This Homebuilt Turbocharged Mustang Made Its Drag-And-Drive Debut on Sick Week
Kenny Kish had always wanted to do a drag-and-drive event, but didn’t have a car or the time to go out of state to do it.
When Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive was announced in his home state of Florida, Kenny was all in and ready. “I always wanted to do Drag Week or Power Tour,” said Kenny. “It’s a week of awesome.”
To tackle the week, Kenny put together a 1989 Ford Mustang. Starting with an GT40 motor out of an Explorer, Kenny swapped in a better camshaft, added a turbocharger and a Holley Terminator X, and backed with a TKX 5-speed manual transmission, and a 3.55-geared 8.8-inch rear end.
“Every part of this car has been touched, either upgraded or replaced by myself in my garage,” said Kenny. “It's about time it gets driven and enjoyed instead of being wrenched on.”
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Kenny chose the Dial-Your-Own class on Sick Week, and started with a 14.37 at 113 mph pass at Orlando ‘Sick’ World Dragway. Moving to Bradenton Motorsports Park, Kenny dropped a significant amount of time by posting a 12.60 at 108 mph, his quickest run of the week.
Making the longest trip of the week north to South Georgia Motorsports Park, Kenny clicked off another 12-second pass, a 12.96 at 120 mph, his best speed of the week. Heading back south to Gainesville for day four, Kenny ran a 12.94 at 113 mph, leaving him only one day remaining to complete the week. Back at Orlando ‘Sick’ World Dragway, Kenny successfully completed his first drag-and-drive with a 13.27 at 113 mph pass.
“To me, a track only car is boring and anyone can build or buy one,” Kenny admitted. “It's no fun to trailer a car everywhere. It takes real skill to make that race car streetable.”
“My number 1 goal was to complete the week,” Kenny continued. “It's a racing event, but racing isn't the event. It's one big week of cool fast cars doing their thing and going on a grand adventure of a road trip.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine and Kenny Kish.