
Fast forward to the 2024 Ford Mustang, the new steed and chassis replacing the nine-year-old S550 chassis that debuted in 2015. Ford rates the new S650-chassis 2024 Mustang at 480 horsepower with the 5.0-liter Coyote engine, and although it can be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, JPC opted for a Carbonized Gray Metallic Mustang with the 10-speed automatic instead for their newest volunteer to break barriers.
Less than 10 hours after taking delivery of the new Mustang, the JPC crew had to bolted up to a Mainline hub dyno. The very first pulls, with the car on 87 octane fuel in the tank and only the carbon intake inserts deleted, returned 410 rear-wheel-horse-power (RWHP) as the result.
JPC knew more was on tap, and they started adding some C-25 (117 octane) fuel to the 87-octane swill in the tank to raise the ethanol content, and it bumped the power to 420 RWHP. They continued to add fuel until it got to “an aggressive ethanol blend” per JPC, and the dyno returned a 440.6 RWHP figure.
With the tune-up set, JPC fitted the Mustang with a set of Weld Racing wheels and Mickey Thompson tires, and the crew hauled to Cecil County Dragway in Maryland to try and be the first in the 11-second range, and they pulled it off with an 11.769 at 122.91 with a 1.89 60 foot time.
With the 11-second barrier broken, JPC was now focused on the tens. Some more work was ordered up for the Mustang, including a DSS carbon fiber driveshaft, KellTrac control arm bushings, a dumped catback exhaust system, TBM brakes on all four corners, some weight removal from the interior and trunk, and a little extra help from a 50 shot of nitrous per Nitrous Express.
On a Tuesday night at Maryland International Raceway, the gray Mustang clicked off a pair of 10.83 passes to become the first S650-chassis Mustang into the 10-second range.
Knowing the JPC crew and their track record, we’d say this is not the end of this Mustang’s test work. Are the nines next?
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Justin’s Performance Center and the NMRA.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com